"Only * a magazine"

(*title on purpose)


I wonder what everyone is so excited about?

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I fell in love with photography in my teens. It started when I realized that I read fashion magazines more for the stunning photographs than for anything else. I stayed up late rummaging websites for Vogue scans just so I could be amazed over and over by the talents of Steven Meisel, Miles Aldridge or the always surprising Paolo Roversi. I loved getting lost in those worlds and every photo that took my breath away made me love this art form more and more. Of course, all was fine and dandy except that I wanted something that hits closer to home. So I started buying Romanian magazines, curious to see if they'd have the same impact.

And that is the way I discovered the work of Mister Alex Galmeanu. At first he was just a name that adorned the pages of the fashion magazines I devoured. And then he became my favorite one. I loved his photography. I loved the feeling of new and originality and how it always managed to surprise me always.

Years passed, compact cameras turned to SLRs, ISO and aperture and millimeters stopped being the foreign words on the camera box and started making sense. I became known to all my friends as the girl with the camera, a nickname I try to honor every time I leave home with my camera in my bag. And whenever someone asked me what photographers I admired, Alex Galmeanu's name would always leave my lips first.


So you can imagine that when I was offered the chance to meet up with my favorite photographer my reaction was just short of doing an embarrassing happy dance in a public place.

It stated with a magazine. Only a magazine - Decat o Revista.
A group of people who decided to create a publication up to their own high standards, with though-provoking articles and beautiful photoshoots. Built from the ground up through their initiative and through their talent. Vampires and politics and chocolate cakes and tattoos and Bucharest and so much more meeting between two covers. Just one number, made to be a collector's piece and not something to be thrown out once read.
No compromises. Just surprising. Just that. Decat.

And did I mention a cover shot by Galmeanu himself. My stalking (kidding!) of Cristian Lupsa's twitter payed off and on a rainy Wednesday I found myself at a studio surrounded by people running to and from, magazine pages waiting to be read and re-read, so many clothes that would make any fashionista's day and funny, sweet (albeit a little stressed out) people and one photographer, all of them under one roof.

I wish I could I could tell you what the photoshoot was about but you'll have to wait and see. All I can say is that it will be a great one and it was so amusing watching the guys and girls get into character and making everyone else laugh.

I was the designated backstage photographer, a daunting task considering the company. But to say I loved it would be an understatement and it was fascinating and so much fun to be part of that. Needless to say I've taken my role of number one fan very seriously since then!

Decat o Revista will be out this weekend. And I already know it will be something surprising that will leave a mark. After all the work and dedication I seriously can not see it go any other way.

I will offer my congratulations now (that's how much faith I have in it ;D) and I cannot wait for the celebratory beer meet!

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More about them on their Facebook page.

Thanks to everyone (you know who you are :)) for letting me be that annoying girl with the camera - I mean, for being part of this.