I do a lot of business portraits for Dunedinites as well as more creative work. My Golden Throne series brings both together. I’ve wanted to put my friend Rosann on my Golden Throne for some time. Rosann’s a well-known Dunedin resident who shot to fame in recent years for her efforts as a Travel Agent. Her industry took a major hit in the Covid pandemic and many firms closed. Rosann’s firm, Vincent George Travel almost did too; Vince and Rosann took on many other side hustles just to keep the doors open. Why? Not just to keep a viable business ticking over until better days came. Rosann knew that while travel was highly restricted and the airline industry all but broken, people would still need to travel and they’d need a strong advocate to help them do so. I wanted to make this picture using my Golden Thone, Knox Church, and a ring light that delivers just the look that a halo does.

With her super powers, Rosann was able to reunite families during lockdowns, giving folks the chance to say goodbye to dying loved ones. She didn’t just book tickets, navigate shifting travel regs and negotiate with airline reps. She actually chartered whole planes to get people where they needed to be. She became a true saint to those she helped.

After we made a picture for me, we got to work on one Rosann had been wanting for herself. She already got me to shoot her and Vince’s business portraits so for this we worked to make a creative portrait but also something fitting her business as a travel agent. The clocks? Rosann says if you know her at all, you’ll know that she’s habitually ten minutes late for stuff, and that her business was founded at 11.11.

I’m always telling my students that portraiture isn’t the same as making an ID photo. Portraiture is about revealing character. I’m lucky to have friends and clients who get that and are keen to do it with me.