Kitty at 40*
Title
Kitty’s Life Through the Lens
Subtitle
Imagining My Female Self Across a Lifetime Using AI and Photographic Influence
⸻
Abstract
I uploaded photographs of my male self at different ages to explore how I might look as a female over time. My goal was to create realistic, emotionally plausible female versions of myself—not idealised or flattered. I used generative AI as a visual tool, guided by the work of photographers Rankin and British portraitist Mark Wilkinson. To support the process, I created a panel of reviewers: a physiognomist, a plastic surgeon, a gender-affirming medical specialist, an imagined world-class image prompt engineer, and myself as subject and creative director. This project remains ongoing.
Full Version
The purpose of this project has always been to explore a simple but personal question: *What would I have looked like if I’d been born female?* I wanted something that felt emotionally honest and visually plausible—something rooted in realism, not fantasy or flattery.
#### **Origins and Intent**
I began by uploading photographs of myself at different ages, including a central reference at 40. These served as starting points for generating female portraits that felt true to the age, expression, and character captured in the originals. The idea was not to imagine an idealised or perfected version of myself, but rather a credible female counterpart at various stages of life. This female version—whom I call *Kitty*—emerged as a coherent and evolving presence through a series of photographic interpretations.
#### **Method and Tools**
To create the images, I used generative AI as a tool, refining its output through careful, iterative prompt writing. I was especially attentive to small but telling visual features: freckles, dimples, blue-grey eyes, the slight gap between the front teeth. These features, drawn from my own appearance, were important in grounding Kitty in visual truth.
Over time, I found that one instruction helped me stay on track: *"Check with me before proceeding."* It was a simple phrase that allowed me to retain control, stay collaborative with the technology, and reject anything that felt overly stylised or artificial.
#### **Photographic Influence**
Two photographers strongly shaped the direction of this project. The first was **Rankin**, whose writing on the psychological dimensions of portraiture helped clarify what makes an image resonate as emotionally truthful. The second was **Mark Wilkinson**, a British photographer whose portraits—especially those of his model Imogen—exemplified the softness, realism, and tonal integrity I wanted in my own work.
Rather than attempting to imitate either style directly, I allowed their sensibilities to guide decisions around lighting, framing, texture, and expression. Wilkinson's square-format portraits with shallow depth of field, for example, became a visual reference point for Kitty at 40.
#### **The Evaluation Panel**
To test and refine each image, I assembled an imaginary but rigorous panel of evaluators:
1. A **physiognomist**, to check for facial coherence and believability
2. A **plastic surgeon**, to assess proportion and anatomical realism
3. A **gender-affirming medical specialist**, to evaluate credibility across age and gender markers
4. A fictional **world-class image prompt engineer**, to help improve technical specificity
5. **Myself**, as both subject and creative director
6. Two **accomplished creative photographers**, whose judgment grounded the images in visual taste and authenticity
Each image was informally reviewed from these perspectives, allowing me to spot and correct issues like over-symmetry, expression mismatch, poor lighting choices, or features that didn’t quite reflect the intended age.
#### **The Process of Refinement**
Several common problems emerged during the process. Cropping was often too tight; clothing could look flat or digitally overworked; and monochrome outputs tended to add unintended age. I addressed these issues by modifying prompts, referencing specific materials (e.g. Harris tweed coats), or adding physical context (windblown dunes, natural shadows).
In one representative image—Kitty at 40 standing in windswept dunes—I ensured the coat had visual weight and texture, the collar framed her jawline, and a silver starfish ring (inspired by Dürer) subtly grounded her hands in realism. That portrait was later extended, reworked in monochrome, and reviewed for consistency across age and format.
#### **A Life in Portraits**
This project isn’t only about one moment in time. It’s part of a wider exploration of *Kitty’s life through the lens*—portraits imagined at ten-year intervals or more, allowing me to visualise a kind of parallel life. Whether at 18, 28, 40 or 60, each image is built with the same goal in mind: to imagine who I might have been, realistically and thoughtfully.
#### **Still Evolving**
The project remains a work in progress. I’m still adjusting visual language, experimenting with subtle expressions (like amusement or love), and learning to avoid the uncanny fingerprints of AI. Some images still feel “off” despite being technically correct. Others—usually the ones that need no explanation—feel immediately right.
I’m still exploring. Still developing. Still refining the approach.
