experiments – Alex Galmeanu's Blog

29 October, 202629 October, 2026

Anastasia, the 24th picture

October means another meeting with Anastasia in my studio for her annual portrait. We started this project in October 2003, exactly 23 years ago. Since then, we’ve taken one portrait every October, so this year marks the completion of our 24th image. That’s 24 portraits spanning 23 years, from 2003 to 2026.

It all began in October 2003, when a very young Anastasia first walked into my studio. Back then, I took her portrait without a specific project in mind. By coincidence, she returned the following October, in 2004, and I took a second portrait, quite similar to the first. That was when we realized this could become a long-term project, and we decided to meet every October for as long as possible, repeating the portrait each year and gradually adding new images to the series.

25 June, 202625 June, 2026

My first exhibition in New York City

A few days ago, a dream came true for me: to have an exhibition in the heart of Chelsea’s art galleries, in New York City. Everything happened as part of the Marked For More project, initiated by The Social Incubator Association, which marked its presence in the USA.

The project is not just an exhibition, but a story about young adults raised inside the Romanian child protection system. The red thread connecting the portraits of these young adults is their tattoos. These are young people entering adult life without family albums, but carrying their tattoos instead, as a form of memory and identity, or as a mark of survival. Their tattoos represent names or things they do not want to forget, losses, fears, new beginnings, or promises made to themselves.

30 October, 202530 October, 2025

Anastasia – Year 22

Another October means another meeting with Anastasia in my studio for her annual portrait. It’s been 22 years since we started this project, and after this very long run, we’ve completed the 23rd image.

Everything began in October 2003, when a very young Anastasia entered my studio for the first time. On that occasion, I took her portrait without having a project in mind. Coincidentally, Anastasia returned to my studio the following October, in 2004, and I made a second portrait similar to the first one. From that moment on, it became clear that this could become a long-term project, so we decided to meet every October for as long as possible, each year repeating the portrait and adding new images to the series.

8 February, 202512 February, 2025

Project for Mercedes-Benz Bucharest Fashion Week

Hello, cu un nou proiect din categoria celor faine.

Undeva prin toamnă, am lucrat pentru Mercedes-Benz Romania si Mercedes-Benz Bucharest Fashion Week (MBBFW). În acest context, am realizat o parte dintre materialele de promovare, în mod special cele legate de unii dintre designerii români invitați la eveniment. Au fost două zile cu multe fotografii, ilustrații și interviuri video, toate pe teme legate de industria de modă de la noi din țară, cu provocările și oportunitățile ei.

23 October, 202423 October, 2024

Anastasia – year 21

It’s October again, and, as usual, Anastasia came to my studio for her annual portrait. It’s been 21 years since we started this project, and after this long run, we’ve completed the 22nd image.

Everything began in October 2003, when a very young Anastasia entered my studio for the first time. On that occasion, I made her a portrait without having a project in mind. Coincidentally, Anastasia returned to my studio the following October, in 2004, and I took a second portrait similar to the first one. From that moment, it became clear that this could be a long-term project, so we decided to meet every October for as long as possible, annually repeating our portrait and adding new images to the set.

Interestingly, over all these years, I’ve changed my studio three times, camera and lighting equipment countless times, but I never changed the chair Anastasia sits on. Amusingly, the chair isn’t visible in the pictures, but we (Anastasia and I) know it’s there.

23 April, 202423 April, 2024

Our first SecretNipple party – images from the event

Here are some fresh pictures from our first SecretNipple party. It was a great one, not because of us, but because so many friends decided to visit us and spend some time together. I’m also glad to see SecretNipple growing, becoming a reason for wonderful people to get together and have a good time.

SecretNipple is a unique project I’m involved in, for which I’ve already produced many portraits of interesting people. The project started with a bit of nostalgia when a group of creators (Iulia Sas, Mara Coman, Irina Hartia, Alexandra Craescu, Adonis Enache, Adrian Mihaiu, Liviu Badilita & me), some of them with extensive experience in glamour and editorial journalism, decided to compensate for the disappearance of the glossy magazines market with a project that keeps alive the same creative energy and spirit. In other words, SecretNipple is about that intimate feeling one wants to hide but can’t; it is a story about intimacy, not necessarily physical, but especially emotional, delivered through portrait photography.

