Nelly Ajvasi: How did you get into photography?
Anca Moanta: I wanted my own Canon SLR camera since I was 12. I had to wait a bit longer for it, though. My dad used to take a lot of photos; I have lots of shoe boxes filled with his photos, back home. Maybe I got that from him. By the time I was 15, I was already thinking of studying photography at university. However, first I studied Art History in Germany and then went on to study Photography in Milan, Italy.
Nelly Ajvasi: What kind of photography do you do?
Anca Moanta: It’s a mix of things. Recently, I’ve been doing quite a lot of food shoots for various brands: mostly advertising campaigns for their social media. I also photograph events, beauty and fashion.
Nelly Ajvasi: What inspires you in photography?
Anca Moanta: Most of the time I work on briefs, so it’s based on the client’s idea or the agency’s, depending on who is hiring me. The bulk of my work is commercial, but I would like to also focus on personal projects.
Nelly Ajvasi: Which projects have you already made?
Anca Moanta: The list is quite extensive since I’ve been working with photography for more than 10 years, but my favourite project was definitely photographing Fashion Week in Milan and Paris for Vogue.
Last year I self-published my first photography book: “Technology / Drum and Bass”. It’s a selection of photos I took between 2011-2014 at a drum and bass event in London.
This year I self-published a smaller limited edition book (of 25x) containing Beauty photos. They are both available on my website.
Nelly Ajvasi: Have you already won prizes? if yes, which?
Anca Moanta: In 2016 I won 1st Place for the Event category at the International Photography Awards (L.A.) for the Technology photos; 1st Place for Music Events at Moscow International Foto Awards (Russia) the same year, and honourable mention for the Technology book at the Tokyo International Foto Awards (Japan).
Nelly Ajvasi: What photographer or artist inspires you?
Anca Moanta: There are many, but the first ones that come to mind are Annie Leibovitz, Sally Mann, NanGoldin.
Nelly Ajvasi: What exactly distinguishes you from others?
Anca Moanta: My international experience: I lived studied and worked in Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, and for the past 6 years I have been based in London, UK.
Nelly Ajvasi: How do you create a relaxed atmosphere while photographing?
Anca Moanta: The most important part is the preparation of the shoot. When everything is organised in advance, it makes things easier for everyone involved. Plus, I think I’m the only one who gets stressed on the shoot. If something goes wrong, you need to improvise, so it never gets boring!
Nelly Ajvasi: Who are your customers?
Anca Moanta: I have been working for big brands such as Nestle, Virgin Mobile, HP, Revlon & Jack Daniel’s.
Nelly Ajvasi: Your favourite country for photography and why?
Anca Moanta: Italy. I lived in Milan for 5 years, studied photography and worked as an assistant for some amazing fashion photographers, before I started freelancing. I really learned a lot over there!
Nelly Ajvasi: What do you want to reach as a photographer?
Anca Moanta: I’m happy to keep doing what I’m doing & shoot more fashion.
Nelly Ajvasi: Your next project?
Planning to take some polaroids over the summer. I like the nostalgic quality of the film.
