At nine o'clock I received a letter from a very important person in my life. At half past nine another very important person left a message for me on an answer-phone, but I had no time
to respond, because I had to quickly phone a person (wonderfully important to me) before leaving for town. As I was shutting the front door a mobile phone rang and this time a forth very important person called me asking some probing questions.
All these ladies, at various times, had or have a powerful impact on my life, but today I needed to be alone.
All these ladies, at various times, had or have a powerful impact on my life, but today I needed to be alone.
So, a minute later I switched all available means of communication off and went for a peaceful walk to the Botanic Gardens.
The day was blissfully beautiful, sunny and quiet.
I wandered about, until finally stopped at the lake and there I met a gardener, who was clearing the undergrowth.
The day was blissfully beautiful, sunny and quiet.
I wandered about, until finally stopped at the lake and there I met a gardener, who was clearing the undergrowth.
Then we moved to the subject of the city I spent my childhood in (Krakow) and the meaning of botanic gardens, which are like temples of goodness.
These bamboo, which surrounds you here, was the first to be planted in any botanic garden in England - gardener informed me, to which I replied that it is so natural to meditate here.
After our conversation he went off to do some real work, while I gazed at an acer with leaves like flames and a photograph of Lucy Bethune, a dancer with Ballet Rambert appeared in my conscious mind.
I took this portrait of Lucy in London, in a park near the river Thames. My idea was that a natural and yet man-made environment, would provide a perfectly contrasting stage for Lucy's elegance, grace of movement and cool sophistication.
At first I was asking Lucy to do some simple steps, but she clearly wasn't at ease on the uneven grass and with birds flying above. It was so, because her contradictory personality, while brimming with hidden passion, equally strives for control and correctness. Sensing tension (which I always like during a photographic session) I followed with giving Lucy confusing directions in order to make her less self-conscious. Eventually she ended up standing within branches of a tree and by now Lucy was amused but still in charge of herself. Almost as if looking for me, Lucy peered from behind the leaves with gaze of piercing intensity, while I was taking this picture.
Top: Camera Pentacon Six
Lucy:
Camera: Canon A1 35mm with a standard lens (50mm)
Aperture f=8
Shutter speed 1/125 sec
Film: Neopan 400 ASA
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