Shooting Dr Cat

I have to be up-front and say it: this was one of the most challenging photo-shoots I've done in a long time. This is not a bad thing — I like a challenge — but saying so helps remind me how much I learned today. Dr Cat is a friend who, gorgeous as she is, does not work as a model. In fact she was simultaneously hesitant and excited to pose: this was a test of herself, and I was very flattered that she trusted me to be the chosen photographer for it.

We had arranged to meet at my house, and it was clear she was quite nervous right from the start. But after a while, having built some rapport and learned what did and did not work, I think we started to get somewhere. And by the time we made it to the nearby church yard — which I had expected would have been the most nerve-wracking bit of the shoot for Cat — we were starting to get some of the best shots of the day.

I think the film shots with the TLR worked especially well for Cat: they were both flattering but also matched her "style". I hope to be able to do another shoot where hopefully it'll be less scary for her and I'll use the medium that suits her better. Most of all, I'm really proud of Cat for being so very brave!