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Picturing World Cultures: Daniel Rosca - Romania
There are many different ways to look at culture, and today we take a geographic approach, to distinguish people who live in rural mountain and hilly settings from those of the wider plains and urban areas.
Our focus is the country of Romania, where we'll explore the rustic landscape of small farms, hand tilled fields, and local communities that still identify with the working methods and traditions of the past. Along the way, we'll follow the cyclical work of farmers and shepherds, gain insight into the Orthodox faith, explore vibrant holiday celebrations, and reveal unique rituals with pagan roots.
In this fourth installment of our monthly series, Picturing World Cultures, we speak with Daniel Rosca, a Romanian photographer and travel guide specialized in photographic, cultural, and genealogical tours.
As a child, Daniel experienced the age-old traditions of rural Romania first-hand during time spent on his grandparent's farm. Following university studies, he spent four years abroad, working in youth development, consulting, and corporate social responsibility. After living in Brussels, Warsaw, Istanbul, and Cairo, and travelling to another 40 countries on four continents, Daniel decided travel should become his full-time job.
He chose to return to his homeland in 2011, where he founded Romania Photo Tours and True Romania Tours, to help curious travelers immerse themselves in—and capture images of—old-world Romanian culture.
In summary, to quote the motto of his photo tour site: Veni, Vidi, Click!
Guest: Daniel Rosca
For more information on our guest and the gear he uses, see:
And if you haven't already listened, check out all episodes from our Picturing World Cultures podcast series here: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/promotion/picturing-world-cultures
Episode Timeline:
2:07: The blend of various cultures and influences that make up Romanian culture, geographic distinctions between regions based on mountains, hills, and plains, Romania's historic regions, plus the country's widespread agricultural focus.
9:41: Common misconceptions about Romania: dispelling inaccuracies about Dracula and Romania's communist past, plus Romania's current strengths in tech, IT, and engineering.
12:34: Special considerations, both general and cultural, when photographing people in different regions, making pictures of the Roma, military, or police, plus Romania's strict policies that prohibit driving after even a sip of alcohol.
17:44: Romanian agricultural traditions of scything, haymaking, horse carts, blacksmiths, shepherding, plus the art of traditional egg painting.
23:24: Forging a human connection with local villagers and craftspeople, etiquette and logistics when making pictures, plus the issue of obtaining model releases for portraits.
30:14: Daniel's go-to photo gear: Nikon Z6 mirrorless and a 24-70 mm f/2.8 lens, the benefits to carrying a flash, plus recommendations for packing and benefits to traveling light
34:08: Episode Break
35:10: Romanian Orthodox churches, regional differences in appearance, rules of etiquette and respectful behavior when photographing, plus the many denominations of Orthodoxy, and detai
Published on 1 year, 9 months ago