Friends & Family in Black & White

Another result of lockdown, despite hating to have my photo taken, (wrinkles and overweight) I really wanted to have images I could put on the wall of my friends and family rather than the small unprinted images shared on social media. I also wanted the sitter to be happy with the end result, and if honest wanted to try and impress my family. I had no idea how difficult it would be. For me I was panicking about the light set up, the camera settings and composition, and how and when I could get them to sit for me.

I had no idea and had not fully considered and empathised nearly enough how demanding this would be for the sitter. People who I had always thought of as beautiful, confident, became vulnerable and anxious, confiding in what they considered to be their less positive features, asking me to avoid this and that angle. I now realise that allowing someone to take a portrait of themselves is an enormous privilege, in fact I see it as a gift, to be handled with the upmost care and delicacy.