I’m Bucharest-based photographer Natalia Mindru. I capture the raw, unabashed love between couples in a series titled Iubiri Urbane (translated, it means Urban Love Stories). This is my ode to stolen kisses, kept secrets, and unspoken words shared between love birds in a metropolis that rarely stands still enough to notice. I’ve always felt like being in love and showing affection were really important to me.
Before arriving at a couple’s home, I know nearly nothing about my subjects. The only prior communication is through social media and, as a result, I approach each session without preconceived notions or expectations. In this way, Iubiri Urbane offers a fresh exploration of love in its many forms: tender, sometimes playful and other times messy, but it always depicts the natural attraction between the cute couple.
I am not trying to convince anybody to be a part of my love images project. Couples should feel they want to do this, to be comfortable and relaxed with my presence. Once a photo session started, it usually takes two hours, during which we have a drink, talk, and get to know better each other. Often my subjects even don’t realize that their pictures were being taken. I know that happiness for all of us is a switch that can be flicked in our brain. So, I’m like a switcher for couples. More couples told me that they feel the process of photographing as couple’s therapy, it makes realize things that they maybe haven’t realized before about themselves. Probably because they should be sincere, they share their feelings, vulnerabilities in the world they are opening up.
I started this couple’s pictures project one year ago being very ambitious. I aimed to show that love is for everybody; love does not judge and accepts any color, religion, sexual orientation. The Idea of diversity is essential, and traveling through different countries could help me to achieve this purpose. Thus, this year, I’m thrilled to visit and photograph couples in France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Hungary, UK, Netherlands, Portugal. I’m open to any other new destination.
In November-December first volume of Love Stories is going to be released.
I would like to encourage couples in love to message me. Together we are going to create a lot of incredible pictures.
More info: Instagram | facebook.com
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Where are the REAL couples in love? All I see are models in poses. Where is the photo of a couple supporting each other after spending a night nursing a sick baby? The older people walking hand in hand? The widow or widower mourning their loss of a loved one? Celebrating the REAL moments that deepen a connection. And why just hetero couples? GTFO with this s**t, this isn't showcasing love but the photographer's ability to take pretty black and white pictures.
Wtf? They don't look like models to me. Just because they have a nice figure doesn't mean they're "models". Surprise, you can work out and eat healthy and actually look this good! :/ This isn't s**t. The cliches you enumerated are, if you wanna see that kinda thing, go on tumblr or facebook - it's full of them there. God it always has to be fussy people like you to nag about anything.
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Waiting for the diversity advertised in the description to come up in the photographs. xD
I photographed couples from my community. Why should I feel guilty that they are white and look the way they look? That is my reality. If you have a certain vision how love, real love looks like, just take camera and go! do it your way! photograph what you feel, people from your community, people from other countries, same sex couples, overweight couples, widows...just do it. good luck!
Bc in your statement you said you were presenting the diversity of love bt sex, religion and race.
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I looked at the photos and it didn't strike me that there are only models in them, maybe because I'm from Romania and the people here are really beautiful. On the other hand, I saw the look in their eyes and their warm atitude ... the love was there and the pictures captured it. Very beautiful pictures, Natalia! And next time look for the diversity, it's a lot of beauty there, too.
"...maybe because I'm from Romania and the people here are really beautiful..." uh...not all of you...
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Where's the picture of the girl chatting to her man while he's taking a dump? That's true love right there.
The photographer took her camera went around her neighborhood and photographed people who said yes and people are wondering why she didn't nag a gay couple, a black couple an asian couple, a fat couple and a drug addicted couple to be part of the shoot too. XD it's her camera and she can take pictures of whomever she wants. They are nice pictures and she should be proud. They will soon adorn lots of tumblr pages. XD
A ton of bitter people here. Enjoy them for what they are. Beautiful photos. They look real to me. I'm a photographer and my clients tend to look like this. I had no control over that. That doesn't detract from the message. Stop criticizing and just enjoy it for what it is. Its not that serious.
People who love to get taken pictures are usually confident of their appearance that can be the reason why your clients are good looking. :D
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This project made my day more happy....This is art, I love this project. It seems genuine and generous. Why can we just enjoy and stop over criticizing?
Agreed. I don't get why people are so negative for no reason. :(
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Sure, all my couples are real. Send me a message.
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There was a boyfriend pillow in one of the pictures, so that's confusing..
