Marijn (The Netherlands)

When I saw Marijn at Pont 13 (really nice restaurant in Amsterdam), I didn’t have my camera with me. So so glad she contacted me later. She is just so full of grace.

Sterre (Deux ans plus tard)

if you want to see Sterre one year earlier, click on the picture.

if you want to see Sterre two years earlier, click on the “Un an plus tard” picture.

If you want to know more about the friendship between Sterre and Malou,

Hasib (The Netherlands)

I chose this picture eventhough I didn’t photograph his eyes correctly (my two daughters, sister and cousin, were jumping behind me waiting to go home). Anyway, Even if they are blury, this man can really stare! I saw him talking with friends and from a few meters, he had a true presence!

Nora (The Netherlands)

Sometimes, people are simply shining…

Olga (Un an plus tard)

if you want to see Olga one year earlier, click on the picture.
if you want to sneak a peak into Olga’s life,

Marcin (2 ans plus tard)

if you want to see Marcin one year earlier, click on the picture.

if you want to see Marcin two years earlier, click on the “Un an plus tard” picture.

If you want to know more about the friendship between Marcin and Tara,

Bibi (The Netherlands)

…such a little detail that makes such a difference! So simple, so beautiful!

Dido (Deux ans plus tard)

if you want to see Dido one year earlier, click on the picture.

if you want to see Dido two years earlier, click on the “Un an plus tard” picture.

If you want to know more about the friendship between Dido and Lauren,

Molly (United Kingdom)

Sophie (Deux ans plus tard)

if you want to see Sophie one year earlier, click on the picture.

if you want to see Sophie two years earlier, click on the “Un an plus tard” picture.

If you want to know more about the friendship between Sophie and Tara,

2 ANS PLUS TARD

« The best things in Life aren’t things » (from Art Buchwald)

The time has come to start the third year project*.

This « Un an plus tard » project has been intense and profoundly interesting! What were the chances of getting on well with all 40 of them** ? Before opening the door, I always had the same thought « what happens if we don’t connect ? » but with each one of them I came away with the impression that they taught me something… The most impressive thing is their maturity. All of them.  I am around 10 years older than most of them and I have the impression that some of them are significantly wiser than me ! Another interesting fact is that they weren’t materialistic at all. I don’t know if my intuition tells me to choose unmaterialistic persons in the street or if all young people are much more concentrated on aspects of life that truly matter but almost all of them told me that they didn’t really care about material things. Kind of paradoxal for a project about stuff and items but that’s what made the encounters so much richer than I had imagined.

By the way, on a more photographic subject, I know now that I hate taking pictures of non-humans ! It’s difficult, boring, annoying,….no more ! 

When I started making these pictures I didn’t know how far I could go, how far I could slide myself into the world of these anonymous persons I ‘randomly’ picked off the street.

After 2 years I do know them a little better – but a great way to  understand a person better, I think, is to meet a good friend of theirs and immortalize their relationship. Personally, I couldn’t imagine my life a single second without my friends. True friends are the ones who accept you exactly as you are. I even start thinking that I prefer the imperfections in them to their qualities….but that’s also what I prefer in beauty so maybe it’s not a very objective thought.

Perhaps controversially, I do not believe in the notion that « a true friend is one you can turn to in times of difficulty. » I’m more into the idea that a true friend is one who gets genuinely happy for you when a great thing happens! Being compassionate towards someone who is suffering is kind (not everyone would do it) but not that difficult. Everyone prefers to have a friend who is going through a difficult time than to be the one in that position – it may even make us feel better about our own life. But the contrary doesn’t work. When someone is succeeding, it’s human to feel a little jealous and thus quite difficult to embrace that joy. When it’s a true friend who is going through that marvelous moment, there is a part of you who feels inextricably the same euphoria.

Ok… Enough with the corny theorising…

The picture I am about to post is actually a photographical test I made with my new camera. I didn’t intend to place it on the website because I made the second portrait of Sophie a few months ago, but at least you have a teaser. I hope you will enjoy the rest of the series. If there are other questions you would find it interesting to ask them, please let me know.

I would just like to end with this note***. I read an article the other day that gave me the  chills. Apparently in France, one person in ten has only 3 personal conversation per year. This solitude doesn’t apply only to older people. “Of the 4 million French people who feel solitude, 1 million is under 50 years and 2 million under 60.” Why have our minds closed so much ? It’s actually so easy to start conversation with a stranger. It would improve life so much if people stopped being so scared. Besides what everybody thinks, the majority of people are profoundly good ! So please, if there is someone in your environment (a neighbour, a person you cross each day in the street, someone who seems lonely in the metro…) try to make a small talk with him or if you are really shy just smile at the person.

 

* Yes I am definitely late. I should have started in January !

** Some Pictures from « One year later » still need to be made – I am almost finished!

*** I am sorry about all my lectures today …talking to 3 year-old children all day is damaging what remains of my neurons.

 

 

Joscha (Un an plus tard)

if you want to see Joscha one year earlier, click on the picture.
if you want to sneak a peak into Joscha’s life,

Jean Sebastien (France)

… cette petite touche de bleu!

