Meet Kate:
In her own words -
"I’ve been doing concert photography for years, but it’s been my passion since I shot FFS (a collaboration between Franz Ferdinand and Sparks) in 2015. I’ve always been a big music dork, and photography has been a hobby of mine since high school, so being able to connect those two interests is really a dream come true. Since then, I’ve shot over three hundred shows, and even though there are some times that I need to throw the brakes on booking myself, I love it and would do it every day if I could. I’ve made some great friends and built a great community, both in Chicago and around the world.
I’ve never been much of a musician myself, but I’ve had a life-long love affair with music my entire life. Growing up, I was a huge fan of David Bowie and Queen, and honestly, those two haven’t really gone anywhere in my all-time favorites. I’ve always been into music magazines like Q and NME and used those as a way to discover new music, but more recently my discoveries come from the internet like a non-ancient person. Recently, I’ve been listening to a lot of Andrew Bird, the Karen O/Danger Mouse collaboration Lux Prima, and the new Fiona Apple album Fetch the Bolt Cutters.
I’ve shot a lot of great artists in the last five years, but some standouts events have been the Rolling Stones in 2019 at Soldier Field, Chance the Rapper’s free show in August 2017, and St. Vincent’s Lollapalooza aftershow in 2018. I’ve shot a lot of my favorites, but I’d love a chance to shoot some artists I’ve never seen before. Lorde and Kendrick Lamar are both on my bucket list, for sure. Music festivals are some of my favorite events to shoot, and I usually go to all the fests that Chicago has to offer, which is another reason that this year is a bummer.
When I’m not shooting shows, I like spending time with my cat, Margo, doing yoga, and playing video games. In terms of smaller-scale disruptions, one of the most frustrating aspects of this quarantine for a lot of people is the disruption of their day-to-day, and for me that meant losing the event photography that I usually do. I started doing this quarantine activity series for two reasons: to give myself something fun and entertaining to do, and to try to put a smile on everyone’s face. I think in a time like this, acknowledging how absurd this situation is can really help people on a sort of basic, emotional level. I’ve always loved the pinup aesthetic and even though I haven’t been able to model for anyone except my husband and cat, giving myself a reason to dress up is a delight. Getting pretty, staging fun scenes, and taking some photos will never get old."
*** Please follow along on instagram as well and learn more about Kate. 52 Phenomenal Women is now in its second year! This is week 33 of 52.
Participants in this project will be supporting the efforts of Dress for Success Worldwide – Central. We are all stronger together and it is my sincere hope that we will be inspired by each other’s stories. Now is the time to celebrate as well as encourage one another. Tell your story!***