22 Cat Photography Tips and Ideas for Beautiful Images

This article was updated in October 2023 with contributions from three expert photographers: Glenn Harper, Ana Mireles, and Jaymes Dempsey.

Capturing cats on camera is a bit like herding kittens – it requires patience, a keen eye, and a touch of feline understanding. You see, cats aren’t exactly known for posing on command or following your carefully crafted shot list. No, they prefer to embrace their independent nature, keeping you on your toes as they pounce, play, or simply stare you down with a look that says, “Who are you to interrupt my nap?”

Fortunately, while cat photography can be challenging, it’s a passion of mine, and over the years, I’ve developed techniques that produce beautiful results. Below, I share my favorite tips to improve your cat photography, including advice on:

• Composition
• Camera settings
• Lighting
• And more

I also offer plenty of cat photography ideas to help you get inspired!

So grab your camera and prepare to embark on a whisker-filled adventure that will leave you with an album of cat photos guaranteed to make your friends go “Awww!”

16 cat photography tips

If you’re struggling to capture outstanding images of cats, these techniques will make a huge difference.

1. For the best cat photos, be patient

First things first: When photographing cats, expect a high failure rate. Most of your shots won’t work; after all, cats don’t strike stunning poses for long periods of time!

(In my experience, they’re likely to walk up to you and sniff your lens just as you hit the shutter button.)

Instead, you must embrace the randomness and slow progress of a cat photoshoot. Enjoy watching the cat, be patient, and have your camera ready.

That way, when your cat strikes an interesting pose, you can simply fire off a few frames and get the shot.

Also, if you’re photographing a cat that lives with you (as opposed to conducting a scheduled photoshoot with a cat), then I highly recommend you always keep a camera handy, even if it’s just a phone. Cats tend to strike funny poses, especially when they’re half asleep, but you must have a camera nearby; otherwise, the cat will hear you digging around for your camera and change positions.

Similarly, if you’re outside with your cat, keep your camera at the ready for some outdoor action shots. If you need to fetch your gear from inside the house, then you may miss some great opportunities.

2. Make a shot list

One of the best cat photography ideas is to create a shot list. This will serve as a guideline when structuring your session.

You can also use a shot list to determine the materials you need before heading out to your cat photoshoot.

I recommend you include a close-up portrait on your list because it’s one of the classic shots that you can’t miss. When the cat’s face fills the frame, it becomes the most important element – no distractions. Like this:

If it’s a frontal portrait, you’ll emphasize the eyes. Here, making eye contact with the cat is key to a successful photo.

(You can also try a close-up in profile or capture a specific expression.)

3. Use sounds and toys to get the cat’s attention

As I emphasized in the previous tip, cats love to defy photographers. They’ll turn away just as you frame up your shot, they’ll lie down just as you’re ready to shoot some action, and they’ll sniff the lens right when you know you’ve found the perfect composition.

Fortunately, cats aren’t totally unpredictable. There are a few easy techniques you can use to get your cat’s attention.

First, cats are intrigued by rustling noises, so if you crunch a paper bag with one hand while keeping the camera up with the other, your cat will often look over and you’ll be able to nab a few frames.

An alternative is finger-snapping, where you snap your fingers until the cat turns to investigate. In my experience, this usually works, but only for a time – after a few moments, the cat will recognize what’s going on and get bored.

Finally, if you prefer livelier photos, consider bringing out a toy. You can shoot with one hand while moving the toy with the other, and while your keeper rate will be pretty low, you’ll certainly get shots of your cat looking engaged.

Note that all of these methods do involve one-handed shooting (unless you’re working with an assistant). You’ll need to keep your shutter speed fast enough to prevent blur, and while I discuss settings in greater depth later on, Aperture Priority is a good mode to use (as it keeps the camera in charge but relinquishes control as needed).

4. Get down on your cat’s level

This cat photography tip is a big one, and it goes hand in hand with a mistake I see all the time from beginner cat shooters.

You see, most cat (and dog) photographers, when starting out, photograph their animal from human height. And this rarely works well, for two reasons:

1. It shows the pet from so high up that the shot loses intimacy.
2. It decreases the distance between the cat and the background. The result is generally a cat surrounded by a sharp floor, as opposed to (ideally) a cat in front of a blurry wall or a blurry outdoor scene.

