Farishta 1076

"Put on your slippers and sit by the fire
You've reached your top and you just can't get any higher"

(Ray Davies in his never to be forgotten song "Shangri La" with the Kinks)

The culmination of this series and arguably the entire photo shoot. A split second after snapping, it was obvious to both of us that this was it. First thing, I showed the series to Farishta on the tiny display. Blessed with photogenic myopia and the flexible eyes of youth, she said "This is the best picture" and so it was. We both felt it on the moment it happened. These are the blessings of a seasoned model - photographer team.

This fine portrait marks the end of this epic photo shoot.

I wish to thank Ton, the owner of the former ice cream factory, for his kind permission to use the premises for our purposes. Much appreciated!

Dear Farishta, you surpassed yourself during this photo shoot and that's a real compliment, given the high quality of your previous three photo shoots (2009, 2010, 2014). Excellent posing throughout but with a number of series in which something special happened. You seemed almost like a different person. That sort of change is often the hallmark of highly experienced freelance models who have acting capacities as well. Yet in your case my impression was that you were not acting but rather revealing different aspects of yourself. This may have to do with a personal development. People usually change quite slowly but sometimes they pass through a change at an accelerated pace. A phase of transformation. I was amazed by the maturity and the variation in your expression and posing style in those special series. Many other series are consistent with your posing in previous photo shoots. This is praise as well. It means that the subtle, gentle, slightly enigmatic smile is still there. Five years ago, some of my followers in Australia baptized you "Our Mona Lisa in glasses" and it was one of the best compliments ever given to any of the sixty gifted models who posed for me so far. In this new photo shoot you showed that the Mona Lisa in glasses is still very much alive and kicking. Great!
Another quality is that you have incredible stamina, great discipline and an open mind. We worked just over three hours with only one or two short breaks. About half the material was fit for editing and posting. It's a rare event when a photo shoot yields 300 portraits. You did it before and now you managed again. Hat off!
We are by now a seasoned model - photographer team. Everything went like clock work, the special "transformation"series included. It was great to witness some of your own initiatives which further added to the outcome. No discussion was needed. All I had to do was zoom in and keep the flow going. We worked so hard that there was little time to talk but the atmosphere was as good as ever. You were a gem in 2009 and you are still the very same gem.
Dear Farishta, I hope to remain your court photographer until I am quite old and in need of a wheelchair. "Some things get better with age". I look forward to document further transformations.