Photojournalist of the Year Portfolio
Welcome to Centre Court: On a last-minute mission to take photos of the Upper School tennis team before the final deadline, I walked onto the Maryland Farms tennis courts to an unexpected scene. The team dressed in white, a trophy on the ground with a giant tennis ball inside and a whiteboard net to the snacks that read "Welcome to CPA Wimbledon." Immediately, my eye was drawn to the contrast of the bright blue courts and green grass against the white skirts, and what sealed the deal was when Senior Mary Frances Musso and Junior Ansley Macavoy came down the hill holding drinks from Brentwood Nutrition, a local favorite, for each of the girls on the team. The pure emotion of the moment and pops of color made this photo and day a joy to shoot and a memory the team would never forget.
​
-Katherine Rollins, Cannon EOS R6, 70-300 mm Sports Lens, 04/17/24
Water Hazard: For the past three years, I have loved taking golf photos and have been to many meets across the seasons. This season was stormy, and after multiple delayed and canceled matches due to weather, the boys finally got a chance to play. I pulled into the Old Natchez Country Club and immediately saw the puddles of water and felt the soggy grass under my feet. I found senior Luke Williams warming up on the driving green and saw the opportunity to reflect on his shot in the water, telling the story of this match from a whole new perspective. Even if it wasn't a good day for golf, it was a great day for photography.
​
-Katherine Rollins, Cannon EOS R6, 24-105 mm Lens, 09/5/23
Praise: On the first Wednesday of every month, students at Christ Presbyterian Academy have the opportunity of "Choice Chaple," where they can hear a teacher's testimony, ask questions, or participate in student-led worship. These student-led efforts in worship exemplify the heart of the school and bring together grades, friend groups, and faculty in a larger community. On this day, the songs had a powerful voice, with everyone in the room singing together. I had to keep my camera on the silent shutter and I was able to capture junior Sassy Schottenheimer at this moment, framing her through the shoulders of the worship team, being lit with bright pink, and savoring this moment forever.
​
-Katherine Rollins, Cannon EOS R6, 70-300 mm Sports Lens, 10/31/23
New Heights: One of my favorite traditions comes from the first few weeks of the new year. In journalism, part of my job as assistant head and head photographer is to teach the new staff, and while slideshows are helpful, practice makes perfect. We go out to the playground on campus during recess for various grades, and I tell my photographers to have fun and experiment with their photos and practice. The second we step through the fence, the kids scream and laugh and ask for pictures, then run away, and you never know what the reaction will be. This assignment always leads to some of my favorite photos of the year. This time, I decided to grab a camera and join the fun. I saw this boy from across the grass, and his unique style of swinging caught my eye. I was able to freeze him in the heat of the moment, and seconds later, he was running away from some girls laughing, and enjoying every second.
​
-Katherine Rollins, Cannon EOS R6, 70-300 mm Sports Lens, 09/11/23
Uncovering Home: Striking his final pose, eighth grader Isaiah Birkland finishes the opening number of James and the Giant Peach Jr. The song is high energy with over 50 kids on stage at once, but Isaiah, Ibie as he's more commonly known, consistently caught my eye, and I wanted to capture him alone. Ibie came to Christ Presbyterian Academy at the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year as an eighth grader and was struggling to find his place. Because of his energetic personality, he was told to try to join theater and found an outlet for his talents in storytelling. His costume reflects the complex lighting design and fantasy of the show and I wanted to highlight that as well as the pure emotion he had that couldn't be hidden by acting.
​
-Katherine Rollins, Cannon EOS R6, 70-300 mm Sports Lens, 09/26/23