XF33mm F1.4 - Sigrid
My original idea for the project with the new Fujinon 33mm F1.4 was to shoot portraits of old friends, people who have left a mark on my life but that I don’t see very often. Due to a tight deadline, I couldn’t photograph as much people as I wanted but maybe I’ll just continue the series when opportunities arise. What do you think?
Sigrid was the first “old friend” I photographed. She was into new wave, wore dark clothes and cared about the world. While I was starting to realise that professional basketball would stay out of my reach and that there was much more in life to be discovered. Sigrid quickly became a partner-in-crime. She introduced me to a lot of good things … and threw some things in the mix we really shouldn’t have done too ;-)
When asked where she wanted to shoot, Sigrid proposed a place that we used to sneak into because we couldn’t afford the entrance fee. Thirty years after the facts we did actually pay to get in.
I don’t know why, but I always find it extremely difficult to photograph people that I know well (but not in a photography context). Is it the pressure of wanting to create a beautiful portrait of someone you care about? Is it because you know the story you want to tell in the picture much better and in a more nuanced way as opposed to someone you’ve just met?
I don’t know the answer, but I do know that I want to get better at making portraits of my friends. At the same time the photography should not get in the way of spending quality time with a friend. It’s a delicate balance but I probably should push myself a bit more.
Anyway, I had a great time catching up with one of my dearest friends. After a short shoot we sat on the beach and talked just like we did when we were teenagers. It’s good to know that 30 years (and in my case the same amount of kilograms) doesn’t change much.
