Nena 1988

Alfred Freddy Krupa took this photograph of Nena, but when? It’s a study in light and shadow, and the beauty of black and white. It’s also a study in making do, when you don’t have all the fancy equipment. What strikes me most is the texture. The soft, fuzzy sweater contrasts with the hard, geometric pattern of the umbrella. Then you have the bookshelf in the background, adding another layer of depth. And of course, there's the light, diffused, almost dreamlike. It reminds me of some of the photographers working in the early 20th Century, like Stieglitz, especially his portraits of Georgia O'Keeffe. But this isn't just a pretty picture. It's about how we see, how we make do, how we find beauty in the everyday, and how artists through the ages have continued to find inspiration in what is around them. It’s this kind of picture that makes you want to pick up a camera and start shooting.