Add A Little Light to Cat Photos

Remember my post about making black cats ‘shine’ written because so many people struggle with black fur? Well, that got me thinking some more about how we light our cat buddies. Today’s post is all about playing with light in new and creative ways for your cat photos!

Light can trip us all up but, sometimes, we can use what we have to create a wonderful image, let me show you….

Silhouette of a Ginger Cat

Let’s start with what looks like a bit of a disaster.

This is Otis from Neko Ngeru Cat Cafe, in Lower Hutt. He is a busy, active and very photogenic cat! He’s high up on a window ledge and the frosted window behind him is really bright so Otis looks a lot darker in the first image than he actually was.

What did I do to make Otis clearer and more visible? Some simple edits.

I used Luminar Neo (photo software) to carefully sharpen Otis a little, then the ‘dodge’ tool to lighten his shape. Remember that when you dodge you must use the lightest touch, carefully lighten in small steps until you gain experience with this useful tool.

Here I had to be careful not to move outside the cat shape as there is already a halo of light from the sun and I would not want to make it even brighter.

• Check my post on the gentle art of Dodge and Burn.

Your photo editing software will have a dodge and burn tool as it has been a part of photography since the days of darkroom developing. A slight adjustment using this tool can transform your photo!

Kitten in Bright Light

This capture of a black kitten from Feral Nation (New Zealand) shows how important light is to your black cat’s fur. As you look at this photograph the light is coming from the right-hand side. The image is slightly overexposed and bright, but it was a sudden moment I could not miss. If you find yourself in a position of taking a photo or fiddling with settings and missing your wonderful shot, TAKE THE PHOTO.

• My recent newsletter to the subscribers of my mailing list discussed the difference between learners and amateurs (like you and I), and the professionals who take photographs for a living. They change settings without thinking or even looking – we need to look first.

Try to emulate the pros as you continue to learn. Over time try to use your camera or your smartphone camera confidently and naturally. Sure, this will take time but you will become more confident. You will enjoy taking great photos like Kat does of gorgeous Ellie-Mae and Latte.

Ginger Cat in a Sunbeam

You will find that some of your photos will not need much doing to them at all!

These are the captures we all like best (Amen to that!) So, this third cat capture shows how every single cat should spend their sunshine (and sunset) days.

If you are owned by a ginger cat, or have met one, you will realise that well-tended ginger fur almost glows with health, thanks to good food, love and care. You will also realise that cats like Sam who we took as an emergency foster some time ago, showed the opposite of good care, lacklustre fur that might need more help from a photo editor.

Jack’s photo has not had a lot of editing done to it. I darkened the background so he stands out, and adjusted the colours to make them a little brighter. If you pushed the exposure right up (on the original image) you would see the rest of the Dash Kitten knitted and crocheted blanket made by his supporters and friends after he passed.

This is how a cat should spend its senior years – right? Radiating contentment, safety and good health.

• Dash Kitten Memorial Blanket Post

Light, or a lack of it, can make a difference to your own creative approach. If you don’t have much light, try increasing your ISO from maybe 200 to 400 or 800, or try exposure compensation (DSLR/Mirrorless). For your smartphone look at increasing your exposure or, if you have a newer smartphone try shooting in RAW and edit later.

Lastly, small gentle lights and soft boxes can be a real asset for those with limited access to outside light.

Now, go dazzle everyone with your light filled cat photos!