One of the books I got for my birthday was “Sudek” by Sonja Bullaty. I’ve become something of a fan of Josef Sudek of late – ever since I saw some pictures he’d taken of St. Vitus’ Cathedral in Prague. Some of his pictures remind me a little of another one of my idols: Eugene Atget. There’s a certain ‘stillness’ about both of them and Sudek, in particular had a wonderful feeling for light.

I was over at a friend’s having a drink when I noticed the light coming through the window and falling on this glass vase with lilacs in it. It reminded me a little (a very little) of some of Sudek’s still lifes – simple pictures taken in his house and and in his studio. Because of the delicate color of the lilacs I was tempted to leave the picture in color, but as a kind of hommage to Sudek I decided to go for a black and white treatment instead.