Our post on Thursday launched our special giveaway for a paperback copy of Purrseverance, the anthology of cat stories that contains Harvey’s journey to his forever home, as well as the dramatic lost and found story of our friend Sawyer from Kitties Blue and the brave story of Tylan written by book editor Sierra M Koester.
It is Tylan’s sweet portrait you can see on the front cover.
Many of the regulars in the selfies will remember the drama and tension surrounding Sawyer’s escape and, I am glad to say, his recapture. But, not everyone knows the full story Harvey’s journey to us here in New Zealand. I was able to piece this together over time and I can tell you it’s dramatic and (spoiler alert) it has a happy ending.
CLICK IMAGE TO JOIN GIVEAWAY
Why a Giveaway?
I wanted to celebrate because Harvey’s story is my first ever writing in print. As a special bonus I also created a unique ‘one of a kind‘ mug for the winner (check the post!)
Of course the giveaway is open worldwide as I love Dash Kitten’s readers and want to include everyone. The copy of Purrseverance is a paperback, and you can either keep it or gift your win to a friend, but I guess you might keep the special mug!
Congratulations to all of the story writers who had me holding my breath, cheering and smiling with the astonishing stories.
Has your cat ever faced impossible odds or struggled and succeeded against a challenge? Celebrate the spirit or wairua (Maori) of felines with this heartwarming book packed with true stories of feline resilience. Enter my global giveaway for a chance to win this purrfect book! Don’t miss out! Enter today!
A Special Reason
The special reason I am promoting the giveaway is because my senior white cat cat Angel Harvey is featured in a story in the book. It is my first published story, inspired by Harvey’s resilience, bravery and committment to finding a forever home.
As a bonus, thanks to Sawyer and his mom at Kitties Blue I discovered that twenty-five percent of the profits from the book will be donated to the Colorado Feline Foster Rescue now through April 2024.
The Giveaway Prize
The prize consists of
One printed copy of the book Purrseverance – Inspiring Stories of Cat Resilience and Hope. This heartwarming book is packed with stories that will make you cheer for the cats and be inspired to walk with your own head held higher.
A unique ‘one of a kind’ mug. This unique one-of-a-kind mug has a picture of hero Harvey posing proudly, on one side, and the words ‘I’m A Winner’ and a fun cartoon cat face on the other.
Easy Entry Instructions Purrseverance
There are three entry options using the Rafflecopter widget:
Comment on this post. About 10 words, not just ‘Hi’ or ‘Hello’
Share the giveaway on Twitter (X)
Visit Dash Kitten’s page on Fabebook and give us a wave and say hello
NOTE: If you have already purchased a copy you can accept the prize and donate the book or mug to a friend.
A printed copy of ‘Purrseverance – Inspiring Stories of Cat Resilience & Hope’ + A custom mug
Todays quick snapshot is the most amazing Maine Coon cat I saw at the Dominion Cat Show, here in New Zealand.
The small venue was packed and I could hardly lift my DSLR for the crush, so I had to use my smartphone. To make things more difficult the cats were all in cages and shooting through the bars meant getting quite close.
Close?? Hmmm. I was very reluctant to do this because I am a large human compared to a cat and this would be very intimidating, even to seasoned cats who are used to crowds.
This young man, a magnificent Maine Coon was patient and unfazed by the large numbers of people. I loved him to bits and his owner seemed to know my feelings were genuine so she asked if I would like to hold him.
I had to take a deep breath to calmly say ‘Yes, Please’ rather than jump up and down in sheer excitement going OHMYYESPLEASE!!
He was HUGE and he was HEAVY even for a young Maine Coon! I made sure I held him properly under his mum’s watchful eye. Honestly? It made my whole day, if not my week!
Above is my best shot – and I have edited out the bar across his eye so you can get at least a peek at his magnificent face. I am including a second shot of him in his cubby. Plain, unadorned and the perfect setting for a perfect diamond.
I could have hugged his mum, but tried to be calm and say thank you so much for the privilege.
After my quick run down on what ISO is and how it can help your cat photos, I wanted do add a super quick explanation on what Aperture is. When you eventually try manual, you will find ISO and Aperture confidence will give you so much more confidence photographing cats and other pets. Let’s take a look….
A Definition of Aperture
You will find a lot of descriptions, explanations and ‘technical’ breakdowns that tell you what Aperture is but, if they intimidate you, try this simple idea instead.
Aperture Numbers
Aperture is written as f/ followed by a number (f/2.8, f/8, etc.) easy enough but you have to remember that a lower f-number means a larger aperture (more light).
