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Vickie
Holt's Photo tips
My tips
for the beginner volunteer shelter
photographers for cats |
In most shelters, adult cats are either kept in cages, or they may be
lucky enough to be kept in an open room, to roam with other cats. At Angels of
Assisi, there are three such rooms, and we call them “Colony Rooms”. These
rooms are filled with things to climb, things to lie on, things to play with and
places to hide away. The methods used in photographing adult cats in an animal
shelter will vary, depending on how they are being kept.
 When
opening the door of a cage, the cat will do one of two things: either he will
stay put (this is most likely with cats that are still frightened or unsure of
their surroundings) or he will surge forward. This may be due to a desire for
affection, or it may simply be a bid for escape. Either way, you must first
decide the cat’s temperament and willingness to cooperate. If you find it to be
a cooperative cat (meaning one that is willing to be handled and stay still for
a bit) you can actually try using the kitten studio. Because a cat is larger
than a kitten, however, there will be some adult-cat-specific handling
techniques. First, you will need to get the cat to lie down. A standing or
sitting cat cannot be photographed in the kitten studio simply because his head
will be poking up above the rim, and you wouldn’t be able to get a clean shot
against the interior background. Now, I have stumbled upon a secret to getting
a cat to lie down, and you’ll find it works on
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maybe 75% of the cats out there. With the cat standing in the bin,
place your left hand over his shoulders so that your fingers are
hanging down one side and your thumb is hanging down the other
side. There is no need to apply pressure to this grip, and it’s
important to not let this become a scruffing gesture. With your
hand cupped over the shoulders, gently rock the cat back and forth
while applying gentle pressure downward. Many cats will lie right
down, but as soon as you remove your hand, they will stand again.
So, once your cat is down, move your hand from the shoulders to the
back hips in a rubbing motion, and keep gentle pressure on the back
hips, as I suggested in the kitten tips. With the cat lying down
and staying put due to your hand placement, you can rest the camera
on the rim of the tub, portrait orientation, and get your shot of
the cat’s shoulders and head. The get them to look at you for the
shot, you may try clicking your tongue, or have someone near you
scratch the back of you lights or crackle a candy wrapper near your
face. Get the shot quickly. Though the cat may be |
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perfectly willing to lie down for you, it doesn’t mean he’s willing to
do it for any kind of duration. It is very rare to encounter an
adult cat that will lie down willingly in the studio without having
to handle them. If the cat is particularly resistant to this
handling, abandon the kitten studio and use a different method to
photograph them. Handling a cat excessively against its will can
result in even a friendly cat becoming so upset that either you or
he or both could be injured.
If you find that your caged cat is not a candidate for the kitten
studio, you must then photograph them in the cage. Putting a caged
cat in any other situation will not work for you because the pent up
energy will keep the cat on the move. There are two types of cages
you may find in a shelter. First is the one with wire bars all the
way around. Second is the type that only has bars on the front
door, and all other sides of the interior are solid stainless
steel. For either one, open the door to get the shot. Cage bars in
the foreground of the shot are unattractive and it hinders a clear
visual of the animal. Not to mention, it plays havoc with a
camera’s auto focus!
 That
being said, if the cage is the type with wire all the way around,
try using the kitten studio first. Wire bars in the foreground are
really unattractive, but having them in the background makes the
image cluttered, breaking up the image in a way that doesn’t allow
the eye to immediately identify the shape and features of the
animal. The cat will not “stand out”.
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you have no other choice, then here are a few tips to follow: Take
one of your shop lights and clamp it to a surface at the front of
the cage that will allow you to shine the light into the interior
from a position toward the top. This will illuminate the cat and
the cage interior nicely, but will also illuminate everything that
can be seen through the bars. If possible, angle your shot for the
least amount of clutter possible. Another tip is to zoom in on the
cat’s face and body. If the frame is filled with the cat, the
unattractive surroundings will be minimized. If the cat comes
forward instead of staying at a good distance for lighting and
focus, try blowing sharply in the cat’s face. |
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| Many will be
offended and will back off to be still. For a few, however, it will
cause them to panic. Be cautious.
