AGE

Though my father owned a photographic studio where he did commercial portraits for the masses, we did not know much about lighting, posing and that a portrait can tell a lot more about the character and soul of the sitter. During the second World War, my father befriended a Jewish refugee in Mauritius. Dad soon obtained the permission from the camp commandant to invite Hugo Hornung to our house every Thursday where my mother did wonders with the few foods that were available to make a decent meal for our guest. Hugo, who was a professional photographer himself, felt at home with us and taught my father the art of lighting a portrait and the way to put the model at ease. After Hugo's return to Palestine at the end of the war, my father began to slowly teach me the methods that Hugo Hornung taught him. Years later, after immigrating to Canada, I shared these ways and methods to young people.