It has been a strange week. Wednesday was census day and we had to stay at home until we had been counted. The streets were Christmas Day quiet. Then came the news that former president Néstor Kirchner had died. Friday’s rain-splashed TV coverage of his coffin’s final journey is fresh in my mind.

And between these days was the opening of my first photo exhibition: 20 of my photographs of reflections from Recoleta Cemetery up on the walls for all to see. I didn’t realise how exciting it would be to share my work with the 80-plus people who stopped by the gallery in San Telmo on Thursday night. They also came to look at the wonderful colourful paintings by Dutch artist Henk Wechgelaar (www.henkwechgelaar.com.ar). We make an interesting pair, as he has many canvases of churches and cemeteries in the north of Argentina. I feel very lucky to know him.

So that explains why I have been silent for the past month. I have, however, been to Recoleta Cemetery a handful of times and this is one of my favourite shots – Virgin of Luján & bright crucifix. I think of it as a partner to my Virgin of Luján & Greek key (sorry, I still haven’t explained the story of said Virgin… another time). I love the silvery back-to-front lettering from the opposite tomb and the daubs of blinding light that speak of an almost unbearable beauty. Jesus’s arm is repeated (an effect I used to seek out, using the bevelled edges of the glass doors), giving the sense that he is fading away, crossing over, going towards the light.