THE PROFESSOR

I would like to be good at taking portraits. Although I read about it, I lack practice. I think a huge part of the skill is putting the subject at ease - a bit tricky if the photographer is feeling anxious in the first place. I have mused about who I could invite to model till I got some practice in. So it was a gift when the Professor, having passed his audition for the choir, arrived home with his new 'uniform' and I persuaded him to 'sit'. He's not a man for bright waistcoats normally, so both of us found it a bit hard not to giggle while I snapped away.

Drizzly day, but we still managed a walk in the Blair, one of our favourite places. I took a lot of images of wild flowers, beech leaves, tree lined avenues, but nothing which outshone that waistcoat. The VIP was here for his extra play date - painting, board games, carpet football and finally walking about with a clip board, interviewing people with questions such as, 'Do you have all your own teeth?'