In Almost Every Picture

On May 20-22, 2010 I had the pleasure of making a presentation at TYPO 2010, in Berlin, along with some 50 other designers and creatives. One of the best presentation to take place was made by Erik Kessels of Kessels Kramer of Amsterdam.

In particular, a story of a Spanish woman and her relationship with a taxi driver and his Mercedes Benz was especially touching.

This was complied in a book titled "In Almost Every Picture".

The 2003 214-page book collected and edited by Erik Kessels and Andrea Stultiens presents a series of photographs taken and preserved by a Dutch taxi driver. In almost every picture, staring out from inside his Mercedes taxicab is the subject, an anonymous passenger, who he came to know over a period of several years. The woman, who was physically disabled, was his companion on several long journeys across Europe, as he drove her on her holidays, through Belgium, France, Switzerland and beyond. Because of a disability, the passenger always chose this taxi as her mode of transportation. On their trips together, the driver made a careful record of the places they visited, making sure to keep his passenger always in shot, peering out from the inside of his cab. The images depict a curiously intimate relationship the pair developed while on the road.

in almost every picture #1 featured the remarkable story of a Spanish woman who was carefully portrayed by her husband. In much the same way, this new series shows the love a person can bring to life through the eye of a camera. The common thread that runs through both series, is that by viewing the photos, we can experience the dedication the photographer has for the subject, and feel something of their intimate relationship. Because photographs have a way of making us feel included and involved in almost every picture.

In memory of taxi driver and photographer A.J. Paetzhold (1924-1995).