Rosemary & Alexandra

 

Sometime in the early 80s, Carole Taylor posed for me in one of the corridors of the CBC on Hamilton Street. I pointed my camera and thought, “If only she would tilt her head a tad to the left.” Like magic she did that and followed all my other posing thoughts. For years I told everybody she was the easiest and best woman to face my camera.

Tonight, now 11 July 2025, while in bed, I suddenly had the realization that my Rosemary, just like Taylor, could divine my thoughts. I was simply too blind to figure it out. The two framed photographs that I have scanned together are some of my most favourite portraits that in Spanish we call “instantáneas” or grab shots. I gave no instructions. In the Veracruz norte (a big wind) I lucked out in 1968 with my Pentax S-3 and Kodak Tri-X. In the second photograph, circa 1973 taken in Arboledas, Estado de México in our nearby park “Los Bebederos” designed by famous Mexican architect Luis Barragan I again just pressed the shutter.

Now in embarrassing retrospect I know that I never had to tell Rosemary how to pose. I just waited and clicked the shutter.

Rosemary was the first woman I ever photographed nude. This was in 1969. Then for years I collected photographs of as many women that would face my camera with nothing on.

Thinking hard, I now also know that I learned to be a good portrait photographer because I had an excellent muse/mentor.

I will regret until oblivion takes me, that I never did point my camera at Rosemary much more than I did. In Mexico they would say, “Alex eres un pendejo.” In my Buenos Aires it would be, “Alex sos un pelotudo.”

Yes, to both!

And thinking hard I also know that I learned be a good portrait photographer because I had an excellent muse/mentor.