I have a wonderful friend I would like you to meet.  Her name is Kitty Katz.  We are kindred spirits.  Kitty is a photographer.  Her work is amazing as you will see for yourself in this blog.   I asked Kitty several questions:  I so enjoyed reading her response that I decided to post her story just as she told it to me.  And don’t forget to look up her work on the links below.  You are in for a treat.

Judy:  When did you know you were a photographer?

Kitty:  A slow and lifelong process that probably began even before I held a camera, becoming a photographer wasn't on my radar until adulthood.  Although I always loved looking at pictures, it didn't occur to me to pursue photography as a career or hobby. But even with a primitive camera I’d occasionally snap a photo that had me staring and reflecting on it; something about it was talking to me but I didn’t speak the language yet.

Judy:  What inspired you to pursue photography?

In the 1970s, I lived in Spain for 8 years. My response to the country's incredible beauty was to take photos, like a typical tourist. They weren't very good, but because several of my job colleagues were serious aficionados, I began to appreciate the basics of composition, acquired a better camera and learned how to use it. When I returned to the U.S. in 1980, I immediately signed up for photography and

darkroom classes, soon building my own home darkroom. At the same time, I visited photography galleries frequently until I felt confident enough to present my portfolio to one of them, and was accepted as a member artist.

Along with years of gallery exhibits, I was fortunate to find many opportunities for my documentary and street photography to be published--at first in print periodicals and later in online media. Nevertheless, even with a substantial resume, it was hard to identify as a bona fide photographer until I retired and shed the day job like old snakeskin. This period of my life coincided with a dramatic surge of creativity, productivity, and professional recognition. I was a late bloomer for sure!

Photographers, and perhaps artists in general, are measured by a different standard than others. While a doctor or car mechanic, chef or college professor would not normally be asked if they earn a living from their occupation, for a photographer this question is tediously inevitable. It always put me on the defensive and made me feel like an impostor because while I did sometimes earn income from photography, mostly I earned a living from an uncreative daily grind of nine-to-five. So I had a hard time "being" a photographer.

Conflict also arose because I didn't really care about money. I just knew photography was deeply soul-satisfying, something I needed to do and was meant to do. It soon became clear that Street Photography was what most ignited my passion--probably the least likely genre to produce financial rewards, but that didn't matter.  I set off on a path of documenting all the visual riches, cultural and ethnic variety that New York City has to offer. I was drawn to places like Chinatown (Manhattan), Little India (Queens), and enclaves of Hasidic Jews (Brooklyn) where, although standing out like a sore thumb, I never felt uncomfortable or unwelcome. The fact that I was an older woman with a friendly smile was undoubtedly an advantage, casting me as a harmless presence. However, my curiosity about different cultures was anything but benign; it was totally profound and genuine. This is something that can't be faked, and people could sense that I really respected and cared about my chosen subjects.  In addition to the urban panorama, I'm also passionately committed to animal welfare--cats in particular--and revel in opportunities to capture their beauty and behavior as well as the human-animal bond in photographs.

Judy:  Is there a place online where people can view your work?  

Though I no longer maintain a single website, my work is in the collection of the Museum of Chinese in America https://mocanyc.pastperfectonline.com/photo/09672816-17F3-4777-AD49-525115312023   Click on Keyword Search, type in Kitty Katz Scrapbook.

Other examples of my photography can also be seen in Signs of the Times http://mobius-signsofourtimes.blogspot.com/search/label/Kitty%20Katz

[email protected]

   WB Heimishe Bakery

  Lollipop Girl

  Cozy Kittens

  Crossing Mott Street