If the whole idea seems confusing, don’t give up. Keep taking photographs, look at what the effect of each aperture setting is later when you download and edit your cat photos.
Large Aperture (Small f-number like f2.8)
If you open your eye really wide you are doing what a camera does when it uses a large aperture. This camera setting lets in a lot of light. It’s great for low-light situations like a room the sun doesn’t reach very often or night time photography.
My favourite technique the soft focus bokeh behind cats like toulouse here. I am using a large aperture and blurring the background. It makes your your cat stand out by blurring the background (shallow depth of field).
Small Aperture (Large f-number like f16)
Like a squinting eye, a small aperture lets in less light. This is helpful for bright locations and helps your cat photos from being over exposed (too bright). It’s benefits include a sharp photo from front to back. An example of this would be a landscape you take on holiday or out for a hike.
‘Taz’ Small Aperture – ISO 200f/4
Beginner’s Best Aperture Tip
Many cameras have an “Aperture Priority” mode (often labeled A or Av). This semi-automatic mode lets you choose the aperture, and the camera automatically adjusts the shutter speed for a good exposure. It’s a great way to experiment with aperture while the camera handles the technical stuff!
Download your photographs and see what aperture looks like for a particular light if you use A/Av mode. It’s a really good way to get aperture confidence. You see what works and what doesn’t.
Finally, don’t be afraid to use one of your camer’s modes like Aperture Priority or Shutter Priority to help you learn. Some people swear by manual settings, others (like me) take prize winning photos using camera modes as well. Each photographer, like their images, is unique.
Today I put together a super short video showing how to correct White Balance when it’s too yellow.
Mostly you will keep your white balance settings on AWB (auto white balance) but if, like me, you have been taking photographs of your cat outdoors, you may have to change your settings to ‘Tungsten’ or ‘Fluorescent’ for inside photography.
How I Got My Yellow Toned Photo!
Teddy flopped down beside me and I realised he has put one paw in each of my two gardening Crocs! He looks so cute so I hurriedly grabbed my camera and took a few shots before he decided move position.
When I downloaded the image onto my computer I realised that, as cat photos go, it was too yellow and looked pretty awful!
The floor is a golden coloured varnish which makes the yellow tone look much worse as well. My white balance was set for outside and should have been set for indoor light.
If you look at the short video you will get an idea of how I adjusted the photo.
The Final Results
As you can see, there is much less yellow in Teddy’s photograph in this picture.
I did not spend too long editing the image. I basically followed these simple steps like you:
Adjust your White Balance settings.
Navigate to your Vibrance and Saturation settings.
Carefully adjust these to add a bit of warmth or colour.
What is ISO? Do I need it? What is it anyway and should I even care?
For someone just starting out with cat photography in Auto mode on a DSLR, mirrorless, or smartphone camera, ISO might not be a concern. However, as your passion for capturing your feline family grows, you will naturally want to expand your photographic skills.
That’s where ISO comes in – it’s an essential part of your growing skillset.
ISO adjusts your camera’s light sensitivity.
What does ISO mean?
Let’s start with a short (and helpful) description of ISO.
If you look, you will find a lot of definitions and explanations online so I saved you a job by finding the best explanation (I think), and the easiest to understand.
The founders of the International Organization for Standardization (the group that created ISO standards for cameras) tried to find a universally understandable acronym, but it proved difficult with so many member countries and languages.
Instead, they chose ISO as a shortened version of the Greek word “isos” which means “equal.” This reflects their goal of creating international standards that would be equal and consistent across the globe.
Light is measured though your camera lens. This might seem obvious but cameras have so many buttons, bells and whistles that it is easy to get confused.
You adjust the camera’s sensitivity to light by changing your ISO. The lower the ISO number you set the less sensitive your camera is to light.
With all cameras, not just those used for cat photography ISO, starts at 100 and goes to 6400 on the cameras most of us cat lovers will use. A good place to start your explorations, especially using A or Av mode (which I love) is with ISO 100 or 200. This is great for a bright day outside, on a catio or a close to the window portrait.
Then start changing your settings and see what happens!
How do I set my ISO?
The best way to become more confident about setting your ISO is to play with your own camera. ISO will be adjusted with a dial, or as part of your camera menu screen. Check your manual if you are not sure or refer to your camera company’s web site.
Give yourself permission to fool around and play with your ISO. See what happens as you change the light sensitivity, in a spirit of exploration and fun.
