Beginner Cat Photo Skills

What started out as a ‘let’s take a photo of Toulouse’s shaved butt’ cat photoshoot, turned into a hunt to find some fun photos in evening low light with a smartphone and one adventurous tabby cat.

My ‘phone is an iPhone 12 not the latest model, so your iOS or Android camera may do even better in low light.

Your smartphone can do the work of a DSLR/Mirrorless camera without much of the heavy lifting (settings) for a fun and fast capture.

Never dismiss your powerhouse smartphone and its lenses

The terrible noise of the cement mixers had gone for the day so Toulouse and I went to check our newly planted ‘Five Finger’ (Pseudopanax arboreus) and Cabbage Tree (Cordyline australis) which are located on our side of the fence.

Smartphones are fantastic as the light fades, as I hope these cat photos show. And subtle changes in pose can make a difference to how successful you feel your shots are.

I have done very little editing in this series except a small amount of cropping to ensure consistency and touch of dodging to ensure clarity.

Cat Camera View

Remember the direction you point your camera matters too. Our fence is nearly two metres (6 feet) high and my fearless tabby cat leaped up using the supports, then the wooden pillar before he began to explore. Don’t just point downwards!

I pointed the smartphone camera upwards which gives Toulouse the dominant pose of a confident tabby cat. I then stepped in towards him between the third and fourth photos which changes the light and look.

Smartphone Feline Focus

Your smartphone camera can be relied on to help you keep your images sharp too.

TOP TIP: If your lens does not appear to be focusing on your cat, tap the screen to guide its focus. You may find a yellow square dancing around on the screen trying to focus. Tap your cat’s position on the screen and it will focus there. Take several images (or a burst) to ensure you catch your pose.

Be Brave With Light

Not every photo needs to be perfectly lit. This gathering dusk image of Toulouse works really well as a dynamic silhouette. A quiet moment looking out over the high fence.

This week one great tip to help boost your success rate when you capture cat photos. Don’t look down at your cat!

It is often tempting to take a quick shot of your cat looking down at their cute face and raised paw but you can take a great cat shot without too much effort by looking upwards or at eye level.

Indoors Tips

As you can see in my photos sometimes I lie on the ground to get an eye level shot! It worked for this cute kitten from Feral Nation (FB). Try setting your DSLR/Mirrorless camera on the ground and risking a few shots. This can get you a cool surprise shot. You aren’t wasting film, just a cat photo you might just love!

Not everyone can or even wants to kneel or sit on the ground or carper but here’s a great tip from our friends Dori, Jesse and Herman at Adorapurr.

• Turn your smartphone upside down so you don’t have to bend or kneel too far.

This is a genius idea and so helpful if you are sat down and can’t get up, or stood up and the ground is too wet to kneel on (eeew).

Alternatively, look ahead, get a shot of your cat at your eye level. This kitty shot of a snoozing ginger dude in a window bed is perfectly located for a close up to warm the heart. Wouldn’t we all love to nap so peacefully?

• Beside you on a sofa or sat on a table gives you a chance to try cat photography without much effort!

Outdoor Tips

You have more opportunities to take fun and unique cat photos out in a garden or on a catio.

You can look upwards and get a real sense of space and drama, like this shot of Teddy, or my lucky black cat shot of Taz.

The contrast of black fur beside the bright green variegated foliage is rather special and something you might miss if you are staring at your cat on the ground. Don’t look down but try to lift your sights a little higher from time to time and view the bckground as part of your capture.

Eye level outside can be a fence, a shelf, or a banister railing like this one that Taz is using to relax. Check the confident head tilt and the sharp eye. Not an expensive DLSR/Mirrorless but a simple smartphone shot.

Nest time you want to change things up a little bit, look at your cats another way. Take fun, silly and unlikely shots and they might surprise you. Sure they might not all work but even the professionals sometimes admit that most of their shots are not perfect.

Tiny details can make a huge impact in photography so, if you want to elevate your cat photos, let’s explore the power of close-ups and macro modes. These techniques can add a whole new dimension to your cat captures of whiskers and beans.

