© 2024 Peter Behek 
It was an early summer afternoon under the shades of cherry trees when I encountered photography for the first time.  A friend of a friend returning from a trip to India showed around a stash of black and white prints. They were mesmerising. What solidified my passion happened a few years later. There was a teacher at the local photography school whose photographs towered over everyone else`s work. I attended a few darkroom sessions in his studio, where he taught me – among other things- about the craft of photographic print. One day, this teacher, who became a real good friend, came up with the idea of creating a portrait of us. We made, developed, and printed that photo. Before the final wash, he told me: Look at this! He placed the first print in a liquid for a minute and then asked me. Do you see it? I didn`t. What should I see? He placed the second print in the same liquid. This time, I saw it. The image started to become crispier and was enwrapped in brilliance. It was an entirely different level.  

That liquid was the selenium bath. If you have ever worked in the darkroom making prints, then you certainly know what selenium can do for you. Nevertheless, these processes do more than beautiful prints. They heighten the focus, teach patience and help you getting connected with your ideas.

Fortunately, photography has many ways, and everything is just all right, as long as you are free to choose your path and the concepts you engage with. Ultimately, I believe we could all be more content by leaving behind the irrepressible urge for strict categorisation. 

The good news is that even with this freedom, thinking and reflection are still welcome. 


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