IAN GARRICK MASON

Jennifer Hardy CK bounced with energy and a happy hug at our hello, then quickly subsided into a quiet, low-tempo conversational mood as we sat down for a snack. Such modulations turned out to be part of her nature, and are doubtless part of her strength as a performer. Many actors need time to shift into new moods and characters, but Jennifer needs no time at all — once in a groove, she flows in and out of them, changing state literally as you watch. For a photographer, it's like shooting a new person every minute, her metamorphoses signalled and then made real through changes in posture and the positions of her limbs — as if acting is a process that starts with her body and only then, a split-second later, appears on her face. Jennifer's fluid multiplicity is mirrored by her background: before pursuing acting she received a degree in fine arts and worked as a painter and storyboard illustrator, a video editor, and an award-winning animator. After our session she edited a few of her own photos... better than I could have. I should have known.

For more on Jennifer, see her website or follow her on Facebook and Twitter @JenniferHardyCK

All images from our photoshoot near the Toronto Railway Museum and in the Delta Hotel, December 8, 2015.