HARMONY # 1
Not long after my arrival in South Africa from The Netherlands I set out to explore the African bush. That was way back in 1983. In those days I was still working as an assistant in a commercial photographic studio in Pretoria . One weekend I did a short trip to, what was then the Eastern Transvaal, now Mpumalanga. Just outside of Sabie on my way to a waterfall this simple but stark image caught my eye. Moments after taking the picture, the mist lifted and the shot was gone - and now many years later the forest has been sacrificed for new buildings.
At that time one could still find Kodakchrome film that could only be processed in selected laboratories around the world. South Africa had already closed its Kodak lab so I sent the film off to Holland for processing.
The soft green tint in the image depicts a tranquil feel. This picture has been hanging in my home for many years, perhaps as a constant reminder of the passage of time. As I write it is the year 2008 - and how many things have changed in less than a lifetime. Some things might be considered unchangeable – one such being the unadulterated beauty of nature. |