Instead, it’s important to get down on your cat’s level. Look them in the eye with the camera. This type of photo – where you are part of the cat’s world, not the other way around – tends to have more impact and better show off the animal’s personality.

If you struggle to get down in such low positions, consider using a camera with a tilting or fully articulating screen. That way, you can compose eye-level shots while remaining comfortably above your camera.

And by the way, you don’t always need to get on the ground for a good result. What’s important is that you stay on a level with the cat, which means that you can capture climbing shots from a standing height:

5. Follow your cat

Unless you’re doing a studio portrait session, it’s important to let the cat be a cat. In other words, let the cat run to chase a shadow, let it get bored and want to change settings, etc.

Don’t try to impose your own schedule for the entire photoshoot. Instead, follow the cat’s lead for a while.

A lot of great pictures can happen when cats are minding their own business, so just have your camera ready for some amazing candid photos!

6. Carefully position the cat in the frame

A good composition is key in any type of photography, including cat photography. The way you frame your picture and how you position the cat (and other elements) can completely change the photo.

Using composition, you’re telling the viewer what’s most important in the picture. Also, careful use of composition is a good way to develop a personal style.

There are many rules that serve as guidelines for composition. For instance, if you like the idea of dividing your image into segments, you can follow the rule of thirds or the golden grid.

Otherwise, you can use shapes, such as the golden triangle, to arrange elements in your cat photos. Color and texture will help you maintain balance.

Learn the most important rules to improve your cat photography, but don’t be afraid to break them every once in a while.

7. Frame your subject for the best compositions

Speaking of composition: in cat photography, it pays to emphasize your main subject as much as possible.

And one easy way to do this is by framing your cat with other compositional elements.

For instance, you can shoot through long grass, shrubs, or tree foliage, which will give the cat a nice, natural frame:

Or you can shoot through human-made objects, such as chair legs, banister railings, towel cupboards, and even windows. It’s a fun technique, and one that comes with endless variations; the key is to get creative!

You should also experiment with different apertures as you work. For instance, a wide aperture – such as f/2.8 – is great for creating a blurry foreground frame, which works great when handling more natural elements (like leaves). Whereas a narrow aperture – f/8, for example – will keep the foreground frame sharp and create a completely different effect.

(The more you test your different camera settings, the more familiar you’ll get – and the more your creative horizons will expand!)

8. Choose the right backgrounds

When it comes to capturing stunning cat photos, the background plays a major role. You don’t want it to steal the spotlight or distract from your feline subject. Instead, you want a background that complements and enhances the overall composition of the image.

First off, simplicity is key. A background that’s too busy or cluttered can take away from the main focus of your photo: the adorable cat in front of your lens. Consider opting for a clean and uniform background, like a simple white or black wall. This minimalist approach can help draw attention to your cat’s charming features and personality.

However, don’t be afraid to get a little creative with your backgrounds. Experiment with different textured surfaces, vibrant patterns, or even natural elements like flowers or foliage. Just make sure that the background doesn’t overpower your furry model. Remember, it’s all about finding the right balance.

When choosing a background, also consider the mood and theme you want to convey. Is it a playful and lively shot? Then perhaps a bright and colorful background would work best. Are you aiming for a more serene and intimate feel? In that case, a muted or neutral background might be the way to go. In other words, the background should support the overall story you want your photograph to tell.

9. Nail focus on the eyes

Pet photos must include sharp eyes. This is true of cat photos, dog photos, bird photos, and even wildlife photos, because without sharp eyes, the whole image will feel off-kilter.

Unfortunately, keeping the eye in focus can be tough, especially if you’re shooting up close or your cat is very active. Here are a few simple tips:

• If your camera has Animal Eye AF, test it out and see whether you like the result.
• If your cat tends to be active for a few moments before becoming motionless, then consider using your camera’s AF-S mode. Wait until the cat is still, use a single AF point to lock focus on the eyes, then recompose and take your shot.
• If all else fails, switch over to manual focusing. It might seem unwieldy, but if you can learn to accurately focus manually, you’ll easily increase your keeper rate.

