it BEGAN WITH THE IMPULSIVE BUY OF A CAMERA
I don't even remember when it happened exactly. I know that somewhere around 2017, if I'm not mistaken.
I was at a flea market near Innsbruck without any particular purpose, until I noticed a camera, a Minolta Maxxum 5d, quite an old camera even at that time.
I am naturally a creative person, flirting with drawing, music and occasionally photography. So I decided to buy it. It cost me 100 euros and this impulsive purchase was one of the best decisions of my life.
THE ROAD TO CREATIVE EMANCIPATION
From that day on, I had my camera everywhere I went. I was employed as a driver on a concrete mixer. A job that depressed me, and made me frustrated with my role in society. But having the camera next to me in the truck occasionally offered me an intimate moment of distance from that workplace, and I photographed everything that came my way, including work colleagues.
Until one day, when at work, during the meal break that belongs to every individual, I was photographing a dramatic sky. A moment that remained imprinted in my memory because of that action of mine, my attention was drawn to stop taking pictures at work, to have other extracurricular activities, and instead to take a broom and measure the floor of the concrete station.
I don't think I'm crying for pity, but that observation brought on me, made me distance myself even more from that workplace, being a confirmation that if I ended up taking pictures and thinking about them more than driving a truck, I have to make a decision and look for another purpose in life.
The opportunity that changed everything
I resigned from my job and was unemployed for 6 months. During all this time I sent countless emails and visited different companies to present my services for a potential collaboration/employment.
Meanwhile, the help came from a friend who, while visiting a car dealer, asked them if they were interested in having a permanent photographer in-house. They agreed, I went and took a test and soon after they hired me in my first position as a photographer.
You can imagine how I felt at that moment. I felt that the world opened up to me and that I have the opportunity to do whatever I set my mind to, and how important it is to have friends who strongly believe in you, and even more, to help you when your situation calls for it.
After about a year of collaboration with that car dealer, I felt that I was starting to enter a boring loop, a routine. When I felt that I wasn't making enough artistic content to satisfy my hunger for creation, I decided to try to make a video for them. And even now I remember that first automotive video. It was a tougher-looking VW Amarok. I took out the best equipment I had for photography, a cloud machine, a strobe light with a softbox and a tripod, ALL MY WEALTH.
I filmed a 15-second clip. Steam, catchy music and I was so hyped from all the satisfaction I had when I finished the edit. It seemed to me the most incredible automotive video I had seen up to that moment.
And so, slowly but surely, I started to focus more and more on the videography side and move away from photography.
Almost every day I went out to film, edit and do all this just to get appreciation from the employer.
IT DID NOT HAPPEN. He was not caught up in this trending car video fever, although his clients praised his video materials. I felt that I was working for nothing and that what I was doing, I was doing it only for myself.
ALWAYS WANTING TO EVOLVE
I am also a people-pleaser. If my work does not satisfy the client, or if my work is not respected and regarded as a quite demanding job, it affects me and throws me into a black hole of worries, thoughts and anxieties.
Being like that doesn't help me a lot. But for my clients, the fact that I care about how they will look at the product they are paying for, makes me give my best and always be in search of continuous evolution in all aspects of this industry.
Stepping into the world of full-time videography
After the first attempt at videography, I started to learn as much as possible about this field and put into practice every day what I saw online. My firm determination to provide quality video material kept me motivated.
I set a goal right from the beginning. I know that for some it may sound absurd, but I decided that by doing this job, I decided to become the best in Innsbruck and the end in the whole territory of Austria.
Oh, a big dream.
So I decided to be a full-time videographer and give all the time I have to this field.
I invested as much time in a month as others in a year. I started making videos on the conveyor belt. Every day, the evolution was noticeable. The ideas seemed more realistic, the style mode more pleasant and the cutting technique cleaner.
And doing this with the greatest involvement and passion, external clients began to appear who praised my work and visual quality. This was a confirmation that what I do, I do it well and that I should continue.
So I decided to create a brand for myself, to reinvent myself as a videographer and as an individual who offers services, by opening a small videography business where I can expand the services I can offer to clients.
I try not to limit myself only to the automotive industry, so I started offering video packages for almost any applicable field. From events to corporate films and short biopic films.
And potential clients interested in my services started appearing more and more often.
The first external project was in Vienna. And this confirmed the fact that a small part of my dream, that of working nationally and internationally, is beginning to bear fruit. And how happy I felt.
Do something out of passion to make an impact
The joy of doing what you like completely changes the way you look at life and the way you interact with people. It makes you more...open to the world. And doing what I love makes me happy. Being happy also influences the atmosphere at home, in the family. And I am grateful to my girls for being by my side and supporting me on the difficult path that I have chosen.
The future excites me, as do the new relationships I will make.
What I know for sure is that all my life I will be a creative person, and I will continue to create unforgettable memories for those who are willing to trust me. I hope that in the future we will meet and work on something beautiful together.
With kind regards, Dorin Olaru
OGD Visuals 2024
