Congratulations on winning the Making Pictures Award for your work Parallel Worlds. Can you tell me a little about what the award means to you or how important it is at this stage of your career?

It is a great pleasure and I think it will be amazing for my career. After I finished my BA I went straight into my Masters as I was really keen to keep continuing my studies and I got a bursary for my Masters, plus it was a course on documentary photography and photo journalism which is my greatest passion. I was actually also working freelance during my studies and since going freelance, I am always trying to look out for new clients. I am at that stage when I have to dig more into this industry and find clients. I have to start to learn how to be my own boss. I have to organise myself properly to get to know my business and to get clients and of course earn money as a photographer, as well as build up my own projects. The award is all about this and has come at the right time for pushing this door. Really it is my next step.

From the Series: 'Parallel Worlds'

If we can step back, to talk a little about the subject matter of your project Parallel Worlds. This is as the title says, about the Romanian community living in the UK, in some ways living between two worlds. This is not the first project you have made about the Romanian community. Could you tell me more about how important this subject matter is to you and perhaps also something about your process in making this kind of work?

To be related somehow to the subject matter is important, for example, I am a Romanian living in the UK and two of my projects 'Parallel Worlds' and 'Success Without Borders' focus on the Romanian community. I have been interested in this subject matter as the media always talks about us in a gray way, it doesn't know too much about our culture and of course always mixes up Romanian culture and gypsy culture. I really wanted to explore this more, and I am really interested in the personal story and I am always interested to pick up stories relating to bigger subject matters of immigration and tradition.

This is where my love for portraiture comes in, as portraiture is the best way, allowing me to take my time, talk to the person, discover their emotions and story - it gives me time to develop the relationship. I tend to talk a lot with the people I photograph, talking about their story. After a couple of hours I ask if I can take their picture, or maybe during our conversation if I see something I stop and ask if I can make a picture although it's not quite that segregated, as I don't like this thing of 'now we are shooting'. I am interested in composition and like to play with lights and shadows but the talk, the story, all of it is important to building up to the making of the picture. Building up the relationship allows people to show you their real feeling and when you get that, it is a great experience.

I do want to explore making work where I am not connected in this way to the subject matter, although for now, I have the benefit of being an immigrant and there is an element too in which photography is for me also a way to learn about my country. It is interesting for me to explore the history side of how Romanian people came here to the UK, some coming 20 or 30 years ago. Whole villages have moved, 80% of villages have gone, which I find very interesting.

There is a universality to this story, in that this work in some way reflects that rural to urban migration that has taken place the world over. Yet the specific is also present in the work - which came to you first?

From the Series: 'Ritual'

It is true, it could represent any village around Europe. Villages have changed so much. And I found it interesting to focus on the parallels between the worlds. In London they were really focused if not obsessed with making money, although I was very impressed as they don't like to spend all their money here and do save for building a house back home and for the traditional wedding session, where almost everyone comes back home - for the wedding season which happens in August. The Villages at this time are alive, full of cars with such a great energy. Outside of these months, the villages are empty and scary.

Have you plans to make more work about Romanians at home or abroad?

Well I am told some Romanians do actually return and I am keen to pursue this story. My plan for this Summer is to do a big trip around Romania to undertake research, I also want to explore further the winter traditions which informed the 'Ritual' project. I want to find out more of the stories about the connections to land, and explore more of the cultural traditions. You can't sit in front of a computer and do research. Field research is the best way to find unique projects and ideas.

Your work is clearly very people centred, for example: 'My Sister, My Soulmate' and in this you appear to have a general area of interest e.g. traditions, identity etc. but you seem to seek out a specific dimension to make a project about.

Yes I made that work during my first semester during my Masters. I was wanting to explore culture, tradition, religion. These two sisters are amazing, the connection between them which is 'more strong than many others sisters' and that comes out in the images. These women are not stereotypical Muslim women, but I never planned this project or at least the project started as an interest in Muslim culture, an interest in head scarves and how Muslim woman are perceived in London and the project went a totally different way. This aspect 'of the special relationship' emerged and it has given me an interest in finding something like this again. It is hard to find these people and these stories but I need to find them.

Thank you for giving us more of an insight into your personal photography passions and projects. Could you talk a little about how this translated into working as a photo-journalist, in a more editorial or commercial sphere. You currently work freelance for The Guardian. How did your first commission with the Guardian come about?

Whilst I was doing my BA I applied to the Photography category as part of 'The Guardian Media Awards'. I received second prize and as part of this prize I had the opportunity to work with them for one week. In their office I was asked if I could take a photograph in ten minutes. Ten minutes is quite tough when you like to talk to the person, and especially if it is an important person as they don't want to interact too much. They sent me to photograph Sarah Brown. It was a great experience and I did managed to make this portrait in ten minutes. Having a good vibe and an ability to connect with your subjects is important and I have been working now freelance for The Guardian for one year.

'Guardian, Eyewitness Spread of London Fashion Week'

The 'Guardian Media Awards' is a great competition for students to apply to. It is a great way to get your name and your work known. Of course, you also get to know people and the way I see it is if I am good I will be recommended to others.

Again with National Geographic Travel, I was the overall winner last year. As part of my prize I went to Kenya and documented the Masai tribe and National Geographic Travel used some of these pictures. Very recently I got the great news that I have been commissioned by National Geographic on a proper commission. This allows me to explore documentary style work and I am really happy to do this kind of work which also gives me the opportunity to travel. This is in the planning stages at the moment and I am very excited about it.

I am of course, very much still at the beginning of my journey of working out how to make a living from photography, documenting events, making commercial work. The 'Making Pictures Award' will give me more insight to see what clients want and to see what other dimensions there are to commercial photography.

But documentary photography is my passion. Long term, I want to build up projects. This is what gives me energy and where I feel accomplished. Many students have gone into the commercial world and have stopped thinking about their personal projects. I am exploring commercial work e.g. news, editorial within magazine and newspapers and advertising and seeking to finding a balance in this and building my own projects which of course need to be budgeted for, so one supports the other.