Those are incredible, they give me a sweet and calm feeling. I wish people weren't so quick to making negative comments. Admire your work :)
Life's allowed to look pretty perfect - sometimes. Like with young love. As long as they're real couples... wish there was something like this in SA. My boy and I aren't perfect, but hell, we work so bloody well together it's sickening.
Sounds like you two are happily in love unlike the people who left negative comments about the artists photography. Have some photos made while you're still young and in love, I'd love to see more. Not saying that your love will fade, but from experience the intensity, the mutual exploration (of feelings) and the dedication to the "club of two" fades with time. It is so worth capturing!!! And even if poses are posed, they are posed by you wanting to capture your feelings.
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The guys have no boners in any of the pictures except one, and there supposed to be "intimate"
These are without question beautiful, and I was delighted to view them, giving them an up-vote, but I have to agree with the complaints that the idea of diversity is definitely missing. But still a beautiful presentation.
I loved the pictures. All of them are so intense and sensuous. They bring out the rawness of a relationship. But I would love to see you photograph more common people from across all body types. :)
I know I’m late to the party but wanted to add I love your photos. The fact that the couples all look like models, just shows that there are a lot of beautiful people in Europe. My favorite photo you captured, is the one where the guy is laying in between his lady’s legs, smoking a cigarette. Very unique and sexy! You have to have a great eye to capture moments like that and you definitely did! Keep up the great work!
Are your photos available for use for a book jacket I have in mind?
I didnt read the photographer description. I just looked these pictures immediately I opened this article, I wanted to feel it first before getting affected by any explaination or comments or description. I found these are beautiful, I like it at first sight but then I tried to look for something deeper, something more meaningful but no, I just saw the passions, sexuality, beautiful men and women with beautiful structures and features but I couldn't see anything further like understanding, happiness, altruism..... maybe the photographer wanted to show something bigger and more meaningful of love but her product isn't strong enough to be touching and incisive. And because the people in these pictures are way so beautiful so their outside beauty overwhelms their inside beauty which the difficult viewers require to see more.
wow, these are very sensual and the models aren't naked... i like your photos! don't listen to americans, they go crazy when you work your way instead of forcing yourself to photograph people with different skin colours (as if colour mattered), just because they have some problems with "diversity"! i see different people here and that's enough diversity to me.
Very nice photos of emotions. I work almost exclusively with burned out, tired, frustrated, angry couples. But inside them, I usually find this kind of happy love. Thank you for presenting the possible so clearly.
There is nothing diverse about these pictures or the couples so far. All are white, skinny, and look like models. Nothing different from any other magazine add.
I, for one, like this article, because I can see myself and my bf in all of them. And to be real, this is how most couples between the ages of 17 and 35 look like. You will rarely find other races in my country besides caucasian, except for the Rroma. I don't know many gay people and I certainly don't see people who are over 50 to accept doing a photoshoot like this, especially normal couples like these. Stop trying to tell people how to do their job, this is her project and she wanted it to look like this. There are many other posts with people of different ages, sexes etc., you shouldn't expect everything to be politically correct. THIS is diversity enough for me.
The fotos look super staged, but they also look super artistic and beautiful. Hope you do some more with this concept and really show " show that love is for everybody, love does not judge and accepts any colour, religion, sex orientation" because our pictures are beautiful and their ecertainly need to be more of them. Aside it's probably hard to find people madly in love willing to be photographed so intime and showen to the world. Especialyl if their love is also on a "tabooish" side. So I understand and credit that
Hi natalia.. Great work. Do you want to publish a post to promote your work on the photography blog ? It's totally free. Contact me . https://blog.jmleclercq.com
Wow, the title, "I Document Intimate Moments Of Couples In Love". Dude, you document... intimate... moments. You are creepy.
Stop criticising those photographs, she didn't say this project is over. And there aren't a lot oo black people in Romania, she probably hadn't interracial couples to photograph. i love those photographs, they remind me of my love storie..it looks charming, i love them! Nu i asculta Natalia, fotografiile tale sunt foarte frumoase! Continua asa
Wow, the title, "I Document Intimate Moments Of Couples In Love". Dude, you "document" them? Intimate moments? You are f*****g creepy.
wheres the fat ugly people? thats a bunch of pics of socially accepted hot people not real people
I cant belive people are complaining over the fact that they are not seeing ugly people of other race ... what,if you are beautifle and white you can not love? I have one thing to say to photographer - i for one am glad you havent posted ugly people,fat people,gay people, or people of other races,because with this photograps i - Beautifle white hetero person - can connect,i felt war and fuzzy inside ,and i am not most romantic person who likes this kind of photography,so you got one beautifle white hetero fan despite all this ugly negative posters.