*Note:
Rocky was not only in a wire cage, but he was lying in his litter
box. Filling the frame with Rocky himself eliminated much of those
elements. |
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If
your cat’s cage is the type with solid, stainless steel walls,
however, your job will be much easier. It’s just as good as the
kitten studio. Clamping the light to the exterior and shining it
inwards will cause the light to reflect off of all surfaces evenly,
lighting the cat perfectly from all sides. Your only worry will be
keeping the cat inside the cage and far back enough for lighting and
focus. For this, you can sometimes just physically push the cat
backward. After several repetitions of this, most cats will get the
idea and stay back long enough for a shot. Blowing sharply in the
face can also work. Getting them to look at you for the shot
requires nothing more than |
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the standard clicking of the tongue, scratching the light or
crackling a candy wrapper. You will want to angle and zoom in on
your shot to minimize the less attractive aspects of the cage
interior, such as litter pans, bedding and food/water bowls.
Otherwise, the smooth, stainless steel makes a beautiful
background.
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will be a minimal few cats that may seem impossible to photograph.
Left in the cage, they will surge forward, undeterred by any amount
of pushing or blows in the face. In the studio, they will struggle
and fight to remain standing. These cats are the ones who really
want to be on the go and are often starved for affection. The best
advice I can give for these cats is that your picture will not be
among your best efforts. Just be creative and do the best you can!
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And finally, you may encounter free roaming cats in rooms such
as Angels of Assisi’s Colony Rooms. These will actually be the
easiest cats to photograph. You may not think so, considering
they are in a room that allows them to move around and be more
active than a cage or a kitten studio. The fact is, the cat has
been in that room awhile, and has had ample time to investigate
his surroundings. For the most part, colony room cats can be
found lounging around the place, being still and surveying the
landscape. All you have to do is enter the room, wait for all
the affection seekers to get their fix then most of |
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will return to a favorite perch to sit or sprawl and look at
you with interest. It is in the natural behavior of a cat
to look at what it finds interesting, and after having
become completely familiar with the interior of the room,
the only new and interesting thing on which to focus is
you. Be sure to go in alone. Extra helpers will only
distract the cat’s attention away from you. If it is only
you and the cat, the |
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expression in the photograph will often reflect that
personal connection, which will then translate to anyone
viewing the photograph. Be sure to not use string or
toys. Just as with kittens, this will only stimulate a
cat and make him more difficult to photograph. The
biggest concerns you will have with photographing cats
in a free-roam room is lighting and background. If
you’re lucky, the walls will be painted with a solid
color that is conducive to being an effective
background. Beige, white and cream walls will be the
worst, and will look institutional in your
photographs. Warm colors, like the ones found in
sunsets often work best. Bright, primary colors like
red, green, purple, blue, pink and yellow should be
avoided. They overwhelm the photograph and you may have
trouble with color balancing. Also avoid using the
floor as your background. It will not be attractive.
If you need to, pick the cat up and place them
elsewhere. You will need to use your own judgment with
angle and zoom so as to capture the kitty against the
most attractive settings the room has to offer. |
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lighting, if you have a high-end SLR with a bounce flash, you can
use the flash aimed at the ceiling, |
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directly at the cat. |
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If
you do not have a |
| bounce flash,
bring in your |
shop light. You can |
| become a
practiced |
hand at holding the light |
| with one hand
and |
working the camera with |
| the
other. Sometimes, you |
can
even position the |
| clamp-arms in
the palm of |
your left hand and grip |
| the left side
of the camera |
with your fingers for |
| balance and
steadiness. |
This places the shop light |
| bowl in the
position of |
a
normal flash, so no harm |
| done. The cats
will love |
playing with the cord, |
| and you
will have a good |
light source. In a room, |
however,
your light beam may cause shadows of the cat against the wall.
Shadows are unattractive. You will have the ability, however,
to move the light around until you’ve found a position that
doesn’t cause a shadow – which is something you cannot do with a
forward flash. Once you’ve found that position, go ahead and
get your shot. Do not rely on the room’s lighting. It will
often be florescent and insufficient. Also never use a forward
flash. It creates eye-shine, ugly shadows, and animals just
don’t like being flashed in the face any more than people do. A
forward flash will result in an uncooperative cat. However,
they all seem to positively love the shop light. In fact, I
have more than a few
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photographs of cats with their faces directly in the
light, trying to sniff and |
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nuzzle it! You may find yourself pulling many faces
away from your shop |
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light.
And the best thing is, |
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can shine these lights |
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right into the face of the |
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cat and it will not cause |
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eye-shine. And that’s about |
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it for cats! Without going |
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into minute detail about |
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camera settings, color |
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combinations and post- |
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session editing, anyway. |
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Good luck, and have lots of fun with your
kitties! |
http://www.vickiespicsandprose.com/
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