Kat was another new addition to Faces of Friendship this series. I had never photographed her before so had no real expectations or preconceptions as to how the session would go.
Turns out the session was one of the most straightforward, which was all the more surprising given that Kat would admit only moments before we got underway that she "hated having her a camera pointed at her." While we jokingly questioned why she had agreed to be part of a portrait project(!) I decided to make the session as varied as possible.
I adopted a similar style to that of Rob's shoot earlier in the year - keeping a fast pace, trying new things, and swiftly moving on to the next idea. I wanted to keep Kat on her toes and was conscious that the longer any one particular pose or look went on, the more conscious she would become (of me and the camera). The outcome was a shoot that was quicker than most, but one that resulted in a good range.
This is one of the more serious portraits from the series but I still feel that it has an underlying positive tone; Kat's expression is formal and sincere but it does not express a negative mood. The focus in the eyes reminds me of Anna's portrait and the subtle head tilt makes for a thoughtful and inquisitive look.
I've known Kat since our university days and have always recognised her for having a strong work ethic. I like to think that this image reflects some of the focus and hard-working attitude that she carries with her in her career today.
