How to Photograph a Cat.

Cats are fascinating creatures to photograph. However, I often get told how difficult they can be to capture. With a few guidelines, though, it is possible to get wonderful, expressive photos of your feline friend.

I recently photographed Natasha, a 10 month old kitten. She is a very active and mischievous girl so it it wasn’t going to be easy to get her in one place for a series of photos.

To achieve this, I moved a chair close to a glass door. The house was very dark and I needed as much natural light as I could get. Next, I placed her on the chair, which I had covered with a green textured duvet for a backdrop. Armed with a peacock feather, I began to photograph her. It was easy to get a number of expressions, while keeping her occupied with the feather shaken here and there.

So here are some hints next time you want some photos.

• Make sure you are able to shoot in as much light as possible. You don’t want to use a flash or you’ll get the human version of red eye, which is green eye for a cat. Plus I never recommend using flash directly at animals unless it’s off camera.

• It’s a lot easy if the cat is contained in area they are likely to feel comfortable, such a chair or a bed.

• Use interesting textures or colors as backdrops.

• Use toys, such as a wand or ribbon, to keep them occupied and interested in staying in one place. This will also give you plenty of expressions and gestures to photograph.

• Shoot a lot of photos. You know your cat is only going to stick around for a short time, off to their next adventure or nap, so take as many photographs as you can, while you can.

• Focus on and capture those gorgeous eyes!