Portraits

The object is to get beyond pretence, get past the mask. You know, the one you wear to defend yourself, the uncertainty, the fear, the vanity, the mistaken identity, the person not used to being recognised, the face other people believe is you, and is fleeting enough for them to believe.

'You've got to find some way of saying it without saying it.'
– Duke Ellington

Which is music, but applies just as well to the taking of a portrait.

Few people enjoy having their portrait taken, a fact I fully emphasis with, but together we can get beyond that, we can find the authentic you. And this 'you' is always more powerful than people imagine. It's a surprise. A new belief. So I enjoy attempting to represent people to themselves, to show them a better reflection; a part of them they know, but didn't know they knew. Of course this might take time. Sometimes I wait a long time before I actual begin. Or it might be the so rapid you don't even notice you've been 'caught'. You see, it's not just a photograph, it's a game!

The power of this, especially for a child, those with a lifetime ahead of them, might, one can imagine, change the course of life. And why not? To feel more confident, to hold an image of inner truth; your potential shining back at you as a reminder of strength, not weakness, is bound to influence you. For vulnerability IS strength, and once you see that in yourself life becomes so much easier and enjoyable to deal with.

And if you think it's nerve-racking being photographed, try to imagine the same session from my point of view: it's always a challenge for me. Or maybe I should lighten up a bit? But it matters! And so it's just as personal for me.