Friends

Each one of these photos on its own would be a lovely addition to my collection but together they are a real treat. I wonder if there used to be more of them or if am I the lucky winner of the entire series.

What we see, is five friends having fun in a garden, trying to find the best available spot for a legendary group portrait. The wooden fence at the very back remains the same, but they move from A to B, exploring what else might work for them. I love the important role of the hats — the dashing outfits in general. Five goofy humans at the top of their game, making me wish I knew them.

At some point in my life, I used to be the official photographer for my friends. Always having a camera on me, to be honest, they did not really have a choice; but then again, I also did not get any complaints. There were times when most of them had photographs taken by me all over their social media and I was proud: I loved it that they like seeing themselves through my eyes.

By now, things have changed. I do not take that many pictures anymore and the pandemic distilled my circle to a small group of those that did not mind putting in some extra effort to keep in touch in difficult times. Looking at these prints makes me ponder, however, where that edition of me has disappeared, the one taking tens of thousands of shots per year, just out of pure love for the process of documentation. Is it just laziness to avoid carrying a bulky DSLR around or have I simply transformed into a new phase of life when other things move me?

Frankly, these days, I couldn’t mention too many things that make me tick. Residuals of a depression that might or might not be completely out of my system, I would say. About a year ago, I have decided to stop dividing my attention into dozens of tiny things and focus on writing instead. And this is how this blog, in the making for years, finally came to be.

Friends are the stabilising force of life, a chosen family to protect one from adversities and, oftentimes, ourselves. Choose them carefully, choose people that feel comfortable being themselves around you — and the other way around. Choose the ones that would not mind spending an afternoon looking for the best spot in the very same garden for that one picture that benevolent strangers might keep in their own collection in 120 years’ time. In the end, not a lot matters — but the quality of human relationships surrounding you.

This post was originally written in February/March 2022.

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