“So many people are shut up tight inside themselves like boxes, yet they would open up, unfolding quite wonderfully, if only you were interested in them.” Sylvia Plath

My personal history with photography dates back to the middle ninetees, when one freezing winter evening I was merrily zapping through TV channels with my big sister Anna.

At that time, I was a teenage Beatles maniac and I felt truly lonely with my passion. Back then, at school bubble pop was filling the atmosphere, while my mind was exclusively occupied by douce sixties music and culture. It reflected in every inch of my world and created, step by step the person who I am today…

But, going back to that winter evening, I must admit it had a major impact. I remember perfectly that classes were cancelled due to flu epidemic and my beloved sister was spending some time at home before another term at uni. Then, while zapping, we found out that one of our Polish channels aired "Backbeat", a flick telling the story of Beatles' German phase in early sixties.

The movie, starring Sheryl Lee, who was one of David Lynch's favorite actresses back then, made a vivid impression on me. It was the first time I had seen group's magical black and white portraits and it was the first time I had heard of Astrid Kirchherr at all.

This character attracted me, not only was she my beloved film director's muse, but also was fond of mysterious fifth Beatle and talented painter Stu Sutcliffe. I remember well the scenes when Astrid used her TLR camera with shutter cable release. I found out years after that she worked with a Rolleicord. I loved her Beatles' pictures and even though I did not know a thing about photography, I found them fascinating and revelatory. It was amazing just to see a rock 'n' roll band of the early sixties dressed in leather jackets and posing in such an industrial scenery. So fresh for the era, even anticipating the trends which were due to happen in the rock n' roll rebellious world just few years afterwards. Along with this, for many years I held in my mind the image of Astrid herself. She became someone special in my adolescent life.

When I went to uni I finally got my own copy of "Beatbeat" and since then I rewatch the movie at least once a year. When me and my boyfriend, who is actually a talented photographer got together, I told him the Astrid's story. As a child, he experimented a lot with analog classical photography, but in his current works was a true master of digital one. He fancied a beautiful medium-format, though. I wanted a camera which Astrid had, even though it would lay on the shelf aside my numerous music collection.

The result was that we bought two cameras from a Rollei collector, a Rolleiflex for him and a beautiful Rolleicord Art Deco for me. I loved it and I could not treat it like a museum exhibit. It was like a dream come true to make it work. Nowadays I cannot live without my camera and with every shot I learn more and understand better this inspiring photographic world.

Maybe I will never take a picture as impressive as Beatles' pictures during their Hamburg days, but if my Rolleicord keeps developing my imagination like it has done so far, with every day that passes I will be closer to actually meet the Fab Four in that industrial scenery.