Today we say farewell to Nelu Bîșcă, a photojournalist for the newspaper Deșteptarea for several decades. For entire generations of readers, many of the images that told the story of the city and its people were captured through the lens of his camera.
Two years ago, when Deșteptarea celebrated its 35th anniversary, Ioan Bîșcă wrote a text about what it means to be a photojournalist—about patience, responsibility, and that precise moment when a photograph comes to life. Today, rereading his words, they feel even more meaningful.
“Time stops when the newspaper comes off the press. In the morning, over a cup of coffee, you flip through its pages and learn the stories of so many lives. The smell of fresh print has its own charm. It is the magic of a moment—yet an ephemeral one.”
For him, press photography was not merely an image, but a form of testimony.
“The favorite form of press photography remains the snapshot. A photojournalist pays attention to details—to light, to angles, to people’s expressions. Like in chess, you do not press the shutter without careful anticipation.”
Over decades in journalism, he captured thousands of moments from the life of the community: joys, events, unexpected happenings, but also situations that demanded responsibility and discernment.
“Press photography generates impact. It can bring joy, but it can also cause sorrow. That is why an important quality of a photojournalist is sometimes knowing when not to press the shutter.”
He was a silent witness to countless stories—some bright, others complicated—but all part of the life of the city.
Today, as we say goodbye, the photographs remain. And so do his words about this profession that tries, moment by moment, to capture time in an image.
And sometimes, for a second, it even manages to deceive it.
