Edith and Alfie

CLIENT: Annismarie MacFarlane

BRIEF: to capture the special connection between Edith and Alfie

SERVICES: photography, keeping secrets

DELIVERABLES: a set of photos for a birthday surprise


I was under pains to keep this photoshoot under wraps. Normally, I can’t be trusted with secret information. Truths pop out of me at unexpected, sometimes unfortunate, moments.

I do however have a vault. You just have to be clear with me that what you’re telling me needs to go into it. Once in the vault, secrets stay there securely. In fact, the vault is so effective, I’ve actually been surprised by information I was told months before in secret.

Into the vault went the Edith and Alfie photoshoot. As far as Edith knew, she was helping me improve my photographic skills. The truth was her mum had commissioned the photos for her eighteenth birthday.

It wasn’t too hard pretending to Edith I was working on my photographic skills. I am always working on them. And Edith was a patient and cheerful subject, chatting away to me about work, life and school. Alfie, as you can see, was a wee gem.

Did I manage to keep the secret?

Yes! When the final images were presented on Edith’s birthday, it was a total surprise. We got her good!