This photo has an ISO of 200 and it is too low.
Raising the ISO to 800 gives a better picture.
Low ISO (100-400)
This is like turning down the sensitivity. Great for bright sunny days outdoors or well-lit rooms. It creates clean, crisp photos with little to no grain (also called noise). However, you might need a slower shutter speed which can blur moving cats. (1/250 is a good shutter setting for moving cats).
This level of ISO turns up the sensitivity in your camera. It’s good for cloudy days, indoors with some light, or action shots where you need a faster shutter speed to freeze your cat’s movement. There might be some ‘noise’ also known as grain, but this shouldn’t overpower the photo. It is up to you, the photographer to decide how much noise suits your purpose.
What is Digital Noise? “Noise is a grainy veil in a photograph, obscuring details and making the picture appear significantly worse.”
Here you are really pushing your ISO (sensitivity) to cope with low-light situations. A high ISO will be great for capturing indoor cat naps or playful moments in the evening but, you can expect to see more digital noise, which can make photos look textured or rough. It is up to you to decide how you shoot and how you adjust your own ISO.
I could pack my short post with pictures to demonstrate each ISO but I know you will learn more by grabbing your camera or smartphone and doing something yourself. So get out there, tinker with your ISO and make this your first step out of Auto mode!
We are celebrating Sienna’s 15th birthday this weekend with a showcase of tortoiseshell photographs celebrating our senior tortie.
Sienna takes a wonderful portrait and keeps everyone in line with a firm hiss and a paw whap, and her Birthday post was just beyond 29 comments and climbing, you can see her card if you have an account there and the responses of her friends.
BengalBadasses aka Bailey and Uncle Thomas, are lovely Instagram friends who added their embellishments to her card that you can see above.
I would appreciate your attention, as members of the Sunday Selfies, long enough to watch the very short movie announcement I have for you. Half a minute will do just fine!
We want to welcome Taz as a member of the Dash Kitten Crew and, if the transition goes reasonably well, he will be adopted by us from his family next door. Just in time for the 500th selfie post from Kitties Blue!
Why Are We Adopting Taz?
His family are moving overseas and they have asked if we would adopt Taz. This is for a very specific reason. He has, we are told, determinedly tried to find his way back to their previous properties when they moved. When they moved here he had to be kept inside for four months.
NOTE: The inside life, where his family are moving to is definitely not for him. If he got out he would try to find his way back home and, as this is across the ocean, this would be potentially fatal for him.
He has been a regular visitor for well over a year, and you may recognise some of the photographs in the slideshow. He is a welcome visitor and well known to Dash Kitten’s crew. Taz has, in fact, napped inside our home on several occasions as his mum and dad know.
The Positives of Taking on Taz
The decision to take him on is a no-brainer. Taz is a super friendly black cat, he is 10 years old, healthy and will be chipped and up to date on his shots. He knows us and likes us.
The hardest part will be when his family leaves.
Selfishly, from a cat photographer’s point of view, he is the most gorgeous model for me, and Taz will become a spoiled and much loved member of the family. So, please welcome our newest family member.
You may remember how I shared about my discovering a photograph of Dash Kitten and how I added a touch of magic by using layers to transport Dash to new and fantastical worlds? I want you to try your own with a digital cat portrait to create something really special.
But, there is an exciting and different world to explore beyond your lovely cat portrait. All it takes is a layer and a touch of magical skill for you to discover. So, let me give you a quick guide to what a layer is, then show you an easy how-to you can use with any cat photograph.
The digital image of Dash allowed me to do something friend Sylvia Rzeminski (Bode’s mom) has suggested I do a long time ago. She said I should create a piece of feline art as a tribute to Dash after his sudden death. I struggled with his loss for a long time but finally feel ready to take my love for Dash and his memory to new places.
If you enjoy learning with a video try this to start with.
What is a Layer?
Let me tell you what a layer is.
Layers are what you will be using to change your images into cat art.
The short video above on overlays covers a lot of the same territory. It is useful if you are a visual learner more than an instruction reader. Layers have lots of uses by experts, but for your skill builder you will just add one.
Layers in photo editing software are like the collages you make as a kid in school. All those separate pieces of paper ‘layered’ on top of each other create a new and different image. The only difference is that instead of cutting things out you use virtual layers in the software.
Each software will be slightly different but you will find ‘Layers‘ in your top menu, and the layers you create appear on the right side of your work area just like in my sample photos and the video. Software manufacturers may be competitive but they know that people using software have basic expectations about things like workspace layout and terms used so these stay fairly constant across applications.
