One of the benefits of getting older is that you can fully appreciate the beauty of long term friendships.  Having the kind of friends that indulge your idiosyncrasies to give you what you need time and time again.  The best of friends are those that say yes before they know what they are really letting themselves in for.  True friends are the sort of people who are there for you whatever the weather, the time, the place.

Last weekend my closest friend Naomi agreed to be my portrait model for the final workshop of my photography course.  This is remarkable given she subjected herself to a similar experience a couple of years ago.   After the first portrait shoot a couple of weeks ago, the photography tutor wanted us to experiment more even though we were working in the same location, Wellington railway station.

Despite the weather making conditions pretty gloomy we did at least get a break from the rain and wind before it finally brightened up with even the sun shining momentarily.  My brief to Naomi was to come dressed for whether with some suitable accessories and something red to wear.  When I saw her stroll across the railway concourse I realised once again what a true friend she was and how she could be a modern day Mary Poppins.  At that moment the brief was sealed.  Here are a few portraits I made that morning.

Generally I have shied away from taking portraits of people.  I get flustered and my brain seizes up.  This course has taught me to slow down and think more clearly and not to let your frustrations show even if things are not working the way you want.  It’s a shame really because just as we’re starting to really get going making portraits the course is over.

So no excuses now, its time to go it alone and get on with my portrait project even if the I am terrified by the thought of working with people other than my friends or enthusiastic models.