Taking Good Pictures of Cats

very useful!

Good tips.

Is it ok to post other tips here as well?

A sticky is a great idea because cat pictures are such an important part of TCS.

I would love to read about more tips too,
I need all the help that I can get.

One great tip which has nothing to do with camera settings etc. is:

Get down on the floor!

Basically it really helps to go down on the floor and look at your cat from their perspective. You get much more interesting photos that way.

Prefocus.

every digital point and shoot camera and automatic slr cameras have two stop points on the shutter release button or trigger. The first stop (or half way point) is where you focus. When you focus first and keep the button pushed at the half way point, this keeps the focus on your subject. You can then move the subject to a different part of the picture. Once you have the shot the way you want it and in focus, push the trigger all the way down and finish taking the photo. For action shots this works wonders. you just need to take the time to focus and then wait for 'that' shot. The shutter will releases quicker this way.

If you just mash on the trigger without focusing first the camera takes 2-3 seconds to focus and then releases the shutter. thus you miss your shot.

also do not be afraid to get close to the subject.

Tryin something (sorry Im having trouble)

Very good tips, I've never been too much of a master photographer but I'll get some pictures of my babies up soon.

I wanted to add a tip:

always make sure the eyes of your subject are in perfect focus, it makes a huge difference to a picture when they are.

It was all said I believe already, but maybe putting it all in one posty might help. There are many golden rules in photography, and unfortunately, it is one of the artistic hobbies where the equipment matters the most.

Nonetheless, there are five easy tips that if followed, will increase your pictures tenfold with any camera.

1- Meet the cats on their eye level. The mistake amateurs always do is shoot from their everyday's POV, which brings nothing special for the viewer. You need new perspective. Crouch, get on your knees or your belly, and shoot down there. You'll be surprised how amazing they will be.

2- Always focus on the eyes, period. This is crucial to the success of a photo. If you have a camera with adjustable aperture and shutter speed, especially when shooting with your lens wide open (low f-stop number, like 2.8) the Depth of field will be shallow, and focusing on the eyes is twice as important. If you have no idea what I am talking about and have the normal compact digital camera, focus on the eyes of your cat, and your pictures will increase tenfold.

3- Use the available light correctly. Diffused indirect light coming from a window can make some amazing pictures. Youl should not use the flash too often, as on-camera flashes, even on expansive profesionnal SLR cameras, create very flat and unkind light on your subject.

4- Zoom in ! Frame your kitties, get close (try to avoid the digital zoom as this creates terrible noise in the pictures, especially at high zoom levels. The mechanical zoom however is ok to use). The eye is displeased when the frame is filled with empty space with a small kitten in the middle. Get close and personnal, this will add a sentiment of warmth and closeness to your pictures !

5- Another mistake amateurs make is shoot their subject in the dead center of the picture. Google "photography rule of third" to understand how to correctly shoot your kitty.

If you are serious about photography, save for a SLR camera (Canon Rebel XT, Pentax K100D, to name only two, are excellent entry-level SLR with good kit lens (18-55mm usually) at affordable prices) and meanwhile read Bryan Peterson's book called "Understanding Exposure". It is an AMAZING book that even the very beginner who has no idea how photopgrahy works will learn to love by its simplicity and presentation.

PM me if you have specific questions, I'll be delighted to help!

Thanks for the tips, this was very useful.

Your're so right!!!

Wow, these tips are great! I will be trying out some new shots tomorrow..if I can get Holden to cooperate.

I've been trying to figure out how to take pictures where the flash doesn't cuase my babies to close their eyes! (natural lighting is at low over here lol)

I've got a similar problem -- the flash causes the cat's eyes to reflect. I recently bought my first digital camera, which I asked the nice folks here to help me pick out. I mentioned my problem in the thread I started here to ask for that help in picking out a camera. I got some suggestions like: take pictures during the daytime and so don't need the flash at all, attract the cat's attention a little bit away from the camera so that they aren't looking directly at the flash (that doesn't seem to work for me), and I think there were a couple of other things that I don't remember now.

Good luck!

