Katherine Williams — Katherine Williams

photographer and Social work practitioner-researcher based in Newcastle, Australia.

Katherine is an Australian based photographer and social work practitioner-researcher. Her creative practice explores a range of genres and creative therapeutic research methods.

Katherine’s social portraiture and fine art photography have received recognition in numerous art and industry awards, most notably in 2015 as a highly commended finalist in the National Photographic Portrait Prize with a piece from a long-term series on intergenerational youth pregnancy. Her conceptual ocean based work has been shortlisted for Photo Collective’s Stories 2021 and her fine art photography in the CLIP Awards 2022. Furthermore, Katherine’s photography has been frequently shown in exhibitions and events, including a large-scale digital installation at Vivid Sydney 2017 in collaboration with Coca-Cola and the Wayside Chapel.

More recently, Katherine has developed her interest in the intersection of photography and social work, focusing on photographic methodologies, including photovoice. She is currently investigating the feasibility of offering photovoice as a therapeutic research tool in acute mental health settings. In collaboration with the Name.Narrate.Navigate Program for Youth Violence at the University of Newcastle, Katherine co-developed the photo-based tool Now.See.Hear, that uses photographs to encourage conversation and self-reflection. In 2025, Katherine’s scoping review titled “What are the benefits of using photo-elicitation research methods with criminal justice-involved populations?” was published in the Handbook of Research Methods in Social Work.

Bio

Dec 2025 - Awarded Allied Health Research Grant by HNELHD Research to explore the feasibility and benefits of photovoice in an acute mental health space for older persons.

Jan 2025 - Chapter “24: What are the benefits of using photo-elicitation research methods with criminal justice-involved populations? A scoping review". In Handbook of Research Methods in Social Work. Edited by Margaret Alston OAM, Penny Buykx, Wendy Lee Foote, and David Betts. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781035310173.00033

Dec 2023 - Launch of Now.See.Hear photo-elicitation cards, collaboratively developed with and for Name.Narrate.Navigate Program for Youth Violence (NNN) at the University of Newcastle. Photography in collaboration with photographer Milly Hooper and NNN participants.

Sep 2022 - Finalist Lake Art Prize

Aug 2022 - Contemporary Landscapes in Photography CLIP Awards

Jul 2022 - Finalist National Capital Art Prize

Jul 2022 - Finalist KLPA2022 Kuala Lumpur Portrait Photography Prize

Mar 2022 - Shortlisted Percivals Photographic Portrait Prize

Jun 2021 - Shortlisted “Stories 2021” with PhotoCollective

May 2021 - Exhibiting photographer “2020 Vision” by Head On Photo Festival

2020 - 2021 Vision Publication by Head On Photo Festival

Dec 2020 - Finalist Lake Art Prize

Nov 2020 - Finalist Works on Paper Blackstone Gallery

2017 - Installation at the Vivid Sydney Kings Cross Precinct

2017 - Feature in Capture Magazine "Talent"