Beginner Cat Photo Skills

Cat Photography Trends 2025

Every January I check the major photography sites to see what trends and influences they predict will be at work in the world of photography. For us cat photographers, both amateur and professional, these trends can inspire new ideas and techniques that will make your captures more eye-catching.

So! Don’t think ‘this is not for me‘! Let me inspire you to try something a bit different to expand your cat creative skills in 2025.

The photography world is full of phot trends, from moody lighting to bold colours, and from sustainable practices to retro aesthetics. While some might seem irrelevant to your cat photography, I believe these trends offer valuable inspiration for all of us, regardless of your experience level. Here’s my short list, curated from extensive research (I looked at a lot of photo websites):

  1. Unique Perspectives
  2. Documentary Style
  3. Dramatic Lighting (moody, bold)
  4. Authenticity (real life, closeups, action shots, life at home)
  5. Experimental Photography

Before you think, oh no these are too clever for me, wait! The names are just a touch of spin to catch the eye. I am going to break some of these trends into relatable, bite-sized readable pieces over the next few weeks, making them relatable to cat photographers. I will explore their usefulness to you as a cat photographer and then put it all together as a downloadable ebook for you. Sound good?

Let’s start with something everyone is searching for, and which cat photographers have by the bucket load:

Unique Perspectives

For cat photographers this really is a fun 2025 trend to explore; unusual angles, extreme shots and odd perspectives are all up for grabs. Here are three ideas to make this trend your own.

Birds’ Eye View

Don’t simply point your camera down and shoot, frame your shot with intention. Capture your cat playing, or stalking. Does your cat love playing a battery powered toy? Catch them from above, like a hovering drone. Does your cat do what our tuxedo boy Teddy loves to do? Here he is lounging on his back looking comical in an almost ‘bird’s eye‘ view.

Tuxedo cat laying on the ground looking upwards at the viewer.

If you can stand over your cat, and point your camera down, it can look fun or silly, and can make an impact. This 2007 photo is a happy memory and taken directly above Dot as a kitten.

Worm’s Eye View

Dramatic and quite different. Pushing the creative envelope in a different way.

Giving the worms’s eye view gives you a new way of looking at your cat and your photography. Imagine you are the humble (but essential) worm and point your camera upwards from a very low vantage point. Make a project of this and sit yourself down where you know your cat(s) can be active and wait.

This style of photography encourages you to look in a slightly unusual but still friendly and approachable way. The ‘worm’ found an excellent subject here in the the Grey Stranger I photographed up the Kapiti Coast, in New Zealand, down on one knee I made the most of my chance and took a lot of shots using Continuous Shooting Mode on my DSLR.

Distant ground level photograph of a grey cat hiding in grass
  • Smartphone Tip: BURST MODE is perfect for taking a handful of shots then choosing the best one later. Check your manual (or online) for the best way to use it.

Think of how you can use this trend in your own home.

Your own cats may be perched on a flight of stairs with you looking up, or sat up high on a shelf. You will capture their adventurous or quirky character and people will appreciate the different look to the rather dull point your camera down in a ‘same as everyone else’s’ shot.

  • Our friend Brian uses the family staircase to take wonderful portraits that capture so much personality, in fact the blog is packed with inspiring images.

Take some cat photo time to explore the worm’s eye view. Try sitting on the ground with your cats for a longer period of time don’t crouch or sit down then think “OK I’m done” stay down for a while and look for opportunities from a sitting position.

Wide angle photograph of a black and white cat for editing
  • Safety tip: If you spend time looking upwards watch your step if you move forward. Before you look down, close your eyes for a moment to centre yourself then return your gaze to eye level to avoid dizziness. Try it, it works.

Here’s an example of my worm’s eye at home.

Natasha is laid on a chair in our garden and Toulouse, (as usual) is being adventurous up a tree. For Natasha’s capture I sat down on the ground and stayed there (there are a lot of low opportunities when you are a worm) before taking time to scrambling back to my feet.

Tabby looking to the righ perched in a treet, in a full body portrait

2025 Trend Reflections

The ‘unique perspective’ trend, like many in photography, reflects what resonates with audiences. It’s shaped by what photographers are experimenting with – from unusual angles to creative viewpoints – and influenced by evolving technology both in cameras and software.

You will be surprised, when you start to think about it, how much you know about current trends and how confident you will be exploring them. Think about the skills you have already! Now, which unique perspective are you going to try?

Let me know if you have successfully captured the worm’s point of view or looked down from a height on your cats!

6 thoughts on “Cat Photography Trends 2025”

  1. I have sometimes tried out different things…my guys though not kitties, LOL, don’t seem to like when I get my iPhone out to snap them. I never use flash, and its a pretty quiet thing, so not sure what their issue is.
    Pipo was the same way. Minko was my best subject…sigh…
    Unfortunately the zoom on the phone is not nearly as good as that on my camera, but…that big thing seems to be in hibernation mode. I guess I need to dig it out of its drawer!

    Reply
  2. Lovely photos. I used to take a lot of photos of the boys from different angles. It was mostly Flynn as Eric wasn’t a fan of the camera and I had to use the zoom often for him.

    Reply
  3. Love these photos, especially the “worm’s eye views” of Natasha, and Toulouse! Thanks for always sharing things for us to try, Marjorie. 🙂

    Reply
  4. Well those were 4 wonderful photos! Thanks for joining Angel Brian’s Thankful Thursday Blog Hop!

    Brian’s Home

    Reply
  5. It’s fun to try different ways, my problem is time. It’s almost always a fly-by trying to get to work or to the next place to be or do the next chore. Someday, though, someday.

    Reply

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