Lucy 273

This wonderful portrait of Lucy showing the impressive power rings in contemporary Zenni glasses concludes her photo shoot on three locations in the old part of Amsterdam. The photo shoot only lasted two hours but we liked the change of scenery and above all, the warm surroundings at the third location, City Optiek.

First of all I wish to thank our guest from England whose arrival gave me the idea to squeeze a photo shoot into my schedule of care tasks for my brother Guus who was terminally ill. Our guest definitely added a friendly and sometimes vigilant contribution to the photo shoot. I am also grateful to him for the donation of another half dozen fine glasses to my greedy collection.

A word of thanks is also due to the friendly staff of City Optiek, Vijzelstraat 51 in Amsterdam, for allowing us to use their beautiful shop for the final part of the photo shoot. I can highly recommend this shop to customers seeking a pair of glasses beyond the contemporary and the mainstream.
kijk@cityoptiek.nl or www.cityoptiek.nl

I also thank my good neighbour Joke for her technical assistance. Much appreciated!

A special word of thanks to Lucy who kindly agreed to do this photo shoot in Amsterdam, knowing well that  it might be canceled because of my brother's condition. Just like last year, it was a pleasure to watch Lucy during the selection process of the glasses for the outdoor locations. A good photo shoot is teamwork and although by far the youngest member of the team, she did a splendid job in front of the camera and also during the "après shoot". Big compliment for her stamina when braving the cold when we worked on the outdoor locations! A photo shoot on location calls for more confidence than a shoot in familiar surroundings and although this was only her third photo shoot, my hopes were high after her fine contribution to the catwalk in Germany. To say the least, I was not disappointed!

This photo shoot is dedicated to the memory of my late brother Guus who sadly passed away on November 19th, only a week after this photo shoot. Guus and I were lifelong best friends and he knew everything about my fascination with glasses since the mid 1960's. He was amused when I took up the "Ladies behind crystal veil"  project but he soon became really interested and he was always asking if any new shoots were under way. Two years ago, he attended my first exhibition in Enschede and he can be seen in the video clips of the catwalk, standing next to Charlotte who so far has been my only model with a significant hyperopia (+5). The photo shoot for our guest from England was planned well in advance and Guus kept asking me about the exact day. Unfortunately, on the day of the actual photo shoot his condition had detoriated so much that he was only able to nod yes when I told him that we had enjoyed a short but nice shoot. A few days after his death I awoke from a crystal clear dream (or vision) which was both scenic and comforting. Guus was floating through the galaxy, guided by two gorgeous young ladies in long dresses. They had pronounced cheek bones and their faces had a peculiar but striking bronze patina. Guus looked around in sheer amazement, just like he did when we arrived on the top of a high mountain. No worries, no pain, no fright.
Dear Guus, wherever you are now, I hope that you have a telescope ready to watch my next photo shoots and do send me a telepathic sign of approval if the fruits are up to standard!