Although the project is just two years old, it has become visible enough in the market to grab the attention of relevant people and institutions. In this direction, Conceptual Lab and Theo Nissim offer the SecretNipple project to become better known and better understood by you, by organising a party. Of course, the event included a photographic exhibition with the pictures produced for the project, screened in an installation made of 18 displays.

27 January, 202428 January, 2024

About my WhatsApp Broadcast Channel

Am uitat să vă povestesc o experiență pe care am avut-o la început de septembrie 2023, cu noile WhatsApp Broadcast Channels. Dacă nu știți ce sunt acestea, e ușor de explicat. WhatsApp a lansat în septembrie aceste canale unidirecționale care funcționează similar cu mai cunoscutele canale de broadcast de pe Instagram. WhatsApp Broadcast Channels pare că au pornit mai lent în țara noastră, dar pe plan internațional există un interes relativ mare și o efervescență pe măsură. Oricum, haideți să vă povestesc experiența, dar nu înainte de a vă invita să îmi urmăriți canalul, link aici.

7 November, 20237 November, 2023

Working for The New York Times

Să fii fotograf este de cele mai multe ori minunat, dar uneori “minunatul” devine chiar mai minunat. Pe la sfârșitul verii, am primit o cerere interesantă pe o adresă de email de la The New York Times, da, chiar The New York Times, cu întrebarea dacă aș vrea să colaborez cu ei pentru un articol despre Timișoara. Foto-editorul care m-a contactat mi-a spus că știe despre faptul că sunt un fotograf de portret, dar pare că mă pricep suficient de bine și la ceea ce ar putea fi numit “fotografie de călătorie”. Poate că seria mea “As I Found It” a dat, în sfârșit, roade.

Bineînțeles că am acceptat, apoi, cândva în septembrie, am și fost în Timișoara pentru un weekend prelungit. Tema mea a fost să urmăresc și să ilustrez un text foarte bun scris de un autor american, Andy Trincia, care chiar trăiește în Timișoara deja de o perioadă lungă de timp. Articolul este acum publicat, cu tot cu fotografiile mele. Adică puteți să analizați și cum mă descurc ca fotograf de călătorie, pe o temă dată. Sigur că nu este neapărat cel mai complex job pe care l-am realizat până acum, dar, este The New York Times, nu se întâmplă chiar în fiecare zi. Materialul îl puteți citi aici (necesită abonament).

30 October, 202330 October, 2023

Anastasia – 20 years since I started the project

It’s October, and as you surely know, it’s the month I usually meet Anastasia Olaru for our annual portrait, so here it is. This time, we have an anniversary edition, as it’s been 20 years since we started the project.

Everything started 20 years ago, in October 2003, when a very young Anastasia entered my studio for the first time. On that occasion, I made her a portrait without having a project in mind. Luckily, as a coincidence, Anastasia came to my studio again the following October, in 2004, and I took her a second portrait similar to the first one. From that moment, it was clear that this could be a long-term project, so we decided to meet each other again every October for as long as possible, annually repeating our portrait and adding new images to this set.

22 September, 202322 September, 2023

Poster pentru filmul “Libertate”

A venit vremea să adaug un nou afiș de film la colecția de postere pe care am adunat-o. De data aceasta este vorba despre afișul lungmetrajului “Libertate”, realizat de Tudor Giurgiu. Pentru proiectul acesta am fotografiat multe mâini cu numeroase arme, urmând un concept al celor de la GLITCH. Vă recomand să vedeți filmul care, începând cu 6 octombrie, va fi în cinematografe. Mă gândesc că veți sta mai confortabil în sală știind că am contribuit la realizarea afișului. Vedeți și fotografiile de mai jos cu ceea ce se vede din stradă sau din cinematograf.