Two photographers I admire have each established a niche within the pet photography market - which is a niche market in itself - by taking completely opposite approaches to their chosen subject: cats. Cats are not the most cooperative of subjects; self-sufficient, beautiful, each a character with distinctive traits and attitudes and prone to be doing something really interesting up until the very moment you are about to press the shutter button...which is when they turn their backs and offer you their disdainful view of human kind!
Don Lewis and Helmi Flick have not only found solutions to the unique problems felines present, but they share their diverse approaches to cats portraiture in quite engaging ways. This Intel draws on their work to complement my own approach to pet photography, and in no way should any shortcomings be attributed to either of these fine photographer: errors and omissions are my responsibility. Having read these notes, I encourage you to go to the source: Helmi Flick’s web site is www.helmiflick.com. Don Lewis can be found at www.photographytips.com/page.cfm/5209 and his book ‘On Photographing Cats” (2002) should be on your reading list.
Make sure you look at both: their ideas are different. Not because they disagree, but because Helmi has developed a style of cat photography based around a “stage” on which her subjects are photographed in a controlled environment, while Don’s typical work is more akin to candid photography, catching his subjects in their natural environment.
When lens focal lengths are mentioned, I tend to use the 35mm equivalent. For most digital SLRs, take off 1/3 to get the approximate equivalent: thus, a 60mm lens on a dSLR is similar in coverage to a 90mm lens on a full frame 35mm camera.
Apart from questions of temperament, domestic cats present the photographer with a number of problems.They are not large creatures, and their coats can reflect or absorb light in ways that light meters were not designed to cope with. Although you may not want a really long lens, a short telephoto (85mm-135mm) will be useful; in fact, many times a patient, lazy or drowsy cat will allow you close enough for a standard (45mm-55mm) lens to do the job. You will seldom want anything wider, unless you are trying to present a cat’s eye view of the world.
In a “studio” like Helmi Flick’s a tripod is a great asset. With a tripod and a remote in hand, you are free to interact with your subject, move around the stage, catch their attention and so on. Since kitty is constrained to the area of your mini-studio, you can be sure that whenever you press the shutter release in your hand, the subject will be in shot and in focus, whether you are using auto focus or have the focus preset to the area in which the cat has been placed, provided your depth of field is adequate. An aperture of f8 or smaller should take care of this.
In more natural settings, cats seem to delight in catching you out with unexpected, sudden and rapid movements and your tripod might not seem more of a hindrance than a help. But, according to Don Lewis, there will be times when a tripod should be used: cats spend a lot of time or gazing out the window, or patiently stalking their prey, giving you plenty of time to set up a shot. I vividly recall a full hour spent watching (and photographing) a lone lioness ever so patiently stalking a gazelle in Africa... not a domestic situation, I grant; but it seems a cat’s a cat, however large!
In Hemi’s studio it is entirely feasible to set up traditional lighting: keylight, fill light, background light, and accent lights (she offers a detailed diagram on-line) - she is also very particular about backdrops, asking her clients (the owners, not the cats!) to advise her in advance about the colours that they prefer in the shoot. Even so, you can't count on a cat to be cooperative; many people claim this utter unpredictability is part of the cat’s charm: I am not so sure about that, but you certainly have to work within the limits the cat will allow.
Do not be surprised (or upset, which is harder) when the cat that sat patiently while you set up just walks off as soon as you are ready, and refuses to cooperate for the rest of the day!. The only solution is to get everything set up and ready to go before the subject ever arrives on the set.
A significant part of successful felinography is to anticipate your subject’s movements. A cat stretching out with the weight on his front legs is probably about to rock back onto his rear legs and paws: of course, being a cat, he might just drop onto his belly, or arch his back, or yawn... if this is a cat you know well, you have a good chance of anticipating its next move. If not ask the cat’s owners which “poses” they hope to capture, and when their cat is likely to “perform” those actions. Cat owners are fully aware of the clever, photogenic things their cat can do,
Should you use flash? If you bounce the light (whether from an umbrella, ceiling or wall you will probably need an additional two stops exposure - it’s that light-absorbing coat. If you do use artificial light — electronic flash, floodlights, etc. — be careful of “green eye.” Light reflecting from the cat's retina can make a docile tabby look like hellspawn! Of course, if that is what you want to achieve.....Otherwise, move your light source well away axis of the lens. The longer your lens and the closer the light to the camera, the more often this will be a problem. And while it is usually easy enough to correct in the computer, avoiding it is better.
Cats epitomise elegance: you don’t really need much in the way of accessories to embellish their portraits, but interesting surroundings, toys, people and other animals can add variety to your shoots, provided that these ‘extras’ are not allowed to dominate the photo. Not that a true cat would tolerate such a thing! The cat is going to do only what it wants to do, and use those extras as it wants too: still, if you have been around cats long enough to have acquired some of their legendary patience and reflexes, you just may catch that brief moment when the cat’s pose or behaviour actually matches your vision for the shot.
Photographing kittens adds another level of difficulty the business of photographing cats. Mine seem to insist on walking up to the camera for the sole purpose of putting a nose-[print on the lens! They are obviously happiest when there is a set-up to demolish, backgrounds to sharpen claws on and toys or flowers to demolish. Annd just when you finally get the set repaired, they run away. Maybe you will be lucky, and the pictures of tyhe destruction in process will be fun!
A tip from Hemi’s website: use wet QTips and cosmetic pads to clean up noses & eyes for "formal" shoots. The wonderful professional results she achieves might discourage lesser photographers wanting “formal” cat portraits. However, when you learn that her props are homemade or found at garage sales and the like, painted up and tricked out with flowers, lace, ribbons, and pearls, you might be encouraged instead.
Accept that cats work according to nobody’s schedule but their own and are completely unmoved by the time pressures we think are so important. Understand this, and you are well on the way to being accepted in turn by cats as entitled (or at least, tollerated) as fit to document their lives.
Most of the time cats do one of just four things: Eat, Sleep, Groom, and Play. Nothing else will quite fit into their hectic schedules, and as a photographer, you just have to work around your cat's busy schedule. That often means trying to work in the cat’s own world. According to Don Lewis there is something engaging and dramatic in seeing a cat in the natural setting which seem to emphasise the cat's photogenic qualities.
When photographing cats outdoors, Don recommends flash to supplement the existing light usually bounced off a large reflector. The key to a successful photograph lies in obtaining a subtle balance between natural and artificial light.
Does winter mean no more “natural” photos? No, it just means bringing the outdoors inside! Rocks and potted plants can be used to create the appearance of natural settings.
Whether in the yard or the studio, bells, balls of yarn, and other devices for catching the cat’s attention and perhaps getting it to adopt a particular pose are almost as important as the camera (I did say ‘almost’), and even if you have the benefit of a remote release, an assistant to distract and entertain your subject while you take the pictures is a great asset.