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A new camera mode can be an eye opener for you and here, getting in close allows you to capture the intricate beauty of fur, paws, and noses. If you look beyond the standard cat portrait, the alternative view can look pretty spectacular.

Let’s start with the tools you will need for the job. You will need your camera, which can be a DSLR/Mirrorless or a Smartphone. Then you will need to either navigate to your macro mode on the camera, or use a macro lens.

Let’s look at what a ‘mode’ is, and what ‘macro’ really means.

What is a Camera Mode?

Modes are like pre-set recipes for your photos. A mode will tell the camera how to handle light, focus, and exposure. I believe that using the macro function on a DSLR/Mirrorless or smartphone camera is a great place to begin experimenting with cat close-ups.

There is a bit of snobbery around using modes. Some people insist you use manual but if you are a beginner this might not be a great idea so give modes like Av/A or Tv/T a try. Knowing your camera is a big part of building your confidence as a cat photographer.

What is Macro Exactly?

Macro photography is close-up photography of small subjects, including things like bugs and flowers. You can take macro pictures in a studio or outdoor environment so long as you are magnifying your subject sufficiently.

Photography Life

So, when you use your camera to take close-ups a whole new world of ideas opens up. Suddenly, the textures of strands of fur become crystal clear, toe beans reveal their unique textures, and your cat’s unique noseprint becomes the centre of attention.

You can start to take good close-ups either using your camera’s macro function (usually a stylised flower), or by using a more expensive DSLR/Mirrorless macro lens. (I aim to try and find one secondhand for my DSLR!) You can get a smartphone lens for your ‘phone at modest prices. Take a look at this Xenvo that works on iPhones and Androids.

• BONUS TIP: I also use my Canon 22-250mm lens to zoom in from much further way and grab an excellent closeup shot. If you have a zoom lens this can give you the successful capture you want.

Closeup Slideshow

Taking Your Close-up Cat Portrait

Once you have decided on the mode or lens you want to explore, you can begin to practice.

Start with a small shift in your cat photographer’s mindset.

Look beyond the ‘whole cat‘ to a smaller element of the body such as a paw, toe bean, set of whiskers, or an eye closeup. To give you an idea of what I mean, look at the cicada in my slideshow. You will see that you can get much closer. Educate your eye to think ‘close and then closer still’.

Stand where you might take a photograph then move or zoom close. Check your results and try again. If you are using a zoom lens (like my 55-150 mm above) you have the option to stay further back but remember digital zoom can magnify camera shake so hold your camera firmly; brace against a stable surface or maybe try a simple one-legged monopod.

Close Ups Summary

Closeups bring you close to your cat and you can have so much fun exploring using the simplest camera settings on your smartphone, or Av/A on your DSLRMirrorless.

With a special macro lens there are a whole lot of tips for you to explore with your lens. If I get a macro lens I may cover it in a future post, in the meantime, if you use a proper maco lens, let me know and I can show off your shots.

Today’s selfie is one of the adoptable cats from Nko Ngeru Cat Cafe. I am very pleased with the portrait of Rangi I got the eyes clear and sharp (essential for any cat or pet portrait) and he looks so handsome.

The cafe has a collection of wonderful tabbies and black cats (as at July 2024) so it was cat photographers heaven to visit last week. The video gives you an idea of the wonderful relaxing space that greets you when you visit.

The cat cafe is the kind of place I would love everyone of you to visit and if you time your trip to take in the sensational Tapas Bar Soleil (FB link) downstairs you are so lucky. They do lunch Fri-Sun and evening meals.

I nearly tagged Rangi with his sister Aroha’s name (oops) but Neko Ngeru Cafe set me right. I think you will agree that this gorgeous boy with his cute bow tie takes a stunning and sharp portrait with a tiny blep.

Maori word: Aroha: (verb) (-ina,-tia) to love, feel concern for, feel compassion, empathise.

Tabby Toulouse Update

Someone is not happy with his crate rest but is healling well and has pain relief after his major operation. He appreciates all of your kind words of support (so do I, Thank you!)