Rembrandt Light

Sometimes the Shot is a Gift

Khiva, Uzbekistan 2012

There are many old caravanserais and madrassas in Uzbekistan. It was the center of commerce and learning, or we might say technology, in the 14th century. Many of these old structures have been restored by the government and that government was the Soviet Union. I suppose it was a form of ‘stimulus’ where the government made work so people could have jobs. Of course, the Soviets eventually ran out of money. Does that sound familiar?

The woman above works in a small room in what was formerly a madrassa. There would be three or four women all sitting on the floor, their embroidery in their laps. No hoop was used. That always boggles my mind. And their skill and the speed at which they worked! I thought that surely they had been taught from childhood to do needlework, but no. Most of them had learned recently…one girl only three months ago. Some people are able to do fine movements with their hands and others are not. Put me in the ‘are not’ category.

I call this photograph a gift because the light was perfect. Notice how the sun, streaming through a skylight, highlights her hands. The walls are rough and dark creating a solitary mood. There is light on the step behind her balancing the light to her right. Her head, tilted in a perfect angle of concentration, has a lovely triangle of light on her cheek and the side of her nose. Her dress, although it is nothing special, looks like a brocade. The colorful rugs and other pieces of needlework complete the picture. I thought briefly about making the photo into a painting, but it doesn’t need any embellishment. To me, it is perfect.