Author Terri Cassiday Xpressions RagaMuffins
There is a reason why we pay big bucks to have pictures taken of our RagaMuffin cats. Some things are best left to the professionals. Taking pictures is nothing less than a comedy show. There is hours of preparation for those few short minutes that you can keep the kitties’ attention. Here are a few things that I can share with you.
Take into consideration the background colors that will best compliment your RagaMuffin. Are you trying to accentuate their eye color, coat color, pattern, or your cattery colors. I try to stay away from heavily patterned backgrounds and too many props as to not take away from the subject. Your kitty should be the star.
Take a few pictures of your set up so you can tweak things before introducing your cat. The lighting in your room is also important. A bright room but not direct sun works best for me. Know which teasers and toys are your RagaMuffin kitty’s favorites and have them close at hand. Now that the room is ready, shut the door and concentrate on getting your kitty ready. Bathe (another blog for a later date), comb and yes, cut their nails. Uncut nails can catch and snag the photo setting taking away valuable time to set it back up. Remember you are dealing with subjects with short attention spans.
One of the most important things I’ve learned is to play with the kitten before you take the pictures and not in the room where the pictures will be taken. This is not as easy as it sounds. Kittens should play long enough to get the majority of their energy released without making them too tired to play for the photos. Finally it’s time to take pictures. With all the hours of preparation spent, you will have only minutes to get that perfect shot. Take your RagaMuffin kitty to the specially prepared room and introduce them to the area in which the photos will be taken. I let them sniff around a bit and then it’s time for the circus to begin. Place…play…shoot…place…play…shoot…place. ..Well you get the idea. Remember to keep it fun and short!
I take still shots and videos. Videos enable you to capture a photo and then isolate it to use separately. Now you get to review your hundreds of photos and pray for a handful worthy to keep. Now that it’s over, its time to cuddle your kitty and fall asleep because both of you need your well deserved cat nap.
My hat goes off to the professionals that make this look so easy. I miss you Chanan Photography and Larry Johnson Photography!
And now some photo misses!
