Cats

[Odyssey]

I've been trying to get some nice shots of my cats, trying to focus on their eyes. They haven't been exactly helpful, but these are my favourites so far.

Flint in the garden


Lucy licking her lips


Lucy (the thing in the middle of the left edge of the photo is my sandal - I couldn't crop it out fully without chopping off some of her ear, and she wasn't helpful enough to give me an opportunity for a second shot)

[Marko]

Hi there Odyssey,

Nice set - really cute. In terms of critique, you got the focus on the eyes goal in mind and that's great. Here's some extra help;

Cats are fidgety creatures and move quickly (unless resting). When I shoot animals, I normally shoot in SHUTTER PRIORITY mode. This means I dial in the shutter speed and the camera chooses an aperture. For cats, I'd say not slower than 1/250 unless resting.

The eyes - they should be tack sharp of course but they also need to be well lit. This can be easily accomplished in this case with some fill flash.

Ears - imo, should not be cropped if possible.

Hope that helps - Marko

[Odyssey]

Thanks for your advice, I will try those things next time I get a chance.

I didn't deliberately crop their ears - just missed bits in the original photos, so I guess I should try moving back/zooming out and cropping afterwards.

[Wicked Dark]

my cats are PITAs too and hardly ever sit still enough for me to shoot well. brats. keep trying though, we're cat lovers around here.

[Michaelaw]

Cat's are not that easy to shoot. I probably get one in ten as a usable shot if they're on the move. As Marko said, fill flash is very helpful. These are good kitty shots for starters