An Afternoon on the Banks of Galați - Some Unfiltered Photo from 30/07/2024
I have always felt an irresistible attraction to the edges of cities. Not the historic center, not the new developments, but those strips of land where civilization suddenly stops, giving way to nature left to its own devices. These photos, taken last year on the banks of Galați, are not just snapshots, but milestones of a summer afternoon, when light takes on a special weight, golden everything it touches.
There was no room for patience. I took out my phone and started recording, not necessarily the landscape, but the contrast between what should be and what is. The strong wind forced me to be quick. I didn’t have time to inspect the terrain in detail, i didn’t look for a perfect composition, but i recorded what was obvious under that intense light.
I moved towards the area of boulders on the bank. There, pulled ashore, i found the wooden boat. It was an object of simple but honest craftsmanship: worn, gray, sun-cracked wood. A tool that had done its job, now laid to rest. I looked at the boat. It wasn’t at all fierce, but for a moment, in that biting wind, I had the absurd image of a pirate ship😁—pirates who had most likely forgotten their rum bottles and plastic bags on the shore before setting off. Of course, it was a simple local boat, laid up for rest.
I was in a hurry, so i couldn’t look for hidden details. I focused on the big picture: the wide landscape, the greenery, this gorgeous summer light. But even so, in every frame, if you looked closely, you could see the traces: bits of discarded material, the small, permanent pollution.
In reality, the landscape is powerful and beautiful, but nature has to struggle enormously and constantly with what people leave behind.