By the way, if you’re struggling to get an eye in focus, feel free to narrow the aperture (assuming you have sufficient light). Narrowing the aperture will increase the depth of field so that a larger portion of the image is sharp, which will in turn give greater leeway when focusing on the cat.

And one more thing: If you’re taking a cat photo from an angle, aim to keep the nearest eye in focus, as it looks unnatural to feature a blurry near eye and a sharp far eye. Whereas if you’re photographing the cat from the front, as I did in the photo below, make sure that both eyes are tack sharp:

10. Try shooting during the golden hours

If you want to elevate your feline photography game, you’ve got to take advantage of the golden hours, that magical time right after sunrise and just before sunset when the light turns warm and enchanting.

During the golden hours, the light is softer and more flattering, creating a dreamy atmosphere. It’s your chance to capture mesmerizing shots that combine a beautiful subject with breathtaking light, so I encourage you to time your photoshoots to coincide with these times as often as possible.

A piece of advice: Don’t just settle for one type of shot and call it a day. Try shooting with the light directly hitting the front of your cat, showcasing its every adorable detail. Then play with sidelight, allowing the sun to create beautiful shadows and highlight the contours of your feline model.

Finally, test out some backlighting approaches. You might even try to capture a silhouette or two! (To achieve this effect, deliberately expose for the bright sky and let the cat turn dark.)

11. Try an off-camera flash for the best lighting effects

Most beginner cat photographers shoot in natural light, and that’s completely fine. In fact, natural light – as discussed in the previous tip – can look incredible in cat shots.

But if you want to increase your flexibility as a cat photographer, I do recommend you learn how to use flash; it’ll let you take photos even when the light is low or isn’t cooperating, and the more flexible your approach, the better, right?

To get started with flash, I encourage you to purchase an adjustable speedlight. You can mount this to your camera or use it off-camera on a lighting stand, which makes for a versatile shooting setup. Plus, a speedlight lets you avoid the dreaded red-eye effect (just make sure you’re not shooting directly into the eyes of the cat but are instead working from an angle).

Once you get a speedlight, add a small softbox or diffuser, which will soften the light to avoid harsh shadows and that unpleasant deer-in-the-headlights look.

Then just play around with different angles and approaches. You might try to bounce the flash off walls to create interesting sidelighting, or you might mount the flash on a stand at a 45-degree angle to create a dramatic effect.

Of course, you’ll need to pay careful attention to the compositions of your photos, and good lighting doesn’t necessarily guarantee great shots – but if you can master flash cat photography, then you’ll be miles ahead of the game.

12. Use plenty of focal lengths for a variety of shots

You can shoot cats with a single prime lens – but if you want to capture a variety of photos that really tell a story, then I highly recommend you work with multiple focal lengths.

Here, a handful of primes is a decent option, though a zoom – such as a 70-200mm lens – will give you lots of flexibility and won’t need to be swapped on and off your camera over the course of the photoshoot.

Personally, I’m a fan of portrait-type lenses in the 85mm to 130mm focal-length range for cat photos, as these lenses let you shoot without getting in the cat’s face, while also allowing you to get reasonably close (which is important if you plan to photograph indoors).

A good beginner cat photography lens is a macro option, like a Canon 100mm f/2.8 or a Nikon 105mm f/2.8. You can use it to capture beautiful portraits, then you can move in for some close-ups of the eyes and paws:

I’d also encourage you to invest in a wider lens, such as a 24-70mm zoom or a 35mm prime; a wide-angle lens is great for grabbing full-body and environmental shots of your cat, and while it probably won’t see as much use as a short telephoto lens, it’ll still be nice to have around.

You can also photograph a cat with a smartphone camera. No, it won’t offer the same level of image quality or settings flexibility as a dedicated DSLR or mirrorless body, but it’s an easy way to get started with the equipment you have. Use your wide-angle lens to get environmental cat shots, and use the telephoto lens for headshots and standard portraits.

