On a freezing cold November afternoon in 2014, my good friend and I took a very uninviting dirt road halfway up a mountain to an old, old house. The house belonged to the ancestors of one her family members and we were allowed to shoot there. Back then I was brand new to the area of fine art portraiture and for her it was the second shoot with me, but definitely the first one where she was required to put on dresses, float through a room and be barefoot and freezing the whole time (I still feel bad for her...).
We set out to tell a story - that of a girl, living alone in a far-off place, of how she is fighting her fears, her despair, and finding her strength. After the shoot, I started editing that same night, massively big mug of hot tea next to me. The edit didn't work and after several attempts, I had to accept that it just wouldn't click. Either I didn't fully connect with the material or my techniques were still too lousy - probably a combination of both. After having gone back to editing repeatedly for a few months, I accepted that these images were just not going to see the light of day.
Then, rather recently, something changed. Our friendship got deeper, we shared many of our sorrows and joys that are all so much part of everyone's life and we got a better understanding of one another's personalities, hopes, dreams, worries and happiness. I think understanding my friend better, seeing her struggles and her joys and strengths drove me back to these images. Within two days the edit was complete!
Behind the scenes - oh the fun!
Of Hope and Despair - One
Of Hope and Despair - Two
Of Hope and Despair - Three