Sunday, July 12, 2009

Walburga With Sheer Fabric, Amherst, Massachusetts, 2004.





I shot a series of photos of Walburga in motion, near where she was staying while studying Body-Mind Centering. Behind her is a small pond filled with lotus plants. Late in the summer, the flowers blossom spectacularly, and linger for a few weeks. I visited the pond once during a light rain; the tiny raindrops, upon hitting the broad, waxy leaves, would shatter into a thousand tiny droplets, dance frenetically around the broad, upturned leaves, and settle into the center, where they would form a little pool. When the pool got large and heavy enough, the leaves would gracefully bend over and pour their contents into the pool, making a delightful sound. As the leaf emptied, it would slowly straighten up, creating an upward glissando, until it was back to its upright position, and the process would begin again. Watching the tiny droplets ricocheting around the leaves, the water pouring into the pond at various points and the sight of the gorgeous pink blossoms was magical. The delicate sounds of the rain, the pourings and the drippings amounted to some of the most soul-stirring music imaginable. I never got around to filming the lotus leaf symphony, but the sound lingers in my mind. 

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