Yesterday I got a taste of what my subjects go through when I point the camera at them. I had my photos clicked professionally by the very talented Pennie Withers of Photos By Pennie and it proved at once both an unsettling experience and an exciting one. Unsettling because I have rarely been the subject of a photo project. During my growing up years, we only ever saw a camera when there was a wedding in the family. Back in those days, the expense of having a photograph taken meant that a lot of people were crammed into the frame. More flesh per flash, if you will.

In the intervening years, when cameras became more and more ubiquitous, I rarely had the occasion or the inclination to pose for photos with just me in them. So when I requested Pennie to take a few photos of me in action, I felt as if I was indulging in a luxury. Unaccustomed to being alone in a photo, I was also slightly concerned. But Pennie put me as ease straight away asking me for the sort of look I wanted and for references to photos I liked.