Moni
Close to Moni's heart is the Tree of Life tattoo that graces her thigh.
The Tree of Life symbolizes strength, being firmly rooted through life experience and faith, as expressed in the Trinity symbol at the heart of the roots. Furthermore it symbolizes hope: as storms blow and seasons pass a tree loses leaves. Then it rests, regenerates and moves into the next season - and so did Moni. The never ending cycle, the circle of life, is emphasized by the outer tribal ring without beginning or end: life is eternal.
The image was created in black and white at ISO 16.000 to create a contrasty and grainy image with a grungy feel - a hat tip to Anton Corbijn, the photographer that immortalized Moni's favorite band, U2. I asked Moni to assume a fetal position, cradled by Mother Earth in the heart of a massive tree root system, and shot her from up close and above using a circular fisheye lens with a 190° field of view. The angular distortion introduced by the fisheye would definitely ruin her physical proportions, but she graciously agreed.