4 min read
Asking a stranger for a portrait
What I said to the man in the blue doorway, and what he said back.
The Doorway Letter
Portraits of the people on my street
A letter every Sunday: one portrait, how I asked and one thing to try on your own street.
48KInstagram followers
12KYouTube subscribers
My work
A few recent pieces.
Wordless gouache design of a blue arched doorway 
Wordless bold-flat design of a gold hoop earring 
Wordless sticker design of a camera and herb pot 
Wordless mid-century design of a shutter with light bars 
Window light and nothing else 
Two friends at a shaded table 
A rooftop at dusk 
A white reflector in a doorway 
How I edit skin 
Finding a strip of sun 
The room where I edit 
Walking the old stairs with one lens
Latest posts
A new post every Sunday: one portrait, how I asked and where the light came from.
7 min read
Window light and nothing else
One window, one chair and the softest light in the house.
5 min read
Two friends at a shaded table
Photographing two people who would rather keep laughing.
Online course
My course
Video course · 7 lessons
Portraits of Strangers
From the first hello to a portrait you are proud of.
- Why strangers say yes
- What to say first
- Choosing the background
- Working fast and calm
- Three frames, not thirty
- When someone says no
- Sharing the photo afterwards
About
About me
I grew up in the medina, and most of my portraits are taken within ten minutes of my flat: a man in a blue doorway, a neighbour at her window, two friends at a café table. I ask, I chat, and I take a few frames.
Every Sunday I send a letter about one portrait: how I asked, where the light came from and how I edited it. What I sell is how I work: natural skin presets, a guide to asking strangers, a posing sheet and two courses, one on portraits of strangers and one on light.