Monique 081

The canopy of the willow tree seemed to offer more protection against the reflection by direct light, so I asked Monique to give the cataract glasses another try. It took me almost an hour of retouching but the time investment eventually paid off, resulting in this fine portrait. Some small bits of glare were deliberately kept in situ, accentuating the position of the lenticular "bowl" in the lenses. This portrait of Monique reminds me of Maura, a dear friend in Ireland. I made her acquaintance in the autumn of 1991. She was 36, a blonde and already a grandmother. She was extremely longsighted, with a prescription of +8, and she was wearing giant glasses not unlike the pair shown here by Monique. Maura and I were soon involved in a happy relation but the two seas dividing us were too much of a practical barrier to keep the relation going. The good thing is that we always remained friends till this very day. Maura eventually had her eyes operated and she is now wearing glasses with a mild prescription of +1.50. There was nothing intentional in this portrait - just another attempt to produce a satisfactory image of Monique posing in cataract glasses. When this photo came rolling past on my PC screen at home, I was flabbergasted. A real Maura lookalike....