Cats, Cats, & More Cats

Everyone always seems to poo-poo yet another cat or dog photo on many of the photography forums. And granted, there are a lot of photos of people's cat, dog, and children on many of the photography forums.

And I can understand that people often get 'sick' of seeing that many cute (or in some cases, not-so-cute) dogs, cats, and kids. But I have to say, they provide readily-available subject matter in which to hone your skills.

Personally, I have more cat photos than I can count taking up storage space on my computer as well as in the traditional photo box (prior to moving to digital), but they have proven useful in helping to understand a little bit more about light and fur textures.



When I first started photographing my cats, my filter had plenty of nose smudges from the cats curious about the camera. Now, they just don't even blink an eye when I place it in front of them when they are looking especially cute and cuddly.

Of course, cats aren't the most obliging of all species. There's often the 'turning' of the head, or the shifting of the body so that there's unwanted motion or an unwanted angle. Luckily, telephoto lenses help as I can capture them unsuspecting a bit farther away.



Now every cat, dog, or kid owner thinks that their little ones are the most adorable species on the planet. And, there's no shortage of owners of those cat, dog, or kid photos, asking, "Isn't s/he/it cute?!?"

As much of a cat-lover as I am, I, personally, can only stand looking at those photos for a short amount of time. I can only look at so many cute kittens, puppies, cats, and dogs before I just have to walk away lest I be assimilated into The Cuteness.

And while there are some pretty decent shots out there of cats/dogs/kids, unfortunately, there are just as many, if not more, photos which aren't so good, and some are just downright bad (bad composition, bad lighting, bad background, etc). But, it's a learning experience right? Keep photographing your subject and eventually you'll get better at it. (That's the theory anyways)

It takes a really good photographer to capture one of these creatures in such a way that is universally "awww"-inspiring, esp, when the studio is a bedroom, a rumpled pet bed.

Personally, I haven't gotten the 'money-shot' of my cats yet either (if I happen to get the money-shot, so much the better), but then again, I'm not necessarily doing it for that money-shot, but rather for my personal viewing enjoyment and learning.

If I can use them to help further my photography knowledge, so much the better. And if I can capture my own personalized images of the cats, even better still. Because kittens turn into cats, puppies turn into dogs, and babies grow up to be teenagers; that cuteness phase doesn't last long.

And aren't photographs a means of capturing a moment in time, a memory, and as a way of preserving what is so fragile and delicate for a future time?

So, I say, continue photographing your cats, dogs, and/or kids, and foist them onto the world. I don't have to read every thread out there showing off these prized photographs to the world. I can sit here and take my own.

So, in parting, I have to ask...aren't my cats cute?!? ;-P