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

Yellowstone National Park

Last month, I headed out with family to Yellowstone National Park for a week long vacation. I had never been to Yellowstone (that I could remember at least because there is a photo of me as a child in front of a geyser, so who knows?)

Now, I have often frequented the closest national park to me, Yosemite, and it has a special place in my heart. So naturally, I ended up comparing the two parks as I travelled along Yellowstone despite knowing they are different in nature.

First, I must say that Yellowstone and Yosemite are two very different national parks with two very different "personalities". Where Yosemite is just GRAND on a Paul Bunyan scale, Yellowstone is grand just in the terms of *vastness* and differing types of landscape.

Yellowstone, itselt, covers several million acres and parts of two states, and in order to see most of it, you *have* to travel by car or motorcycle, especially if you were to try to see all of it in one week. There's just so much there, that unless you were to spend more than a few weeks/months or made Yellowstone your annual two week vacation for a lifetime, you can't even make a dent in seeing it. Spending a week here gave the smallest taste (a sampler platter if you will) of what this park has to offer for a visitor. (We're already making plans to return to see parts of Yellowstone in much more detail.)

Because of the sheer size of Yellowstone, there are different 'landscapes' ranging from plains to mountainous regions and the transition zones in between. I didn't quite understand the scope of size, until we drove from the mountainous region to Lamar Valley, which is dubbed the "Sereghetti of North America". Once upon a time a few million buffalo roamed the plains of Yellowstone, and upon seeing Lamar Valley for the first time, I could understand why.

This plain was so vast, that the buffalo were mere black dots in the distance. There were several herds grazing, and I counted at least 100 members in each herd, and there was AMPLE space between each of the herds.

Of course, Lamar Valley isn't the only place to see wildlife in their native habitat. Buffalo and elk are the most commonly seen from the road, and there are plenty of "buffalo jams" as tourists gawk at the buffalos and rubberneck, or the buffalo decide the road is a great place to stand for a while.

Other wildlife are a bit harder to see, unless you're lucky or travelling in the back country. Wildlife range from moose, to coyote, to bears (both black and grizzly), to wolves, to foxes, to prong horns, to big horn sheep, and many more. I had the luck to observe coyotes, bears, prong horns, sheep, and wolves. Unfortunately, some weren't obliged to pose for me (or it was too dark to use the camera effectively at a distance.

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About 10 or so years ago, a huge forest fire raged across Yellowstone, burning acres and acres of forest. However, now, there is a lot of new tree growth. A lot of very young pine trees are making the start of a very impressive forest. You see a lot of the old growth, charred and burned. There's a lot of ash on the ground in many areas. And, you see a juxtaposition of dead tree trunks and those young pines growing up around the dead trunks. In less than 10 years, this place will look a lot different than it does now; the trees I saw are going to be a lot taller and a lot more mature.


The forests of Yellowstone aren't the only ones undergoing change. As I discovered, Yellowstone is one big caldera. Consequently, the geo-thermal activity in Yellowstone is quite active. From geysers to hot pools, Yellowstone is a changing landscape. Geyers that erupted for years, might turn around and remain quiet. Geo-thermal areas that didn't exist 50 years ago, exist now. A section of the forest might die off if a new thermal area springs up, as the hot water and calcium/minerals slowly kill off the trees.

Insofar as the geysers, just watching one erupt is simply amazing. And, there's no lack of geysers. The Lower and Upper Geyser Basin is wrought with geysers. In the Upper Geyser Basin, there are at least 12 geysers, including....

Old Faithful

In addition to the geysers, there are a numerous hot springs that dot the landscape. The hues of these pools match the colors of a rainbow, as well as cook any living being within 5 minutes (temperaturs can range upwards of 200 deg F). However, algae and bacteria live in the differing temperatures of the pools, and giving each pool its breathaking colors.



Without a doubt, Yellowstone is probably one of the most scenic, beautiful, and grand places within the United States. A place worth visiting repeatedly and seeing in more detail.

We've already made plans to return.

Picture of the Day: Geyser Clouds

Yellowstone National Park

From afar, it looks like this geyser is filling the sky with its steam

Picture of the Day: Sapling

A majority of the forest in Yellowstone burned during a forest fire that occurred 10+ years ago. A lot of the pine cones then released their seeds and a new crop of trees are growing. Consequently, there are a lot of young trees 5-10 years in age that are growing around the now dead, but still standing, coprses of their forefathers.

You Never Know When You Need a Camera

You never really know when you're going to need your camera, because something could happen at any given moment, or when the most perfect picture opportunity is going to happen.

Sometimes, I don't like carrying my camera around, because there are times when it becomes a hassle to bring it with me.

But then there are moments, that I'm glad I have it, because people wouldn't believe me unless they saw it for themselves.

Take for instance this little gem that I saw while we were driving down the road, and I was glad my camera bag was at my feet instead of in the trunk. I was tickled pink to see a Tiki Van. I have a friend who is very much into the Tiki, and I knew she would enjoy seeing this...


(The little Tiki God Eyes Light up when it breaks or for a turn)

I directed the driver to pull alongside, because I wanted to see the side of the vehicle. I wasn't disappointed.



The sea shell hubcabs were just absolutely priceless. And so were getting these photos. They aren't 'perfectly photogenic', but at least I had proof as to what I had seen.

It makes me glad I bring my camera with me almost everywhere I go....

Picture of the Day: Sillohette

Sillohette on the Sill