Imi place iarna. Poate si pentru ca m-am nascut iarna. In natura, iarna e mai liniste…. care te indeamna la calm si meditare. Zapada acopera pamantul astupand  toate zgomotele si framatarile, detaliile marunte pierzandu-se sub patura alba. Natura isi simplifica formele, le esentializeaza intr-o caligrafie minimalista, eleganta si rafinata ca o epura matematica. Soarele deseneaza cu umbre lungi forme efemere, muntii devin mai impunatori purtand  cusme de cornise spanzurate peste hauri.

Am ajuns la concluzia ca fac mai multe fotografii iarna decat in oricare alt anotimp. Dupa cate o furtuna de zapada sau ninsoare abundenta imi fac timp sa ies la fotografiat. Imi place zapada proaspata pe care nu a apucat sa o “vada” soarele si sa cada de pe crengile copacilor. Sau dupa o noapte cu ger sa fotografiez cristalele de zapada “crescute” pe suprafata zapezii. Imi place sa-mi gasesc cate un loc pe creasta unui munte unde sa astept apusul de soare, la fel si mersul dis de dimineata in intuneric catre vre-un loc binecuvantat pentru a fotografia rasaritul.

Fotografiile de iarna beneficiaza de un grafism accentuat si mai putin de culoare. Poate si de aceea peisajele alb-negru de iarna au o forta mai mare.

Cum sunt un om de munte, crestele, varfurile, spinarile de munte m-au atras ca un magnet. Le-am parcurs si le-am fotografiat, facand acest lucru cu aceeasi pasiune pe cat de inseparabil legate sunt cele doua indeletniciri.

Cineva mi-a pus o intrebare pe jumatate hazoasa pe jumatate plina de talc: “ Oare, daca ajunge acolo sus, tot romanu’ poa’ sa vada ce-a vazut fotografu’?” Raspunsul are doua aspecte indisolubil legate:

Prima data trebuie sa ajungi acolo sus. Pentru asta, cateodata, trebuie determinare. Ma trezesc la ore care pentru unii inseamna pedeapsa, plec la deal la lumina frontalei, ajung transpirat pe cate o creasta unde trabuie sa schimb un ticou ud cu cel uscat aflat in ranita, la multe grade cu minus. Dar va asigur ca exista recompensa.

Odata ajuns sus, ma racordezi la ritmul naturii,  absorb tot ceea ma inconjoara si culeg elementele care ma intereseaza. Imi acord timp ca sa vad. Abea apoi incep sa fotografiez. Am locuri favorite pe care le vizitez de mai multe ori, in mai multe momente ale zilei, in situatii meteo diferite.

In fotografie exista un dicton care spune “less is more” ceea ce in traducere inseamna “mai putin inseamna mai mult”. Mai ales iarna cand totul se simplifica mult datorita zapezii. Muntii par mai falnici, mai inalti chiar si atunci cand, pe culmilel lor, nu sunt gheturi vesnice. Desigur ca iarna muntii sunt mai dificili dar poate si de aceea  ni se par mai spectaculosi, ne atrag mai mult, asemenea unui fruct oprit dar foarte dorit.

De aici mi se trage dorinta de a vedea, fotografia, urca pe muntii mari si frumosi ai lumii. Nu neaparat pana in varf, ci mai curand catre locurile de unde, fotografic vorbind, maretia lor este de neegalat. Asa am ajuns sa colind muntii lumii, sa-i fotogarfiez si sa-mi pun in suflet muntii cu crestetul alb.

Bucura-ti-va de iarna ! Bucurati-va de muntii cu crestele albe!

Snow-capped Mountains

I like winter. Perhaps because I was born in winter. In nature, winter brings a certain stillness... one that invites calm and reflection. Snow blankets the earth, muffling all sounds and restlessness, with small details vanishing under the white cover. Nature simplifies its forms, reducing them to an elegant, refined minimalistic calligraphy, much like a mathematical sketch. The sun draws ephemeral shapes with long shadows, and mountains appear more imposing, wearing snow cornices suspended over the void.

I’ve come to the conclusion that I take more photographs in winter than in any other season. After a snowstorm or heavy snowfall, I make time to go out and photograph. I love fresh snow, untouched by the sun’s gaze, still clinging to the branches of trees. Or, after a frosty night, I enjoy photographing the delicate snow crystals that have "grown" on the surface of the snow. I like finding a spot on a mountain ridge to wait for the sunset, just as much as I enjoy starting out early in the morning, in the dark, to reach a blessed location to photograph the sunrise.

Winter photographs benefit from heightened graphic contrasts rather than vibrant colors. Perhaps that’s why black-and-white winter landscapes hold greater power.

As a mountain enthusiast, I’ve always been drawn to peaks, ridges, and summits like a magnet. I’ve traversed and photographed them, pursuing these passions with equal intensity, as inseparable as the two activities themselves.

Someone once asked me a half-joking, half-philosophical question: "If anybody reaches the summit, can they truly see what the photographer sees?" The answer has two sides.

First, you have to get up there. Sometimes, that requires determination. I wake up at hours that feel like punishment to some, hike uphill with my headlamp lighting the way, and reach a ridge drenched in sweat, where I have to change a wet shirt for a dry one from my pack, in freezing temperatures. But I assure you, there’s a reward.

Once I’m up there, I sync with the rhythm of nature, absorbing everything around you and picking out the elements that matter most. I take the time to truly see before I start photographing. I have favorite spots I visit repeatedly, at different times of the day and in varying weather conditions.

In photography, there’s a saying: “less is more.” This is especially true in winter when everything simplifies thanks to the snow. The mountains appear taller, more majestic, even if their ridges lack eternal glaciers. Of course, winter makes the mountains more challenging, but perhaps that’s also why they seem more spectacular, drawing us in like a forbidden yet deeply desired fruit.

This longing drives me to see, photograph, and climb the world’s great and beautiful mountains. Not necessarily to their peaks, but rather to places where, photographically speaking, their grandeur is unmatched. That’s how I’ve come to roam the mountains of the world, photograph them, and hold close to my heart the snow-capped mountains.

Enjoy winter! Enjoy the Snow-capped Mountains!