Eugen Negrea

In an era dominated by ephemeral digital images and an avalanche of mediocrity, the AAFR president invites us to an honest reflection on visual art. A dialogue about the difference between a simple picture and a photograph that stays in your memory, the importance of print, and the acute need for general culture.

VM: How did your journey in photography begin? Do you remember the moment you realized it was more than just a hobby?

Eugen Negrea: The beginning of my adventure in photography happened during my student years. I graduated from the Faculty of Geology and Geography at the University of Bucharest. At the Mineralogy Department, there was a photo laboratory where I had the opportunity to work. I photographed outcrops, landscapes, but also thin sections, which means microphotography. It was a sensational start. I also took photos for my colleagues and professors.

VM: What was your biggest frustration or challenge when you were just starting out?

Eugen Negrea: I didn't have such problems. I had neither frustrations nor challenges, at least I didn't perceive them that way. It was just the joy of photographing.

VM: Inspiration often comes from unexpected places. What is your greatest source of inspiration outside of photography (e.g., cinema, literature, music, everyday life)?

Eugen Negrea: All fields and none in particular. It's about general culture.

VM: We know you've done many photographic projects over the years. What do you consider to be the main difference between creating an excellent individual photograph and building a coherent visual series?

Eugen Negrea: This year, the International Federation of Photographic Art introduced a new section, the Portfolio. You have to present yourself before an international jury with a series of 10 photographs with a well-defined theme and presentation. I worked on this series for over a year, taking hundreds of photos in several countries across Asia and Europe, and, of course, in the Botanical Garden in Bucharest. The difficulty of such a project stems from the need to have an original idea and to "bind" the photographs together into a unified whole from a technical and chromatic perspective. For now, I am the only Romanian photographer who has received the FIAP Portfolio distinction (PFIAP).

VM: Which is your dearest photographic project? And why?

Eugen Negrea: I don't have a specific project. I am happy when I am satisfied with something I've done well, but I don't take things too deeply to heart.

VM: How much of your work is carefully planned and how much is left to pure spontaneity?

Eugen Negrea: I admit I have a mania for planning. Perhaps also because I am no longer at the age where I do things by chance. The only happy coincidence is that I can afford to photograph what, when, and where I want.

VM: Let's talk a bit about equipment. Do you believe the camera and the environment dictate the soul of the photograph, or are they just simple tools?

Eugen Negrea: Of course, the environment dictates the soul of the photograph. In a new, unknown place, the emotional state is much stronger. The camera remains the tool that gives shape to those emotions.

VM: Every artist faces creative blocks. Have you ever gone through one, and how did you manage to regain your visual voice?

Eugen Negrea: There were at least 10 years when I didn't take any photographs. It was a less favorable context for photographic creation, moments of general confusion, uncertainties, and hopes. But I quickly returned with my feet on the ground.

VM: Does physical print still make sense in an era where most people consume images on phone screens?

Eugen Negrea: True photography only exists in the form of a very high-quality print. On phones, there are only images.

VM: If you were to be remembered by people through a single photograph you took, which one would it be? Please tell us the story and the emotion behind it. 

Eugen Negrea: I don't want to bother anyone and remain in someone's memory.

VM: In your opinion, what transforms an ordinary picture into a truly powerful photograph?

Eugen Negrea: The emotion it evokes when you look at it. A truly remarkable photograph stays in your memory for a lifetime.

VM: Name three photographers whose work has inspired you and whom you admire.

Eugen Negrea: I avoid making a hierarchy of photographers. I admire many artists, but I can't say that anyone consciously inspired me.

VM: You are the president of the Association of Photographic Artists in Romania, and we know that AAFR has a close historical connection with FIAP (International Federation of Photographic Art). How do you see the current level of fine art photography in Romania compared to the international one?

Eugen Negrea: AAF became a FIAP member in 1957, with Romania being among the first European countries accepted into this great family of photographic artists. It was a recognition of the value of the Romanian school of photography, of great artists who wrote the history of Romanian photographic art. I take the risk of stating that the value of the photographs taken between 1956 and 1989 is far above that of today's images.

A comparison between the current level of Romanian photography and the international one is almost impossible to make. Firstly, we don't know where we stand. There is now an avalanche of very vocal great "artists," very insistent on promoting their productions, which are most often mediocre. On the other hand, there are excellent image creators who, unfortunately, are very discreet. I call them artists with grace and a lot of common sense. We cannot compare ourselves with international photography as long as we have at most 20-30 photographers in the whole country who participate in international salons or exhibitions. For the rest, the vast majority of those who think they are the center of the universe in photography are happy when they receive praise from their neighbor or a diploma at a local and county-level contest where more prizes are given than the number of participants. That is how, as the quality of Romanian photography dilutes, the number of those who have become HON has grown exponentially—which is a sort of cheap two-cent honor you buy with a bit more money.

VM: What arguments would you offer a young photographer to convince them that they need to belong to an official association like AAFR?

Eugen Negrea: I don't want to convince anyone to join AAFR. The title of AAFR member represents an honor, and that's it. It is certainly not the case for me to advertise a national association, the official representative of FIAP in Romania—an association that, behold, is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year.

While during the communist era, participating in international salons or obtaining a service contract was conditioned by AAF membership, that is no longer the case. Now everyone does what they want and as they please. And young photographers care little about the history of Romanian photography. Characters who have no connection with photographic art, who have graduated, at best, from an intensive tailoring course or self-taught masonry, have styled themselves as photography professors. It is unbelievable how many people who have never held a camera in their lives are teaching others about photography, organizing contests and festivals, and abusing photography just to earn an extra buck. And then I ask myself, what pretensions can we have internationally?

VM: If you could give one piece of advice to a beginner photographer struggling to find a unique style, what would it be?

Eugen Negrea: To build as vast a general culture as possible. To read—first of all, the manual of the camera they own—to wander through museums and major painting or photography exhibitions, to travel, and to meet all kinds of people.

VM: What is next for you? Are you currently working on a project? Do you have plans for exhibitions, photobook launches, or new themes you can't wait to explore?

Eugen Negrea: On December 1, 2026, we are celebrating 70 years since the establishment of AAFR. I am trying to gather my strength to write a few pages in an anniversary album, to scan several hundred photographs kept in the AAFR collection, and to organize an exhibition featuring the works of current AAFR members. I will also organize the International Salon of Photographic Art of Romania, whose first edition was, as I said, in 1957.

It is not an easy task, but it is an honorable one. The AAFR collection preserves over 2000 black-and-white photographs by great Romanian and foreign photographers. It would be a shame for these works to remain locked in cardboard boxes, especially since they are also a good source of inspiration for young photographers. In fact, they are not just photographs; they are the very history of Romanian photographic art.