Behind the scenes of my video-making process, an inquiry into the value of work, pastel wonderlands, and road trips in Romania.

It only took a year, but I made a new YouTube video. It’s part of my Photographing X series, and this one is from my time in Brasov, Romania. I like to think of it as an ode to autumn. Going alongside that is my Patreon post about my video-making process. I spent a lot of time talking about why I do certain things a lot more than how, but that’s pretty much my jam. For those interested in specs, I did manage to bring myself to include them as well, don’t worry.

I also put together a photo set from my first six weeks in Romania. My hope is that at the end of the year I can do one for my second six weeks. I think it could make a nice pair. The set includes photos from a few road trips, the YouTube video, and some other work I’ve been doing, which I’ll talk about in the Life Abroad section. All in all, it was a good month for projects, and I hope you check them out.

The Art of Living. Epictetus never wrote a book, but his lessons and observations about the world have stood the test of time. This book didn’t so much talk about the topics as much as simply offer modern-day interpretations of them, which I appreciated, in part. It’s hard to knock something that’s packed with so much stoic wisdom, but, at times, the interpretations by Lebell were a bit grating. There’s a particular part in the epilogue, when the Epictetus material has concluded, where Lebell speaks directly to a modern audience, and it’s jarring to say the least. It was like chasing a glass of eggnog with lemon. I recommend the book for Epictetus’ monumental contribution, but the rest is nothing to write home about.

Winter Notes on Summer Impressions. Well, it had to happen eventually. After reading a handful of masterpieces, I’ve finally reached something by Dostoevsky that didn’t quite grab me. Being my first non-fiction Dostoevsky, I was intrigued by what I would find. I know that the man’s life was intense, to say the least, so my curiosity was piqued when this one popped into my recommendations on Goodreads. What started as something like an uneventful travel diary quickly morphed into superficial diatribes, and I didn’t enjoy it. How this book came from the same mind as Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov I do not know.

Shop Class as Soul Craft. This one broke the pattern. It was not only the first book that I wholly enjoyed in November, it was also an entirely dissimilar subject matter. Shop Class speaks to the significance of working with one’s hands, particularly in a modern world. It’s laced with romanticism and philosophy, and I dug it. It’s no wonder that Van Neistat of The Spirited Man enjoys this one, so much so that he got his channel’s name out of it. It’s a good one, definitely not perfect, but I enjoyed it. I haven’t yet read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, but I’d venture to guess that they share some strong similarities.

Red Famine. Take a deep breath before this one, because it is heavy. Red Famine is Anne Applebaum’s stark look at the Holodomor, the man-made famine of 1932-1933 that killed millions of Ukrainians in Soviet Ukraine. I’ve said it before, but I think books like this one are imperative to read. The horrors that took place almost 100 years ago were carried out by human beings just like us, and that’s not the only parallel to be drawn. Red Famine documents a genocidal action that was, and still is, utterly denied as having taken place. Unfortunately, as we can clearly see, the relationship with Russia and Ukraine is still, for want of a better word, complicated. I recommend spending some time with this book, but I wish you didn’t have to. If nothing else, may it be a reminder of just how good we have it.

Photo: Teresa Freitas

Let’s take a hard pivot and talk about some of the most refreshing photography out there. If Teresa Freitas is new to you, let’s remedy that right now. Teresa is a photographer born and based in Lisbon, Portugal. Her unique and masterful approach to color and composition can be found in both her personal and professional work and is what initially drew me to her photos. Honestly, her work speaks for itself, so I encourage you to browse her (equally unique and beautiful) website, which you can find below, as well as her Instagram.

Instagram
Website

This month, I had the opportunity to do some photo/video work here in Romania. I spent a good chunk of time researching different regions and towns, planning all of the logistics, and ultimately going out and shooting the projects, only adding to my already high opinion of this country. Considering my lifestyle, one would think I always dive into such depths, but it’s not the case. Life moves fast, and I try to keep up. Photography is a way for me to document the world, but primarily to appreciate it. Seldom do I learn as much as I wish, so when opportunities like this arrive, I take advantage.

One quick note on work, specifically for someone else: create what you love or risk finding success in something you hate. In terms of creative pursuits, we have control over what work of ours others consume. Stick to a vision and be consistent. That way, when someone hires you to do a job, your specific style will be what’s expected. Working on these projects in Romania has been fulfilling. For me, that’s exactly how it should be. I’m making things to my standard, so I can return home with not only cash but work I can be proud to share.

I’ve shared some snippets of the work here and there, but I’ll try to be a bit more organized about it. I don’t have any more of those projects going into December, but I do hope to make one more YouTube video before the year is up. We’ve made it to Sibiu, and the holiday season is in full swing. We were here for a month in 2018, so we know the city, but four years is a long time away. I’m eager to rediscover this lovely little place. Anyway, that's all for this month. I hope you enjoyed this issue of Recollect. If you did, or if you didn’t, let me know. Hit the black box below to send me an email with your thoughts. I’m all ears. Thank you for your support. I’ll see you next month.