13. Use the right cat photography settings

You can do cat photography with your camera set to Auto mode, but you’re bound to get frustrated pretty quickly. Auto mode doesn’t let you adjust exposure variables, which means that you’ll be unable to control the shutter speed (which affects sharpness), the aperture (which affects depth of field), and the ISO (which affects noise levels).

Instead, most cameras offer several better options.

First, you might try Aperture Priority mode, which allows you to set the ISO and aperture while your camera selects the shutter speed. I generally recommend you set the ISO to its lowest value, then select the aperture for the depth of field effect you’re after (remember, a wide aperture, such as f/2.8, will limit depth of field to create a very blurry background, while a narrow aperture, such as f/8, will increase depth of field to keep everything sharp). If your camera sets a too-slow shutter speed, you can always increase the ISO or widen the aperture further (this, in turn, will force the camera to increase the shutter speed).

If you’re already familiar with basic camera settings or you want to dive straight into the deep end, then you can try shooting in Manual mode. Here, you pick your shutter speed, aperture, and ISO; the goal is to choose the three settings so your exposure bar (generally present in the camera viewfinder) is balanced.

I think Manual mode is good for slower-paced photoshoots with consistent lighting, whereas Aperture Priority mode does well when the cat is moving and/or the light is changing rapidly. Both options are great, however, so I suggest you pick one, start learning, and stick with it!

14. Use burst mode and a fast shutter speed

If you want to capture those split-second moments of your feline friend in action, I recommend you unleash the power of burst mode and dial in a fast shutter speed. These settings will ensure you don’t miss stunning shots while your cat is on the move.

Burst mode, also known as continuous shooting mode, is your best friend when it comes to capturing those dynamic images. Once you activate burst mode on your camera, you can simply hold down the shutter button; your camera will then fire off a series of shots in quick succession. That way, you can capture moments that move faster than your shutter finger – for instance, you can capture your cat’s acrobatics mid-air or their lightning-fast sprint across the room.

Note, however, that just shooting in burst mode alone isn’t enough. You also need to pair it with a fast shutter speed to avoid any blurriness in your action shots. A minimum shutter speed of 1/500s is a good starting point, but you may need to increase it further depending on how speedy your feline companion is.

I’m not saying that you should use burst mode for the entire session; this will result in an enormous amount of pictures to cull and edit. If you’re photographing a slower-paced scene, such as a cat sitting or sleeping, you can dial down the shutter speed.

However, if you’re looking to capture the action, make sure to keep burst mode activated and the shutter speed cranked up!

15. Pay attention to tones and exposure

Your camera meter evaluates the proper exposure (i.e., brightness) for each scene, and while it generally does a good job, it tends to struggle when faced with very bright or very dark cats.

You see, your camera’s meter believes that all scenes should average out to a nice middle gray. So if you meter off a white cat, the meter will often underexpose the scene (i.e., it’ll try to take a white cat and turn it gray). And if you meter off a black cat, the meter will often overexpose the scene (i.e., it’ll take the black cat and try to turn it gray).

Neither of these results looks very nice; the white cat will seem murky gray, while the black cat will lose its beautiful luster.

So what do you do?

That depends on your camera’s shooting mode. If you’re using Aperture Priority mode, you can dial in positive exposure compensation to brighten a white cat, and you can dial in negative exposure compensation to darken a black cat. (Many cameras include a dedicated exposure compensation button; check your camera manual if you’re not sure how this works!)

If you’re using Manual mode, however, you’ll need to make the relevant adjustments to your shutter speed, aperture, or ISO. Slow down the shutter speed, widen the aperture, or increase the ISO to brighten up a white cat; increase the shutter speed, narrow the aperture, or lower the ISO to darken a black cat. Make sense?

16. Have some fun with editing

Many beginners don’t edit their photos, but in my view, adding final touches to your cat photos can make a massive difference. Even the best shots can use a bit of processing to make them truly stand out.

Start off with basic edits in your favorite post-processing program. Adjust the white balance to ensure the colors look natural and true to life. Tweak the exposure to bring out the right amount of brightness and contrast. Sharpen up those details to make the fur look oh-so-crisp.

