I regarded photography during last year’s Wellington Central campaign with a jaundiced eye after early TV3 footage shot up the nose and otherwise in a sick blue colour. I feel for candidates of any hue when journalists apply their skills to demonise instead of to reveal.

Accordingly I was resigned but wary when John Lake began turning up at meeting after meeting. I felt his lens constantly trained on me.  Nevertheless, you should’nt become a candidate if you don’t accept bad photo shots,  I agreed to his request for a studio session wondering whether his props would be horns and a tail.

John was courteous and professional.

So I’m very curious about his photo exhibition "the Candidate, which opens on 5 March at Toi Pōneke Gallery, 61 Abel Smith Street and will run until 27 March.