Willy Onnen en Abraham Dudok van Heel c. 1917

This small photograph, 'Willy Onnen en Abraham Dudok van Heel' was made by Carolina (Loentje) Frederika Onnen. The sepia tones give it the feel of a faded memory, don't they? I imagine Onnen, composing this image, thinking about light and shadow, wanting to capture a moment, maybe one of quiet intimacy. There's a stillness in the air, a gentle arrangement of figures against a leafy backdrop. The circular crop is interesting. It's like looking through a lens, or maybe a porthole into another time. I wonder what Onnen was thinking about when she decided to frame the image this way? It makes me think about other artists working with photography, like Julia Margaret Cameron, who also experimented with soft focus and unconventional compositions. It feels deeply personal, you know? Photography for Onnen, as with painting for me, is an embodied expression, filled with ambiguity and uncertainty. It’s like she's inviting us to bring our own stories and meanings to the image.