If I were giving out prizes of gratitude to those involved in Faces of Friendship then Lucy would be a worthy winner. Not only did she allow me to rearrange her living room into a temporary studio but she did so at arguably not the most convenient time for her: being eight months pregnant.
During this project I preferred to give the subjects privacy with as few interruptions as possible. It generally helps everyone relax and get into a natural flow. During Lucy's session, however, her husband would occasionally pop his head into the room to see how everything was going.
My initial concern was that this might risk breaking up the rhythm of the shoot but I noticed that when he did make an appearance he would always utter a supportive word or two to Lucy (and sometimes even to me!). Quite the opposite of being distracting, I could see that it was actually helping to reassure Lucy.
It was during one of those moments that I took this photo.
Lucy is darting a glance to her husband who had just entered the room. It's the most candid portrait of the series and her smile shows her at ease better than any to-camera shot would have achieved. But the most significant element for me is the context: the impending new arrival. This photograph shows a wife, and soon to be new mother being supported by her husband. It captures a very genuine, if subtle loving moment which immediately made it a favourite of mine.
