I want to explore “simple” in photographic terms.

I spend so long thinking of interesting, intricate ideas – how to light this, where to stage that, what outfit the subject needs to wear – and I’m starting to forget the basic reason why I love doing what I do; capturing moments, feelings, glimpses of the strangers that live inside each and every one of the people I know.

Simple portraits. A conversation, window light, simple background. An exercise in talking and listening and trying to capture a moment in the subject’s life. Lose the falsehood of smile-for-the-camera; just wait for the right moment.

And I’m not pretending that this hasn’t been done, that Avedon didn’t do this with every one of his subjects (and do it magnificently, too). But it’s a challenge to me.