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Showing posts with label Cat Photography. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cat Photography. Show all posts

Thursday, December 29, 2011

picture of cats


Teaching Your Cat to Say Cheese: How to Take the Best Cat Pictures

There is nothing cuter than a picture of a cat, fur, whiskers, paws and all; there is something irresistibly adorable about a kitty busily playing with a ball of yarn, chasing a butterfly in the meadows or hanging out with a bunch of puppies. Most cat owners would naturally want to take pictures of their lovely pets as a souvenir or simply because they are such interesting photography subjects. It truly shows that you are caring for cats when you have cute pictures of them posted everywhere. Learning a few tips on how to create the best cat pictures will help a cat owner capture their pet's cute cuddly image, their hunting prowess or climbing skill whether they are still or in action. First off, a decent digital camera is highly important; Digital Single Lens Reflex cameras are recommended. Needless to say, the cat's cooperation is the most challenging part; cats see cameras as strange clicking objects so one must make sure first that the cat gets used to him carrying it around.


The best cat pictures owe their greatness to the angle; the next is to make sure that the cat and the photographer is on the same level if a close-up picture is to be taken or position oneself high above the cat if planning to capture snuggling poses. Experimenting with several different angles and deciding on which ones to keep during the editing phase will help enable one to surely end up with an amazing photo. One must also be sure to get enough of the cat in the frame and to not take too much of the dead space. Pre-planning where the cat should be placed, setting the background ahead of time and imagining which angles are to be taken is absolutely necessary; one could make use of a bait such as a toy to lure the cat into the zone. It is also useful to get a hand from a friend who is willing to operate the tease while one concentrates on getting good shots; the person can also help in getting the cat's attention, enabling one to authentically capture priceless gestures such as pricked ears and alert eyes.
The best cat photos often make use of natural light instead of flash; one must either take photos outdoors or in a room which allows a generous entry of daylight. If using the flash is unavoidable, one must utilize the red-eye setting or manipulate angles to avoid laser eyes; a white tissue paper over the flash helps in diffusing the light. One must be creative in manipulating the cat to assume the position that they desire; for example, if one wants the cat to sit over a chair, one could drape a piece of colorful cloth over it to coax the curious kitty. Lastly, one should be strict in deleting bad photos; one must remember, it's not uncommon to take fifty or more shots in order to come up with at least a perfect one. With these basic techniques and the right kitty treats, one can even make their pet look forward to every photography session.
Adam Fisher writes about caring for cats and general information about cats.

pics of cats


Cat & Kitten Photography Tips For Cat Lovers - Photographing Your Pet & Cat Picture Taking Tutorial




  1. Personality: Is your cat playful? Lazy? Curious? What makes your kitty special? Try to incorporate that into your photographs. Your photographs will have a more natural look if you photograph your cat doing what it does best...sleeping by a window in a warm ray of sun, or patiently waiting to pounce on that elusive ball of tin foil. Shots like these are easier to get when your cat does them naturally.
  2. Your cat's eye view: Get down on your hands and knees if necessary. Shooting from your kitty's level will bring an intimacy to your photographs and create a relationship between the viewer and your subject. Shots looking down at your cat will make them look smaller and distort proportions.
  3. Zoom in close: Fill the whole frame with your kitty's cute face! This will bring attention to what you love most, and leave out distracting details.
  4. Watch your backgrounds: Sometimes plain backgrounds are the best. A nice green patch of grass, a white kitchen floor, your cat's favorite blanket. Avoid backgrounds that are distracting. Watch out for background elements that seem to "grow" out of the back of your pet's head, like trees, telephone poles, chair legs, etc. If you have a manual setting on your camera, a larger aperture ( like f/2.8, f/4 etc.) will give you a nice blurred background, thus accentuating your subject. When using larger apertures, accurate focusing becomes more critical so be sure and focus directly on your pet rather than any background or foreground area.
  5. Lighting: Use natural lighting whenever possible. Flash lighting can create "red eye" and will tend to over expose white or light colored pets. Be sure your camera's White Balance option is set to match the type of light you are using. If your indoor shot comes out extremely blue, chances are you have your camera set on "Daylight" rather than "Tungsten". If your outdoor shots come out extremely orange, chances are you have your camera set on "Tungsten" rather than "Daylight". More than one source of light such as 3/4 light plus a little backlighting will give more rounded results. Light only from the front will tend to give your shots a flat look.
  6. Freeze frame: Kitties are playful and often the best shots are when they're on the move. Avoiding blur in your action shots means using higher shutter speeds. Higher settings mean that the shutter on your camera will open and close faster, thus "freezing" the action. If you have a manual setting on your camera, use faster shutter speeds such as 1/250, 1/500, or 1/1000. If your camera has preprogrammed settings, use the "Sports" setting. But be aware that faster shutter speeds require more available light, so don't try this is low light settings.
  7. A little overexposure is a good thing: Fur tends to absorb light, making photos darker and flatter. Err on the side of overexposure for more detail in your furry friend.
  8. It's all about relationships: Pets bring love and joy into our lives and it's in the relationships that those feelings are best conveyed. What does your cat best relate to? What does it care about? You...another pet in the family? It's favorite toy...it's food dish? Including these things in your shots will bring out your cat's personality as well as adding interest and emotion to your photographs.
  9. Print vs. web: How will you be using your photos? If you intend to make large, high quality glossy prints of your pet, make sure your camera is set on the highest resolution possible. This will allow you to enlarge your photographs for print without the dreaded "pixelation"! If you are shooting primarily for posting your pics on the internet, using a lower resolution on your camera will allow you to store more photos on your memory card as well as eating up less space on your computer.
  10. Keep pushing that button: With the invention of digital photography came the ability to take hundreds of photos without the expense of having the film developed. So take lots of pictures! Try different camera settings, experiment with different lighting, just have fun! It's free, and you will increase your chances of getting exactly that shot you're looking for.
Kimberly Lunning is an artist, photographer, and owner / creator of Tuff Kitty Designs. If you love cats and the funny things they do, please visit our online gift store. Tuff Kitty Designs: Funny and irreverent gifts & t-shirts for cat lovers. http://www.tuffkitty.com