During the pandemic lockdowns, photographer Kimon Kaketsis created ‘ Alone Together’, a series of remote image sessions. Over video calls, he directed his clients to adjust their background and lighting, then took screenshots of them. As people with cystic fibrosis are recommended not to get together in person - pandemic or not - this lockdown photoshoot technique is perfect for us.
Katrina and I had communicated only by text before, we hadn’t ‘met’ on a video call prior to our photoshoot. I wanted portraits of her with her books, plants, dogs and on her silks. These are all meaningful parts of her life and identity, and I wanted to do my best to capture the fullness of her life and her fun personality. To begin, I took screenshots while Katrina walked in and out of different light sources around her home. I then directed her to rearrange some light furniture and plants for the perfect backdrop. You can see some of the different stages of this backdrop in the images above.
I couldn’t necessarily tell which photos worked and which didn’t until I went through them afterwards. A video call is usually about connecting with one another, and the quality of the image doesn’t necessarily affect the immersion of the human connection. I took portraits in several different spaces in Katrina’s home, with different lighting and props. Some of the most successful images were when we were ‘finished’ with a certain background and light, and I kept clicking while we just chatted and hung out.
