So what makes a good portrait?

SWPP portrait - gold award January 2010

Once you have great light, I think that creating a connection is the key to a good portrait. It is up to the photographer to portray the sitters personality as best they can. By aiming to do that, I try to capture a persons likeness in an authentic way. That means that you have to build trust. It might be someone you have just met or in the case of the portrait of Pat Hennessy above, someone I've known for a number of years. Often just a few minutes with a person over a coffee, a childrens game or a boardroom table will establish that relationship.

And once that connection is made, magic can happen!