It was a great honour to be commissioned to photograph the author Dr Chris Laoutaris, a world authority on William Shakespeare and in the year of the 400th Anniversary of the Bard's First Folio, it is a fitting book that Chris Laoutaris has written about the folio and its publication, as a past resident of Stratford upon Avon, I was aware that Birmingham University had a centre for the study of Shakespeare, where Dr Laoutaris is an associate professor at the Shakespeare Institute, I have passed this building thousands of times, so it was a great treat to use this location to meet and photograph the author. I love the challenge of an unknown location, as it throws inspiration and problems in equal measure.

It was also cool, as in February in England, so outdoor had more challenges, a cold subject is rarely a happy one, but with such a wonderful gardens even in the grey winter, I had to try a few outside, in fact my personal favorite from the session had a backdrop of a brick entrance - but the purpose was to deliver a good headshot, and with a beautiful Arts & Crafts panelled interior, the final image was shot in a more conventional manner. Portrait photography has become most of my professional practice, and I am so happy, that I get to meet such wonderful subjects, travel to interesting locations and don't often have to be up before 7.00am often!

Shakespeare's Book- William Collins - Dr Chris Laoutaris -

ISBN 978-0-00-823838.