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Any tips on taking good pictures of cats?

post #1 of 11
6/25/11 at 3:10pm
Thread Starter 
I can't seem to get good pictures of my cats. Every picture has major retina reflection so that their eyes look silver.

It isn't the camera I use, it's something I'm doing, because my results are the same using a cheap Kodak or a better camera like an Olympus.

I see so many lovely front on pictures of cats that show their eyes natural state, but I can't seem to achieve this myself.

Any tips and tricks that you can share with me?
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post #2 of 11
6/25/11 at 3:17pm
Natural light!!! Open all the curtains, turn on all of your lamps, etc. and turn off the flash. It is the flash that causes the eye shine. I also always have a toy when taking pics of my kitties to get their attention, which tends to make for cuter pics as well. Good luck!
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post #3 of 11
6/25/11 at 4:09pm
No flash, uncluttered background, something to grab their attention.... Being on their level and a lot, a lot of patience. Instead of flash, if I have to use light - which I often do, I use an application that transforms my blackberry flash into a flashlight. It works GREAT! The eyes come out amazing and it is just the right amount of light for the image to get good definition and not come out blurry. I use that all the time. I also often take pictures on Macro when I am close by - Lucky's picture is a Macro.



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post #4 of 11
6/25/11 at 6:58pm
Bijou is camera shy. He'll be looking directly at me and his beautiful eyes are gorgeous until I show him the camera. Then he looks away and puts his head down.
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post #5 of 11
6/25/11 at 7:28pm
Like the others said, no flash.

I usually wait till they are chillaxing comfortably near the window (or another bright space) and take several shots in a row, from different angles, at their level.

Parker is so used to me sticking the camera in his face, he waits until he hears my camera "click" after the shot, before he looks away.
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post #6 of 11
6/25/11 at 9:23pm
Thread Starter 
I do tend to take most of my pictures in the evening, so that must be the problem.

I'll try and find some time tomorrow to take some during the day without a flash. Maybe I can actually get some nice shots of them without looking like they have silver coins for eyes
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post #7 of 11
6/25/11 at 10:04pm
If you're forced to use a flash, you can always edit the pictures later. A bit of touching up can make a great photo even better. Happy picture taking!
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post #8 of 11
6/26/11 at 10:19am
My problem is different. Autumn is a very dark tortie and taking pics of her is tough because of that. I'll see her in a cute position or sticking her head out of her little cube but when I try taking the pic you can't even see her. I do use the flash but that doesn't help. Anyone else have problems taking pics of their dark kits??
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post #9 of 11
6/26/11 at 4:07pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Carolina View Post
Ah! Cutegasm! *falls over*
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post #10 of 11
6/26/11 at 4:44pm
Natural light is hands-down the best choice, with multiple lighting sources a distant second.

If you have to use a flash, it helps to move back and focus in, and to have the cat looking anywhere but directly at the camera.

There are also several editing programs that can do wonderful things to photos. I use Photoshop Elements, but there are others out there that are just as good...









And sometimes, flash can create artistic effects (unedited)...
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post #11 of 11
6/26/11 at 5:45pm
I forgot to mention!!! If you really need to use a flash, you can try putting a piece of white paper or tissue over the flash to tone it down a bit. You may have to double it if it's still too bright. Use some tape to hold it there.
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