‘What subject do you prefer?’ A frequent question. Actually I don´t know what to answer. Do I prefer official-portraits? Each portrait is fun to do whether it is a small child or an old lady, a professor or a lawyer. It is true that some faces are more attractive than others. A commissioned portrait never leaves me a choice and it is always exciting to see what model will appear. The same goes for official portraits.
A common problem with these commissions, however, is time. Often the sitter’s agenda is completely booked and our appointment is squeezed between existing commitments. I fight for a good “slot”, and usually we have the time required.
The professor in the picture one of my official-portraits, is the resigning chairman of the British Association of Dermatologists. “BAD” was the inscription on the nameplate at the door of the London stately building. I had to look twice. We had plenty of time for the session.
The best place for the model was at the conference table, with some cool light from the left. The main light source was my softbox. The table was not very stable and therefore it took some effort to maintain balance. When we were almost finished the table and the model fell over. Fortunately, it turned out well, otherwise we would have ended really BAD.
See also: Satisfactory deliveries of some commissions.