As you gain more experience, don’t be afraid to get a little more adventurous with your editing. Add a subtle vignette to help highlight your cat as the star of the show. Experiment with color grading to infuse your photos with mood and emotion.

Remember, there’s no right or wrong way to edit your cat photos. It’s all about finding your own style and experimenting with different techniques. Play around with the sliders and see what kind of effects you can produce. When you stumble upon an editing look you love, make a mental note – or create a preset – so you can recreate it in the future.

6 cat photography ideas for inspiration

In this section, I share a few quick ideas to get you inspired when capturing photos of your feline friend:

1. Photograph the details

Our adorable furry friends have adorable furry parts. Most of us cat lovers can’t get enough of their paws, ears, or noses.

So if they’re so cute, why not photograph them? It’s also a good way to give the cat a break from the photoshoot. While the cat is off resting or has some water, you can take detail photos since you don’t need the cat’s undivided attention.

2. Play peekaboo

Cats are curious and playful by nature, so use your creativity to make the most out of these personality traits.

I’ve found that playing peekaboo with a cat leads to great photo opportunities. This is because when the cat is hiding behind something, you can introduce a foreground element to make a creative composition.

(This effect is known as a frame within a frame.)

3. Try black-and-white cat photography

Going black and white allows the viewer to see things differently from everyday life. That way you can give your photo a creative atmosphere.

Many people do associate black and white with fine art photography – but most clients will appreciate having a few shots in grayscale, regardless.

4. Photograph the cat from above

They say that the eyes are the window to the soul, and this is true for cats as well as people! When you photograph a cat from above, you can catch them looking up at you (which emphasizes their eyes).

You can also use this type of shot to show much of a cat’s personality and mood. Look at the examples above. On the left side, I took a snapshot of the cat that was living at a holiday rental house I visited with my husband (the cat didn’t know us, and we were in his territory).

On the right side is Bianca, a sweet cat that I’d been photographing for over an hour. That was her look when we took a coffee break.

(As you can see, the two cats’ expressions are quite different!)

5. Play with the depth of field

Depending on your camera settings and lens, you can create two distinct effects: deep depth of field and shallow depth of field. They both have their own charm and can completely transform the mood and impact of your images.

Imagine a photo where everything, from the background to the foreground, is crystal clear. That’s deep depth of field. It’s perfect for highlighting the environment your cat is in, so if you want to showcase your cat surrounded by a picturesque garden or cozy living room, it’s the way to go. (To achieve this effect, start with a narrow aperture like f/8 and use a wide-angle lens.)

On the other hand, shallow depth of field is all about isolating your feline friend and making them the star of the show. With this technique, only a small part of the scene will be in focus, leaving the rest gently blurred. (To achieve this effect, use a wider aperture like f/2.8, opt for a longer lens, and get closer to your subject.)

By working with different depths of field, you can evoke different emotions and tell unique stories. And because there’s no right approach, I’d encourage you to always take the time to experiment and find what works best for each situation

6. Take some dramatic shots with hard lighting

In photography, there are two different types of light: soft and hard.

Soft light evenly illuminates the scene. If it creates shadows, they are not defined or intense. (Soft light is very flattering for portraits.)

Hard light, on the other hand, creates high-contrast scenes with strong shadows. This type of light adds drama to an image, which is what I recommend you try!

Note that hard light can be created naturally or artificially. For instance, when you’re working outdoors in bright sunlight, you’ll naturally get hard light. You can also create hard light in a studio by using a speedlight or a strobe without modifiers.

Cat photography tips and ideas: final words

And there you have it, my fellow cat photographers! We’ve journeyed through the enchanting world of cat photography, armed with our cameras and a steadfast determination to capture the essence of these captivating creatures.

Remember, when it comes to photographing cats, patience is your greatest ally. You may need to spend long moments lying in wait – only to pounce on that split-second action, freeze-frame their inquisitive gazes, or capture the sheer elegance of their movements.

So embrace the challenge, savor the unexpected moments, and revel in the delightful chaos that comes with photographing these mesmerizing creatures. Happy snapping!

Now over to you:

Which of these cat photography ideas and tips do you plan to use in your own feline photography? Do you have any favorite techniques of your own? Share your thoughts in the comments below!