Natalia Mindru, your photos are beautiful and they reminded me of a time when I was madly in love. Looking at them was like reading a love story and at once becoming one of the characters. I especially love the photos of couples resting in each other's laps, before seeing these photos I forgot how often we used to do that. Those constant attempts of immersing one into the other, sex, cupping hands, inhailing, sucking, spooning, mirroring each others moves... You've awoken my memories so much that I feel like I'm a widow to LOVE.
How is it fake dude ? Do you not believe in relationships?
Load More Replies... Where are the REAL couples in love? All I see are models in poses. Where is the photo of a couple supporting each other after spending a night nursing a sick baby? The older people walking hand in hand? The widow or widower mourning their loss of a loved one? Celebrating the REAL moments that deepen a connection. And why just hetero couples? GTFO with this s**t, this isn't showcasing love but the photographer's ability to take pretty black and white pictures.
Wtf? They don't look like models to me. Just because they have a nice figure doesn't mean they're "models". Surprise, you can work out and eat healthy and actually look this good! :/ This isn't s**t. The cliches you enumerated are, if you wanna see that kinda thing, go on tumblr or facebook - it's full of them there. God it always has to be fussy people like you to nag about anything.
Load More Replies... Waiting for the diversity advertised in the description to come up in the photographs. xD
I photographed couples from my community. Why should I feel guilty that they are white and look the way they look? That is my reality. If you have a certain vision how love, real love looks like, just take camera and go! do it your way! photograph what you feel, people from your community, people from other countries, same sex couples, overweight couples, widows...just do it. good luck!
Bc in your statement you said you were presenting the diversity of love bt sex, religion and race.
Load More Replies... I looked at the photos and it didn't strike me that there are only models in them, maybe because I'm from Romania and the people here are really beautiful. On the other hand, I saw the look in their eyes and their warm atitude ... the love was there and the pictures captured it. Very beautiful pictures, Natalia! And next time look for the diversity, it's a lot of beauty there, too.
"...maybe because I'm from Romania and the people here are really beautiful..." uh...not all of you...
Load More Replies... Where's the picture of the girl chatting to her man while he's taking a dump? That's true love right there.
The photographer took her camera went around her neighborhood and photographed people who said yes and people are wondering why she didn't nag a gay couple, a black couple an asian couple, a fat couple and a drug addicted couple to be part of the shoot too. XD it's her camera and she can take pictures of whomever she wants. They are nice pictures and she should be proud. They will soon adorn lots of tumblr pages. XD
A ton of bitter people here. Enjoy them for what they are. Beautiful photos. They look real to me. I'm a photographer and my clients tend to look like this. I had no control over that. That doesn't detract from the message. Stop criticizing and just enjoy it for what it is. Its not that serious.
People who love to get taken pictures are usually confident of their appearance that can be the reason why your clients are good looking. :D
Load More Replies... This project made my day more happy....This is art, I love this project. It seems genuine and generous. Why can we just enjoy and stop over criticizing?
Agreed. I don't get why people are so negative for no reason. :(
Load More Replies... Sure, all my couples are real. Send me a message.
Load More Replies... There was a boyfriend pillow in one of the pictures, so that's confusing..
Those are incredible, they give me a sweet and calm feeling. I wish people weren't so quick to making negative comments. Admire your work :)
Life's allowed to look pretty perfect - sometimes. Like with young love. As long as they're real couples... wish there was something like this in SA. My boy and I aren't perfect, but hell, we work so bloody well together it's sickening.
Sounds like you two are happily in love unlike the people who left negative comments about the artists photography. Have some photos made while you're still young and in love, I'd love to see more. Not saying that your love will fade, but from experience the intensity, the mutual exploration (of feelings) and the dedication to the "club of two" fades with time. It is so worth capturing!!! And even if poses are posed, they are posed by you wanting to capture your feelings.
Load More Replies... The guys have no boners in any of the pictures except one, and there supposed to be "intimate"
These are without question beautiful, and I was delighted to view them, giving them an up-vote, but I have to agree with the complaints that the idea of diversity is definitely missing. But still a beautiful presentation.
