Students often ask after portraiture. It is an elusive topic that when taken seriously it can offer fantastic results. In all fairness, portraiture has several meanings amongst them capturing the likeness of someone, however when I do portraiture I am after capturing that spirit that makes someone; the essence of the being so to speak. It is all a play of words at times, and quite difficult to explain however what does one do when one has an 7 year old (with an 'old soul' quoting her mum here) in front of him or her?

Well I threw my 8 year old subject in a field. It was a late afternoon in early May when I met Katie. I know her mother from my athletics days. Her mum is an Iron Lady nowadays, whilst I quit athletics ages ago, and my passion became this....taking pictures.

So Katie sat in my backseat when we were driving to the location I had in mind. But I could suss her out. She did not really understand what being photographed meant. Little did she know that my intention was that of literally throwing her in a field. However she obliged, and amidst a lot of laughter, teasing and grumpy comments about ants climbing up her legs, she ran, played and laughed throughout the whole shoot.

A bright and witty girl, takes after her mama, we conversed like no other, laughed and shot till finally Katie surrendered and came out completely to me. I was there behind the lens and shot, the shot. This photo for me sums up Katie. A defiant smart girl, who at such a tender age, is ready to take on the world!

The whole set of images from the shoot can be browsed here