Captain Sloman Invoking his own Shadow

Summer has begun

Summer arrived at midnight last night. Not that we take any notice of that slight fact in England where it has been raining like a mother for the past two weeks after a wonderful April and May, full of sunny days and longer nights. June hasn't been too hot. Summer is the time when all things grow, plants, hair, relationships, children. I am using the little wooden chair as leitmotiv, as a visual anchor to classify some of my children's artifacts, toys, books, clothes, to establish a summary of elements that they have outgrown on the way to yet another summer. The chair will be the permanent object in an otherwise changing tableau.

Un Caballero sin Cabeza

Dreaming in Black & White

Madrid a Medianoche

Late Evening in June...

It is sometimes said that we are confronted by our own images as we are by our own mortality. Somehow the two seem to go together as we assume that we look the way the times we live dictate our countenance.
This portrait, taken by my dear friend Adam King, speaks the truth about who I am and what I look like, as well as my two children. I was never one given to the facile smile, there was never a "Say Cheese" moment for me, ever since I can remember being confronted by the infernal machine of truthful rendition.
Thus, while looking at this reflection of my own face I must say in all honesty that the furious gaze is all me, even while in my heart I am nothing but a pussycat. Life's full of contradictions, that's all I can say.

Half and Half

For a while now I have been thinking about producing a portrait project with friends. My idea is to use the close-up lens to see my subjects under and from a different angle altogether. I want to go past the normal approach and to examine skin, wrinkles and facial hair.
I have finally started and here are the first shots. I must say I am pleased with the initial results even if the light went wrong, or I went wrong, at times during the session.
The portraits are stark and gritty, which is what I had originally in mind. It remains to be seen how it evolves and also if I can sustain the spirit of the project to high standard. I hope so.