Patricia Ionescu | Before the Curtain

Patricia Ionescu
Giurgiu
February, 2026

A few months ago I photographed actress Patricia Ionescu backstage, right before she went on stage for a theatre performance in Giurgiu.

I didn't really have a plan going in. It was supposed to be a normal portrait session, but it turned into something different pretty fast. I had a piece of glass with me, and once we started moving it between the camera and her face, things got interesting. Distortion, weird reflections, shapes I couldn't really predict.

I wasn't trying to get the usual "actress getting ready backstage" shot. I was more curious about what happens right before that, when the face isn't fully clear anymore and starts looking like something else entirely.

Everything was shot in black and white on a Fujifilm camera. The distortion happened in-camera, through the glass, nothing added later in editing. What came out of it is a small series of portraits that mix theatre, movement, and an experiment that ended up going further than I expected.

Black and white photo of a woman with long dark hair, looking at the camera, with her hand partially covering her face.
A woman with short hair and earrings is sitting on a chair, holding and looking at a smartphone. She is in a dimly lit environment, and part of her arm is blurred due to movement.
A blurry black-and-white photo of a person's face and upper body, with long hair, in a dimly lit room with chairs and furniture in the background.
A black and white close-up photo of a woman lying on her back, with her face partially covered by a striped blanket or clothing. Only her eyes and part of her forehead are clearly visible, looking directly at the camera.
A blurred black-and-white photo of a person's face, wearing glasses and with dark hair, partially visible with their eyes closed.
A black and white photo of a woman with dark hair and eyes, partially obscured by a reflective surface or object in front of her.
A black and white photo of a woman with dark hair and expressive eyes, facing the camera, with her hands framing her face.
Black and white photo of a woman with long dark hair lying down, with a hand in her hair, looking up at the camera.
A blurry black-and-white photo of a woman with necklaces, possibly holding her face or head with her hand in a close-up shot.
Black and white portrait of a woman with eyes closed, long hair, and a hand near her face, with a blurry abstract background.
A black and white close-up photo of a woman with long hair, wearing jewelry including a watch and a bracelet, with her hand near her face, partially covering her eye.
Black and white portrait of a woman with closed eyes, wearing earrings and a pearl necklace, with her hand near her head, against a dark background.
Black and white close-up of a woman with dark hair, with her hand partially covering her face, against a dark background.
Close-up black and white image of a fork with a blurred background.
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