A Ghostly Egyptian Cat
Each layer holds a different part of your image. You add backgrounds, or effect like snowflakes, on top of a layer that holds your original photograph.
You can change the arrangement of your layers by clicking and dragging them up and down. The order matters because what is on a higher layer can cover things on a lower layer. You can move or delete a layer if you don’t like the result then try again.
The cool thing is you can edit each layer separately. You can change the colour or transparency of a single element without affecting the photo to increase or reduce it’s effect.
You can use more than one layer once you get the idea of how it all fits together.
Layers basically give you more control over your editing and make it easier to fix mistakes or try different things without ruining your whole image.
Where Your Layers Are
Create A Layer
This can be done in two bite sized tasks. The first sets up the image you have chosen, and the second ‘cat art’ layer, launches you into a world of fun with a contrasting image that can be a texture, clock face, stars, bubbles, snow or anything you like.
Import your cat photograph and make sure it is a good size for what you want to do. The resizing option can often be found in ‘document settings’. You can change the size and resolution later if you wish but start with an image that is not too small (if you can).
If you are unsure take a look in your Help menu along the top of your application.
Then import your chosen background and make sure it is a similar size to your original photo. My image of Dash is 900 pixels across the top and I adjusted the bubble layer to match.
Copy your background using Ctrl/Cmd C then add it to your original image Ctrl/Cmd V. Don’t panic if your cat photograph disappears!
Cat Portrait with Layer Partly Removed
Create Your First Cat Art
In ‘create a layer’ you set up your image. Now in this section you start adding the adjustments that make your photograph into something different.
Look at the top of your two layers. You will see the words Opacity and Normal. Opacity allows you to show more or less of a background or an layer from of your original image. Normal changes the character of the layer (you can see this really well in the short video).
Click on the background layer, the layer you want to see ‘behind’ your cat portrait.
Click on Opacity and slide this down to around 50%. See if you like it. If not, adjust the slider until you are happy with the result.
Then select your eraser (aka rubber) from the tools that sit on the left of most photo programs. Adjust the size of your brush and carefully rub away the background layer from your cat’s fair and body in small amounts. Not the whole image, only the cat portrait. (See the sample above).
Finally, SAVE your image under a new name so you preserve the original for future use.
Conclusion and Encouragement
If you want to try this easy technique, start with the copy of a single digital image (not the original) and give yoursef permission to play with no expectations.
Your cat could be like Dash in the slideshow, surrounded by flowers, or a ghostly imge from Egypt or placed in a favourite part of a garden you love. Or, they could be like the the extra shots in the slideshow, surrounded by stars!
Let me know how you might try this easy technique in the comments.
A Gallery of Cat Image Treatments Using Single layers
This weekend I celebrated my birthday with a lovely online zoom quilting workshop which was a lot of fun. Let me tell you a bit about it and show you a lovely birthday capture of our boy Jack.
I also know that Janet of Kitties Blue celebrated her birthday recently so Toulouse and I want to wish her Many Happy Returns for her own birthday.
As I celebrated my birthday on a Saturday we didn’t go for a meal in a busy and crowded restaurant. Instead I enjoyed a Zoom workshop with quilt shop Quilters Lane in Masterton, then Cat Dad Paul and I enjoyed some quiet time at home with the cats (and a glass of bubbles).
The quilt pattern is a really fun one and those who enjoy quilting can find the pattern, called Topsy, at Quilters Lane.
The pattern it looks so hard doesn’t it? But, if you look closely, you can see the parts it is made from and how the amazing block repeats and repeats. Once you understand that quilts are often made up of repeating motifs and then you learn the block, you just keep going and going until you have enough to make a quilt.
Sienna shows you what one small element of the quilt looks like. Each triangle is made up of four parts and these are join together to make the honeycomb shape. The shape is cut out using a Half Sixty ruler from Creative Grids (for those who know a bit about quilting).
As a novice quilter I admit that the little points ( see the orange tip?) are not as tidy as they might be and I will try hard to improve as I make more blocks! I had so much fun being in the class, I really felt part of the group with the ladies actually at the shop and I was able to ask questions and confirm things with the tutor before I cut or sewed fabric.
To end the day I discovered Jack was awake on the bed, waiting for a treat. So, I lit my little cat lamp placed it nearby and, using just my smartphone, I snapped a lovely capture.(Of course he got his treat!)
Isn’t he just the perfect ginger end to a lovely day.
