This is how many people feel when having their portrait done.

Trapped, restrained, and examined.

My old friend Purp showed remarkable equanimity, under the circumstances. She agreed to fill in for me when I discovered I could not carry out my original plan: a self-portrait called 'The Bell Jar.' She fit; I didn't.

All aspects of human endeavour contain aspects of our overall condition, and portraiture is no exception. Contradictory demands are a constant: turn your body away from the light, face the light, look at the camera, contort for graphic appeal, relax, be comfortable, look like yourself, think pleasant thoughts. Comb your whiskers!

The central issue in portaiture is the delineation of the character of the subject. I think of this as the reality of the person before me. All details concerning camera, light, backdrop, darkroom, are secondary. The real person must show, and under adverse conditions at that.