Some great tips there. My tips are always keep your camera handy or nowadays your mobile phone. If it has camera capabilities. And keep your eyes pealed for your cats getting up to the daftest things. Or doing something cute. Like i captured amber in the attached photo's

In this one i was trying to fix a laminator. Turned away for 2 seconds
and wheni turned back found amber in the lid lol (she wouldnt fit in that now lol)
Attachment 12940

Attachment 12941

Attachment 12942

Attachment 12943

All the above are good points to note. Myself I say practise, practise, practise, and learn by your mistakes Anybody who has moved up to an SLR type camera should have a basic understanding of photography anyway. Point and shoot digital cameras have come a long way now and incorporate more settings than you will probably realise at first. Always read the manufacturers book, they will usually list which are the best settings under different conditions, and give you a clear understanding of how altering those settings will affect the final result.

If light is a problem then try experimenting, taking say three or four shots of any subject, after each shot go into the menu and adjust the iso ( which is the equivelant of film speed ) to a higher number. Going up to 800 iso is no prob for digital nowadays in low light conditions. Make a note of what setting you took the pic on, although most give you that information ( exif data ) when you view the pic on the pc. You can then see what is happening when you adjust those settings. If you have a fixed flash and you are forced to use it under bad light conditions, then try smearing a little vaseline on the flash, or dampen a piece of white tissue and place it on the flash. This will just tone down the harsh direct light. The list goes on and we are all learning, enjoy this wonderfull hobby and have fun.

I have the eye glare problem especially with Ferocious who has large light eyes - they are beautiful but they pick up the glare so easily - I will have to try the tissue paper over the flash thing with her. Thank you for the pic tips.

Take a look at this guy. Its great to try and improvise and save a few quid. Ok your flash may not be like his but you see the point, and you can always adapt something smaller to suite your needs.

http://home.comcast.net/~dougsmit/bounceflashtoys.html

aww!

I wanted to PM you, but it didn't give me the option. I will be buying a Canon 40d soon. I have a friend helping me pick out the lens, etc. He has been photographing for years and know all the details, but I don't and I need an amazing book where I can understand all the technical terms such as F-stop and even how to us picture programs. I know some basics, but I want to learn much, much more. How to take very nice pictures and what setting works for what is also what I need.

First, as TigerLord suggested, pick up any of Bryan Peterson's books to start the learning process. The one mentioned above is one of the first books I picked up when I started photography. Just Google his name or go to Amazon to look it up.

Second, and most important, read the manual! It sounds too simple, but many people buy something new, throw the manual to the side, and never even explore all the features their camera has to offer! Take some time and go through each chapter so you know your camera and how to access the functions offered.

Third, if you're buying your camera from a camera store, see if they offer introductory lessons on the camera you are buying. The camera store I go to offers Saturday classes on different subjects and always has a class on the in's and out's of the SLR digital camera.


Fourth, if you have a Photography Club in your area, sign up! It is a great way to meet other people and learn all for little cost! You usually get a mix of amateurs and semi-pro photographers and all are there to learn and share experiences.

I was going to buy the 40D last year, but decided on the Canon Rebel with a more expensive lens instead. Now that prices have come down, the 40D is an excellent deal! You will really enjoy it.

Thanks for the advice! I have a friend who is helping me pick out lenses. I will be getting almost the best so I hopefully won't have to buy another one for a long time and it will produce the pictures I'm hoping for.

We do have a photography club in the city I work for so I may have to check that out. I was planning on reading the manual. I also was going to spend a lot of time practicing. One thing I really wanted to learn is how to take pictures at certain angles to produce certain effects. That is one thing that has always stumped me.

Good tips everyone, problem I have is getting Beauty to stay still and let me get the photo

treats, toys and having the camera set to a fast speed in good light always works for me

Any tips for a camera-shy kitty? This is what happens when she sees the camera.

Is she running because you always use the flash and therefore it bothers her eyes? Either way, don't use indoor flash, try to make use of available indoor lighting. If she's scared of the camera, leave it out and let her investigate it and use treats to reward her. Let her here the noises the camera makes without taking a picture of her. Play with her with the camera in your possession so she gets used to it.

I never use the flash when taking cat pictures. It's too hard on the eyes and the end result is usually a washed out picture.

Good luck!

I take photos for our animal shelter, the best way to get photos is to distract them. I have a toy that is a long pole with feathers, sparkles and a bell on the end. They are usually so engrossed with it that they don't even hear the camera.

With kittens get a bit of string and put it above ur camera and then , the kittens will stare a that ect..
Jess x