Symbiosis or Breathe In Breathe Out, analogue double exposure, Ubud, Bali 2015

During her three months stay in Bali, Vrabie had the chance to meet and assist a Tibetan reincarnated monk (Rinpoche).

On the day this image was captured, the monk taught her how to make chakras (amulets containing Medicine Buddha prepared by the Dalai Lama in person).

After finishing the ritual, he sat on his altar and started to recite some mantras. She found that moment extremely peaceful and suddenly she associated that act with the cycles of nature and the symbiotic relationship that links humans and trees: we breathe in what they breathe out and vice versa.

Recent studies reveal that actually reciting mantras helps slowing down the breathing and lowering the stress levels.

This is an analogue photograph, therefore the layering happened completely inside the camera by exposing the same portion of film twice, in just one attempt.

Skywalk, analogue double exposure, Bali 2014

While walking on Bali's beach, Vrabie suddenly noticed a solitary tree in the distance and two people who were playing in the water in the foreground. At the same time, a group of three people was approaching. She instinctively captured the first scene and then the second one, reflecting on the fact that when we are lonely we long for the joy that sharing brings. We feel like there is a skywalk between ourselves and others that we need to cross.
This is an analogue photograph, therefore the layering happened completely inside the camera by exposing the same portion of film twice in just one attempt.

Silver Piercing, analogue triple exposure, San Gimignano, Italy 2014

Vrabie grew up in Tuscany and olive trees, with their silver leaves always fascinated her, especially in bright sunshine. She was in San Gimignano when she instinctively captured the valley twice and then she photographed the tips of a group of olive trees. "They look like silver spikes piercing the landscape together", she thought.
This is an analogue photograph, therefore the layering happened completely inside the camera by exposing the same portion of film twice, in just one attempt.

We Need To Talk -- God, analogue double exposure, London, UK 2015

She was back to London after her six months trip, when she noticed through the window of the bus this huge billboard, saying "We need to talk--God".

It made her smile and she jumped out of the bus. She pointed her camera first to the billboard and then to the sky which looked pretty loud.

This association was triggered by the image of God in the Old Testament and by the fact she found quite funny a man made billboard speaking on behalf of God.

This is an analogue photograph, therefore the layering happened completely inside the camera by exposing the same portion of film twice in just one attempt.

Waiting or Time And Space Relativity, analogue triple exposure, Ha Noi, Vietnam 2016

After a long trip in the East of the World, Vrabie was in transit for a few hours in the airport of Ha Noi on her way back to London, when she noticed the round clocks on the wall of the waiting room. She looked then at the grid patterned ceiling through which the light was filtering.

A sudden idea about circularity (East) and linearity (West) of time and Einstein's relativity of space and time arose.

She instinctively captured Ha Noi clock, London clock and the grid.

This is an analogue photograph, therefore the layering happened completely inside the camera by exposing the same portion of film three times in just one attempt.

Sifting Through Life, analogue double exposure, Bali 2014

Vrabie's guesthouse overlooking a beautiful rice paddy in Ubud was perfect to observe the harvest time. Her curiosity got captured by the precision of the energetic movements the Balinese man was sifting the rice grains to clean them from not desired impurities.
She thought to use the curtain of her room to sift that vision too and isolate the subject from other collateral visual information.
This is a paradigm of our daily universal learning process: we sift the information we collect, we keep what we need (the rice) and we discard what we don't (the impurities).
This is an analogue photograph, therefore the layering happened completely inside the camera by exposing the same portion of film twice in just one attempt.

Outside In, analogue double exposure, Florence, Italy 2015

Vrabie was visiting a delightful villa in Florence, when she felt overwhelmed by the beauty of the place and a state of sudden inspiration arose: she instinctively photographed the inside and then she run outside to capture the facade of the villa.

This image questions the relationship between our outer and inner worlds, our conscious and subconscious realities.

How does looking constantly outside for what we think we need, affect us on the inside? And how does our inner state, affect our external perceptions?

This is an analogue photograph, therefore the layering happened completely inside the camera by exposing the same portion of film twice, in just one attempt.

Mobile Horizons, analogue triple exposure, Volterra, Italy 2013

Vrabie was contemplating the deep pink tones of the winter sunset from Volterra's high fortress, when she thought: traveling means constantly shifting horizons.

This movement inherent into having new experiences shifts also our horizons of meaning in life, as our relative position around truths changes.

Then she instinctively took this triple exposure.

This is an analogue photograph, therefore the layering happened completely inside the camera by exposing the same portion of film three times in just one attempt.