Franek (Un an plus tard)

if you want to see franek one year earlier, click on the picture.
if you want to sneak a peak into Franek’s life,

Britt (The Netherlands)

Anne-Rixt (Un an plus tard)

if you want to see Anne-Rixt one year earlier, click on the picture.
if you want to sneak a peak into Anne-Rixt’s life,

Pepe (Germany)

Teaser of this year “Two years later project”… To be continued.

Pepe was wearing a lot of colors actually, but he really gave me the impression that he ran away from a Rembrandt’s painting…just perfect.

I am not good at sending wishes (In these time of the year, I just have a very protective feeling towards the ones I care for and I tend to close myself) But (cause there is one), I just hope, in 2012 that the world will stop being so scared from the unknown (literally and figuratively). There is so much to embrace if you do leave fear away.

(personal note for pepe: your email you gave me isn’t working. please contact me: tuinwoman@gmail.com)

Clara (France)

It’s rainy and cold in Amsterdam (not even crispy snow)…wish no coats, hats or gloves were needed at the moment.

Shama (Un an plus tard)

if you want to see Shama one year earlier, click on the picture.
if you want to sneak a peak into Shama’s life,

Roos (Recto/verso)

It was freezing, everyone was walking very quickly from point A to point B…but Roos was floating with her smile and pink cheeks. It was so cold that I wasn’t sure I could take my hands out of my gloves to take the picture but when she passed and that I saw her childish bag… she was so friendly that I was even tempted to invite her to drink a tea and start an endless conversation.

Street Style Memory Game 2

Maya (The Netherlands/Japan)

Got into a fight with light that late afternoon…Fortunately Maya remained quiet…

Cedric (Un an plus tard)

if you want to see Cedric one year earlier, click on the picture.
if you want to sneak a peak into Cedric’s life,

Lou-Lou (The Netherlands)

Jeffrey (The Netherlands)

jeffrey was obviously working…he was kind enough to stop 3 seconds but unfortunately his boss screamed and he had to run back to the truck.

Sophie (Un an plus tard)

if you want to see Sophie one year earlier, click on the picture.
if you want to sneak a peak into Sophie’s life,

Bruna (Un an plus tard)

if you want to see Bruna one year earlier, click on the picture.
if you want to sneak a peak into Bruna’s life,

Aranka (The Netherlands)

A sunny day in September in Amsterdam…the Sarphatipark…two ladies discussing on a bench…one who is eating an icecream and who can’t stop smiling…

Lisa (The Netherlands)

Emiel (Un an plus tard)

if you want to see Emiel one year earlier, click on the picture.
if you want to sneak a peak into Emiel’s life,

Loes (Belgium)

I love when people have a melancholic sparkle into their eyes.

Kim (Un an plus tard)

if you want to see Kim one year earlier, click on the picture.
if you want to sneak a peak into Kim’s life,

Phil (United Kingdom)

Phil asked me if he should take his glasses off for the picture!!!! I guess you know my answer. I didn’t dare asking if he was holding the cigarette of someone or if he is an ambidexter smoker. I like it.

Thomas (Un an plus tard)

if you want to see Thomas one year earlier, click on the picture.
if you want to sneak a peak into Thomas’s life,

Rigonny (The Netherlands)

I was running late, again…but I when I saw Rigonny I couldn’t resist dropping my shopping bags for 3 min…and I guess you understand easily why. I wish I could wear a silk scarf in my hair like that with so much class.

Jos (The Netherlands)

He was such at ease when I was taking his picture! He could have stand there hours without blinking… Sad that you can’t see his smile…extremely contagious one.

Gaite (The Netherlands)

Jim (Moluccan Island – The Netherlands)

Eventhough I sensed that I had bother him while having lunch, Jim accepted very politely to pose.
He was standing, silent, confident in front of the camera. It’s the type of very distinguished man who inspires immediately respect.
Even more when I understood that he has/is directing beautiful projects (from video clips to feature films).
If you are from The Netherlands, run and see his last film, “Rabat” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ou2Y3bpumts

Aysis (The Netherlands)

This picture wasn’t easy to take! I was on my way home in a very busy street and when I was taking her picture, 3 ‘drunken’ tourists started making vulgar comments… Aysis remained very calm. I didn’t.

Ofri (Un an plus tard)

if you want to see Ofri one year earlier, click on the picture.
if you want to sneak a peak into Ofri’s life,

Nataliia (Ukraine)

I am so out of time since I am a mother (I asked Alain Clark to pose without knowing he was a singer, Sophie Vlaming that she was a topmodel, a man screamed at me once “You have no idea who I am?!!!!”….) So now, sometimes, I am hesitating approaching someone because I have the impression he/she might be famous. Well with Nataliia, I had this same feeling. Fortunately she was just visiting Amsterdam. Don’t you also feel she has this artist-aura around her?

Megegan (Un an plus tard)

if you want to see Megegan one year earlier, click on the picture.
if you want to sneak a peak into Megegan’s life,

Riley (France)

 

 

I only realised he was french when he was writing down his email in my notebook… and he was wearing a ‘marinière’.

Aaltje (Un an plus tard)

if you want to see Aaltje one year earlier, click on the picture.
if you want to sneak a peak into Aaltje’s life,

Andrew (United States)

 

 

Can you tell that this poet is coming from Texas? Such an anti-cliché!