I loved the pictures. All of them are so intense and sensuous. They bring out the rawness of a relationship. But I would love to see you photograph more common people from across all body types. :)
I know I’m late to the party but wanted to add I love your photos. The fact that the couples all look like models, just shows that there are a lot of beautiful people in Europe. My favorite photo you captured, is the one where the guy is laying in between his lady’s legs, smoking a cigarette. Very unique and sexy! You have to have a great eye to capture moments like that and you definitely did! Keep up the great work!
Are your photos available for use for a book jacket I have in mind?
I didnt read the photographer description. I just looked these pictures immediately I opened this article, I wanted to feel it first before getting affected by any explaination or comments or description. I found these are beautiful, I like it at first sight but then I tried to look for something deeper, something more meaningful but no, I just saw the passions, sexuality, beautiful men and women with beautiful structures and features but I couldn't see anything further like understanding, happiness, altruism..... maybe the photographer wanted to show something bigger and more meaningful of love but her product isn't strong enough to be touching and incisive. And because the people in these pictures are way so beautiful so their outside beauty overwhelms their inside beauty which the difficult viewers require to see more.
wow, these are very sensual and the models aren't naked... i like your photos! don't listen to americans, they go crazy when you work your way instead of forcing yourself to photograph people with different skin colours (as if colour mattered), just because they have some problems with "diversity"! i see different people here and that's enough diversity to me.
Very nice photos of emotions. I work almost exclusively with burned out, tired, frustrated, angry couples. But inside them, I usually find this kind of happy love. Thank you for presenting the possible so clearly.
There is nothing diverse about these pictures or the couples so far. All are white, skinny, and look like models. Nothing different from any other magazine add.
I, for one, like this article, because I can see myself and my bf in all of them. And to be real, this is how most couples between the ages of 17 and 35 look like. You will rarely find other races in my country besides caucasian, except for the Rroma. I don't know many gay people and I certainly don't see people who are over 50 to accept doing a photoshoot like this, especially normal couples like these. Stop trying to tell people how to do their job, this is her project and she wanted it to look like this. There are many other posts with people of different ages, sexes etc., you shouldn't expect everything to be politically correct. THIS is diversity enough for me.
The fotos look super staged, but they also look super artistic and beautiful. Hope you do some more with this concept and really show " show that love is for everybody, love does not judge and accepts any colour, religion, sex orientation" because our pictures are beautiful and their ecertainly need to be more of them. Aside it's probably hard to find people madly in love willing to be photographed so intime and showen to the world. Especialyl if their love is also on a "tabooish" side. So I understand and credit that
Hi natalia.. Great work. Do you want to publish a post to promote your work on the photography blog ? It's totally free. Contact me . https://blog.jmleclercq.com
Wow, the title, "I Document Intimate Moments Of Couples In Love". Dude, you document... intimate... moments. You are creepy.
Stop criticising those photographs, she didn't say this project is over. And there aren't a lot oo black people in Romania, she probably hadn't interracial couples to photograph. i love those photographs, they remind me of my love storie..it looks charming, i love them! Nu i asculta Natalia, fotografiile tale sunt foarte frumoase! Continua asa
Wow, the title, "I Document Intimate Moments Of Couples In Love". Dude, you "document" them? Intimate moments? You are f*****g creepy.
wheres the fat ugly people? thats a bunch of pics of socially accepted hot people not real people
I cant belive people are complaining over the fact that they are not seeing ugly people of other race ... what,if you are beautifle and white you can not love? I have one thing to say to photographer - i for one am glad you havent posted ugly people,fat people,gay people, or people of other races,because with this photograps i - Beautifle white hetero person - can connect,i felt war and fuzzy inside ,and i am not most romantic person who likes this kind of photography,so you got one beautifle white hetero fan despite all this ugly negative posters.
Natalia Mindru, your photos are beautiful and they reminded me of a time when I was madly in love. Looking at them was like reading a love story and at once becoming one of the characters. I especially love the photos of couples resting in each other's laps, before seeing these photos I forgot how often we used to do that. Those constant attempts of immersing one into the other, sex, cupping hands, inhailing, sucking, spooning, mirroring each others moves... You've awoken my memories so much that I feel like I'm a widow to LOVE.
How is it fake dude ? Do you not believe in relationships?
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