Portret van Huub Moret, de laatste sluiswachter van Nieuwe Statenzijl Possibly 2017

Dirk Kome made this photograph, Portret van Huub Moret, de laatste sluiswachter van Nieuwe Statenzijl, with light and a lens, like painters use pigment and a brush. I wonder what it was like for Kome to spend time with this weathered, pensive sluiswachter, a caretaker of the waterways. There’s something incredibly tender and dignified about the way he is portrayed. The light, the shadows, the quietness of the image, all contribute to an atmosphere of reflection and introspection. It makes me want to look closer and imagine all the stories this man could tell. I love the quiet attention to detail, the way the light catches the subtle nuances of his skin, and the inclusion of everyday objects, like the newspaper, glasses and roses, as well as the lace curtains, which give a sense of place and context. It’s as if Kome is showing us not just a portrait of an individual, but also a glimpse into a life, a moment frozen in time.