Monochrome poems

7th October 2016

Uh Oh…it’s Friday….

I’m late I’ve been shooting more black and white recently and really enjoying how it can offer a refreshing relief. Shapes and light become a different graphic puzzle to solve. It’s also helping me out when I’m in harsh sunlight.

Possibly the most unusual but perfect location to teach some students on a hot day in Italy. I confess I have posted the colour version of this already but here is a reminder: As I was getting used to the sensation of the clay on my face I reclined and swirled the murky warm water of the therma baths. Alessandra recounted meeting a couple and taking their portrait and we analysed what could have made the shoot more intimate. We agreed a long conversation with her next couple was essential.

As I left her with some friendly lovers, a girl a few meters from me smiled and I asked to take her portrait.  I felt like I knew her and we both had a wonderful open chat as we relaxed in the water protecting us from the now cooling air.

A friend saw the image and kindly provided a short poem:

Those rushing rapids
Wet/pure
Douse, let me sink
This heavy flesh, a soaking mass
Saturated, a flood
With a spilling brim, infinity.
Infinity.
You’re so soft.
Paper thin.
Fingers/Knives
Everything is delicate.
(R.A.Davies)

With two broken cameras in Romania I danced between both and rarely paid much attention to which one had the roll of Ilford in. However on this occasion I thought in monochrome before loading the camera. Spotting a striking young man waiting at a bus stop I hesitated and then reimagined his image in black and white. It felt better. We stopped the car. He was calm, friendly almost too relaxed….oao x