I wanted to do a profile on Barbara because I always thought of her as someone quiet difficult to understand. She is hard to place as despite knowing for long enough, I often find her embarking on diverse projects that have little relation to one another. One moment, she is a web designer, another moment, she is doing clinical trials, another moment, she is in construction.
She has about her a curiosity and openness to experiences that instantly helps people connect with her but this bears with it its fair share of problems. It is quite often the case that Barbara disappears for months on end – hollowing up in some activity somewhere – each taken to its own level of extremity. Her social activities range from sailing (of which she did every single day this past summer), rock climbing, something she did at quite a pro – level and then onto acroyoga. In all cases, she does the best she can and that happens to result in something quite proficient.
I realize that to a large extent, it is her attitude and openness that brings about the sort of success that she experiences. My goal for the shoot then was to bring out that side of her. This was not quite challenging since she simply had to be herself all throughout.
In our conversations that morning, I realized and related to Barbara that whatever she ended up doing, she would do well in it and she would always make use of her curiosity in one way or another.
What I admire about Barbara is how she is so capable of keeping close to people despite her constant travels. To put things in simpler terms, she is one of these people that don't over complicate things in their minds and are more prone to action rather than deep analysis. They work tremendously hard, fall several times, learn and get back on that bicycle of whatever they are doing.
I am quite certain that this attitude is the precisely what makes her such a valuable individual to society - someone that lacks prejudice, seeks challenges and embraces relationships.
For a long time before I actually got to know Barbara quite well, I was always taken aback by her closeness especially when she greeted me. Of course, once this is done, the entire tone of the conversations or events that are to follow must change. Suddenly you are pushed into the deep end of coversations as one cannot do the small talk for doing so would be unjust to the warm of the greeting.
We took a trip to Jean-Talon Market as I had to meet the Spice trekkers at Epice De Cru (which I highly recommend to anyone even mildly interested in good food). We spent lunch time together eating freshly cut vegetables and purchased more than was rational to do so. Such is the effect of temptation, but something about the market or even markets of the sort, resonated well with Barbara's personality: The process of buying anything was a question of getting involved and having several senses make the decision of what to buy and what not to buy.
One of the strange little hobbies, as I found out, was to pack her helmet with random stickers. I never quite understood people that did this - regardless of their attempts at explaining themselves. I later got the idea to have Ambient Life stickers on her helmet and then later that I should just have Ambient Life stickers to give away.
One of my fondest memories of Barbara involves our participation on Tour d'ille of Montreal. Our bicycles were quite basic but we gathered up a convoy, having just made a trip to Dollarama - armed with the latest shipments from China of clown gear, wigs, and party props, together with a vuvuzela and whistles. I had never been so excited and energetic on a bicycle as during this event and I am both glad and unsurprised for sharing it with Barbara.
Back when Barbara was a little more traceable, I was fortunate to share many meals with her. As far as I remember, her energetic self, constantly busy as she was, did not particularly give into making long elaborate meals and when she does visit me, she often times herself to come a little before dinner. This is something that allows me to tease her immensely but the fact is that she is an incredibly busy woman and just seeing her in itself is a chanced encounter. In this photograph, she looks on at the variet of bread at Premier Moisson bakery at Jean Talon Market.