Kitty at 40*
Title
Kitty’s Life Through the Lens
Subtitle
Imagining My Female Self Across a Lifetime Using AI and Photographic Influence
⸻
Abstract
I uploaded photographs of my male self at different ages to explore how I might look as a female over time. My goal was to create realistic, emotionally plausible female versions of myself—not idealised or flattered. I used generative AI as a visual tool, guided by the work of photographers Rankin and British portraitist Mark Wilkinson. To support the process, I created a panel of reviewers: a physiognomist, a plastic surgeon, a gender-affirming medical specialist, an imagined world-class image prompt engineer, and myself as subject and creative director. This project remains ongoing.
Full Version
The purpose of this project has always been to explore a simple but personal question: *What would I have looked like if I’d been born female?* I wanted something that felt emotionally honest and visually plausible—something rooted in realism, not fantasy or flattery.
#### **Origins and Intent**
I began by uploading photographs of myself at different ages, including a central reference at 40. These served as starting points for generating female portraits that felt true to the age, expression, and character captured in the originals. The idea was not to imagine an idealised or perfected version of myself, but rather a credible female counterpart at various stages of life. This female version—whom I call *Kitty*—emerged as a coherent and evolving presence through a series of photographic interpretations.
#### **Method and Tools**
To create the images, I used generative AI as a tool, refining its output through careful, iterative prompt writing. I was especially attentive to small but telling visual features: freckles, dimples, blue-grey eyes, the slight gap between the front teeth. These features, drawn from my own appearance, were important in grounding Kitty in visual truth.
Over time, I found that one instruction helped me stay on track: *"Check with me before proceeding."* It was a simple phrase that allowed me to retain control, stay collaborative with the technology, and reject anything that felt overly stylised or artificial.
#### **Photographic Influence**
Two photographers strongly shaped the direction of this project. The first was **Rankin**, whose writing on the psychological dimensions of portraiture helped clarify what makes an image resonate as emotionally truthful. The second was **Mark Wilkinson**, a British photographer whose portraits—especially those of his model Imogen—exemplified the softness, realism, and tonal integrity I wanted in my own work.
Rather than attempting to imitate either style directly, I allowed their sensibilities to guide decisions around lighting, framing, texture, and expression. Wilkinson's square-format portraits with shallow depth of field, for example, became a visual reference point for Kitty at 40.
#### **The Evaluation Panel**
To test and refine each image, I assembled an imaginary but rigorous panel of evaluators:
1. A **physiognomist**, to check for facial coherence and believability
2. A **plastic surgeon**, to assess proportion and anatomical realism
3. A **gender-affirming medical specialist**, to evaluate credibility across age and gender markers
4. A fictional **world-class image prompt engineer**, to help improve technical specificity
5. **Myself**, as both subject and creative director
6. Two **accomplished creative photographers**, whose judgment grounded the images in visual taste and authenticity
Each image was informally reviewed from these perspectives, allowing me to spot and correct issues like over-symmetry, expression mismatch, poor lighting choices, or features that didn’t quite reflect the intended age.
#### **The Process of Refinement**
Several common problems emerged during the process. Cropping was often too tight; clothing could look flat or digitally overworked; and monochrome outputs tended to add unintended age. I addressed these issues by modifying prompts, referencing specific materials (e.g. Harris tweed coats), or adding physical context (windblown dunes, natural shadows).
In one representative image—Kitty at 40 standing in windswept dunes—I ensured the coat had visual weight and texture, the collar framed her jawline, and a silver starfish ring (inspired by Dürer) subtly grounded her hands in realism. That portrait was later extended, reworked in monochrome, and reviewed for consistency across age and format.
#### **A Life in Portraits**
This project isn’t only about one moment in time. It’s part of a wider exploration of *Kitty’s life through the lens*—portraits imagined at ten-year intervals or more, allowing me to visualise a kind of parallel life. Whether at 18, 28, 40 or 60, each image is built with the same goal in mind: to imagine who I might have been, realistically and thoughtfully.
#### **Still Evolving**
The project remains a work in progress. I’m still adjusting visual language, experimenting with subtle expressions (like amusement or love), and learning to avoid the uncanny fingerprints of AI. Some images still feel “off” despite being technically correct. Others—usually the ones that need no explanation—feel immediately right.
I’m still exploring. Still developing. Still refining the approach.