Between Earth and Sky, analogue double exposure, Beachy Head, UK 2013

Vrabie was visiting Beachy Head, a beautiful yet infamous place for the number of suicides happened there.

While thinking about the fragility of life, she noticed these three human figures walking at a distance: they looked minuscule and suspended between Earth and Sky.

So she photographed them and then pointed the camera to the sky to capture its layer of blue.

This is an analogue photograph, therefore the layering happened completely inside the camera by exposing the same portion of film twice in just one attempt.

Secret Knowledge, analogue double exposure, Siena 2015

Vrabie was in Siena when her attention got captured by the imposing presence of the Dome.

She thought about the role of the Church as secret keeper of knowledge throughout the centuries, so she instinctively photographed the back of the building - not the facade - and then she pointed the camera to shoot a brick wall kissed by the shadow of a tree - maybe the one of the knowledge of good and evil? -, basking in the light of the sunset.

This is an analogue photograph, therefore the layering happened completely inside the camera by exposing the same portion of film twice, in just one attempt.

Change or  Kali, analogue double exposure, Ubud 2014

While Vrabie was in India, she studied traditional Tantra yoga and Vedic philosophy.
Kali, the goddess of change, really inspired her. During one of her morning walks, she encountered a beautiful hibiscus flower, symbol of the goddess in hindu iconography.
She instinctively photographed it and then she pointed the camera to capture the green rice paddy, perfect example of perpetual cycle of creation and destruction.
This is an analogue photograph, therefore the layering happened completely inside the camera by exposing the same portion of film twice in just one attempt.

Pining Lovers, analogue double exposure, Lucca, Italy 2013

Vrabie was in Lucca, Tuscany, walking along the ancient city walls, when a thunderstorm started to form in the distance: the wind was blowing and the light dimmed dramatically to announce imminent arrival of the rain and the clouds.
She noticed these two pines which looked like two lovers holding hands/roots, united by such a strong bond that made them look similar, almost one.
"I bet that if they get separated, they definitely pine (i.e. long) for each other, but the pink clouds in the distance are a promising hope for reunion", she thought with a smile on her face.
She took one exposure and then she took another one by zooming in to suggest a sense of movement between the two layers.
This is an analogue photograph, therefore the layering happened completely inside the camera by exposing the same portion of film twice in just one attempt.

Moulins À Vent, analogue double exposure, Ubud, Bali 2014

During her stay in Bali, Vrabie observed the increasing urbanization process that is subtracting the land to rice paddies in favor of new buildings dedicated to tourists seeking a tropical holiday dream adorned with palm trees and blue sky.

The buzzing construction activity inspired her to photograph the ricefield through a frame suggesting a house and then to shot the palm trees floating in the sky, like giant windmills, recalling the first industrial revolution.

This is an analogue photograph, therefore the layering happened completely inside the camera by exposing the same portion of film twice, in just one attempt.

Lotus: From Mud To Flower, analogue triple exposure, Ubud, Bali 2014

At sunset the rice field workers were carrying on their shoulders the heavy harvest home, while the lotus was placidly resting its leaves, floating on the nearby river surface.

Vrabie shot with reverence the first scene twice to capture the movement of the workers across the field and then she shot the second one.

She thought that humans immerse themselves in the deep mud of physical and mental effort to bloom exactly like beautiful lotuses.

This is an analogue photograph, therefore the layering happened completely inside the camera by exposing the same portion of film three times in just one attempt.

Water Gem, analogue double exposure, Bali 2014

Vrabie was walking next to a pond at sunrise, when she noticed a very big green leaf containing a massive water drop. She captured it instinctively and then she pointed the camera to the pond and photographed it too.

She thought about the fact that human bodies are mostly made of water, an element characterized by unique properties. She concluded: "We are water gems, gently supported by Mother Nature, like this drop by this leaf".

This is an analogue photograph, therefore the layering happened completely inside the camera by exposing the same portion of film twice, in just one attempt.

Due to the overlap of the colors of the two layers, the leaf disappeared.

Jump -- Fall Or Fly, analogue triple exposure, Beachy Head, UK 2013

Vrabie was visiting Beachy Head where the movie Quadrophenia was filmed.
She recalled the final scene of the movie, where Jimmy takes the scooter and jumps off the cliff, but we never see his body falling. "Whenever we jump into something risky, we may fall of fly" she thought, and she instinctively captured two exposures of the cliffs as background and foreground and then she photographed the scene where some human silhouettes were present.
This is an analogue photograph, therefore the layering happened completely inside the camera by exposing the same portion of film three times, in just one attempt.