A Pixorium Success Story: Revisiting Romania

This summer we met Mihai “Mike” Pop, a talented, up-and-coming, Atlanta-based street photographer.  Mike was born in Romania and immigrated to the United States in 1989. In 2023 he returned to Romania to revisit his childhood home and relatives still living there. He contacted us to create a book featuring his photographs from this trip, a piece to share with his family and others to showcase his work. Together Mike and Lilly, his photo book coach, crafted this tender and beautiful book, Romania Through My Lens. 

His Book’s Introduction:

My name is Mihai Pop. I was born a Romanian with Gypsy heritage in the early 1980s under the boot of communism, where humans were nothing more than government slaves.

I remember my parents warning me and my sister not to speak of what we heard in our home while in public because of undercover secret police spying on Romanian citizens.

I remember my fellow countrymen suffering from malnutrition due to government food rations; meat was a delicacy then.

I remember my father always looking over his shoulder until the very day we boarded the plane coming to the United States.

When I was fourteen my father gave me my first Canon film camera. I’ve loved photography since that very day. With the support of my amazing mother and sister, I was able to go back to Romania in 2023 to visit family who still live there.

I brought my camera, this time a digital Canon EOS RP, with the mindset of capturing Romania 35 years after the fall of communism in 1989. My goal, through my street photography, is to show my hometown, with the centuries old buildings still standing to this day, in a visual and vibrant light, and in this happier, more prosperous time. I want to show Romania, its people, and our Gypsy heritage.

As a photographer I’m very critical of myself, and I only hope I’ve done justice to my country, the people, and our history with my photography. If you get one thing from my work, I hope it’s this: Romania and its people are resilient, and our Gypsy heritage is part of who we are. This is what Romania Through My Lens is all about.

Mike’s story of his family history is a compelling one. His love of his home country is highlighted in his vibrant images. Romania’s beauty and resilience shine through in this wonderful photo story book. Thank you, Mike, for letting us help you tell your story!

See more of Mike’s work at https://www.youtube.com/@MihaiiPop and on Instagram at @mihaii_pop