Rosemary - 1969 present in our bedroom

 

Some people have family albums. They are probably folks who were born in that last century. Family pictures are now stored in phones. Many are lost when they malfunction.

I have those family albums because I am from that last century and I was born in 1942. I also have the first photograph I took in 1958 with my new Pentacon-F SLR purchased for $100 when I was in school in Austin, Texas.

I took my mother’s double advice – A house is not a home until framed pictures are on the wall. – Pictures framed are pictures saved.

Part of my portrait style is that I never (almost) photograph anybody smiling. I believe that a serious face looking into my lens reveals a bit of her/his essence.

This framed portrait of my Rosemary I took in Mexico City in 1969. I had no lights. I used an Asahi Pentax S-3 I had bought used in Mexico City. It was the first nude photograph I ever took. The framed photograph is cropped so not bits show.

An unanswered question I never asked (why is it that when we become curious the person that can answer it is dead?) is why she had this delicate sad face? Was she seeing her death 51 years later?

I often cite Jorge Luís Borges and particularly in relation to this portrait. He wrote often that first times become repeated first times. When look at this portrait from my bed (when lights are out I can imagine it ) it seems like I have just taken that photograph. What might have I instructed her to do? At that time we had little time. Was she worried about money?

Whatever the unanswered questions never asked, my Rosemary is in our bedroom gazing at our two cats and me.

Only another portrait photographer might understand the above.