Kitten Photography 101

[Major_Small]

This is an awesome post - I love it

I was a little bored the other day and this thread inspired me to take a few shots of my cat:

Camera model    : Canon EOS 30D
Exposure time   : 1/40 s
Aperture        : F4.5
Focal length    : 41.0 mm
ISO speed       : 1600
Exposure mode   : Manual
Metering mode   : Spot
White balance   : Auto

As it turns out, it's actually much easier to catch and keep a cat's attention by making it mad at you. Cats, like a lot of animals, avoid direct eye contact, as they wouldn't want to challenge your authority, but piss them off enough, and they're more than willing to remind you they have fangs.

I would assume he didn't think my camera was a giant eye, nonetheless, after a quick sniff and rub to mark it as his territory, he lost interest. He wouldn't look at me for anything, and snapping your fingers, calling him, and flailing your arms wildly only entertain a cat for so long, before they decide they're bored of you and move on or go to sleep. Using food with him doesn't work so well, because my cat will do almost anything to get to food if you tease him with it.

After lots of shots, I found playing with his tail annoyed him enough to get him to glare at me. This shot was taken in between his swipes at my hand - it's hard to pull your hand away in time to beat cat reflexes and take a steady picture at the same time. Don't worry, I didn't bother him too much. It didn't get to the point where he started breathing heavy and growling at me. After a few quick shots I left him alone to go back to sleep. Besides, being at eye level mere inches from a growling cat generally leads to bad times in my experience.

If you haven't had much contact with grown cats, imagine having a 10 pound bowling ball thrown at your face. Now add claws and teeth to that bowling ball.

[Peach]

I tried doing pictures of my sister's cat yesterday, but I'm afraid after the paramedics showed up and the local fire department had come out to retrieve the cat from the roof of the house, I gave up. The doctor says the gashes to my arms and face should heal, but that I should think on getting plastic surgery to repair the parts where chunks of my skin was taken out.

Needless to say, I hate my sister's cat.






Actually, I did try to take pictures of my sister's cat yesterday, and she did attack me before my sister got ahold of her, stuck her head under the tap and then threw her outside. I hate her cat. Ironically, it's the only cat I'm not allergic to. Yes, God has a sick sense of humor sometimes.

Great thread! You should write one for dogs.

[Val1064]

Cute! I usually strike while my cat is taking a bath but she loves to have her picture taken. She kind of looks like your kitten only older.

[falafelicious]

Originally Posted by Peach

I tried doing pictures of my sister's cat yesterday, but I'm afraid after the paramedics showed up and the local fire department had come out to retrieve the cat from the roof of the house, I gave up. The doctor says the gashes to my arms and face should heal, but that I should think on getting plastic surgery to repair the parts where chunks of my skin was taken out.

Pffft. What's a little skin and flesh lost when you are face-to-bloodthirsty-fanged-face with photographic nirvana? All artists must suffer for their work. Wear your mangled limbs with pride!

[falafelicious]

Originally Posted by Major_Small

If you haven't had much contact with grown cats, imagine having a 10 pound bowling ball thrown at your face. Now add claws and teeth to that bowling ball.

Ha! Perfect.

[phtgrphybabe]

I have found that the best time to take pictures of a cat safely are when they are sleeping. my roommates have 2 cats, and they are such menaces! anyways, i sometimes get good shots of them awake, but i can get some cute ones while sleeping!

also, why don't you try declawing your cat? it would be safer for all!

[trucker]

I absolutely love this post and the pic. We have a ten month old cat now and blood is still a common thing in our house. She looks so cute you just want to pet her and love on her but that is [U]very very dangerous. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to have a social cat? We say that the house belongs to the cat we just pay the morgage. Thanks for this Post what a hoot.

[WooD]

I had a cat a few years back that acted more like a dog as far as being social. It got real old, and we had it killed thou.

Local neighborhood cat had a kitten on our back porch. My wife decided we wood keep it. First year it wasn't a very social kitten. Gotten a little mellower now thou.

[IMG][/IMG]

[Major_Small]

Originally Posted by phtgrphybabe

also, why don't you try declawing your cat? it would be safer for all!

De-clawing a cat (or any animal, for that matter) is a horrific procedure. Not only is it painful (would you like to have your fingernails ripped out?), but you're leaving your cat completely defenseless if it gets outside (or you let it outside). If you know cats, you'll know that if a claw-less cat gets outside, it's not unlikely that you'll never see it again. The more humane alternative is just to clip their nails, just like you clip your own. You can't get mauled as bad, and they can still defend themselves. And it doesn't hurt them (they still don't like it though).

Anyway, you could always just learn your cat's limits and bounds and learn to live with them, and they won't attack you. I love cats and animals, and my cat is my peer. He knows if he attacks me, the most that'll happen is he'll get chased across the house or have water thrown on his face. My father hates animals, and makes sure the cat knows not to mess with him. A few very strict glares, and making the cat move out of his way whenever he wants, and the cat knows when it comes to the two of them, my father is boss. One time my cat swatted at his leg when we first got him, and my father retaliated by scaring the bejeezus out of him - he chased him away and gave him the stare of death until the cat bowed it's head and left with it's tail between it's legs. The poor cat was so terrified it was almost panting... that was the last time he made that mistake.

[Jesta]

Hi Im new to the forums, thought Id put my first post here since I love Cats and Kittens or any small ball of joyful fluff. A good guide indeed, although Ive found to wait until they are asleep or busy doing something else before picking up my camera, you can call them, whistle or grab a newspaper and scrunch it, the noise makes them whip their head round with wide open eyes so get ready to shoot the moment you scrunch.

I say 'busy' meaning cleaning themselves, looking out the window etc, because there attention is not on you, so you can use the surprise element of noise to get them with wide eyes, more often that not a Cat will look at you with love in its eyes and start squinting. Im quite lucky as my Cat is a complete poser, and has become quite used to the clicking shutter on my camera, which annoying but rather unsurprisingly she used to leap at everytime it clicked

If you can, stroke their face a few minutes before you photograph to help remove dust from their fur and settle down again.

I dont mean to be rude especially as a newbie to the forum, but if like Peach's sisters cat it gets thrown out and water put on its head its not going to retaliate by being comfortable around you in the future. Any animal needs to be comfortable and feel safe around you if its going to let you get close enough to take a photo, otherwise its just going to bite, scratch or run to the other site of the room.

As Major_small says regards nail clipping, you wouldnt want throwing out of your home after having water thrown at you, its not the best way to gain a relationship with any person/animal. Dont chase it either or itll be scared, if it doesnt want its photograph taken, dont, it might be more sociable later or tomorrow, its not like your at the zoo where you wont have access to opportunity except on that one day. Sadly I dont, since my cat was run over a week after I took the photo below, so its my last picture of her

Heres my contribution.