How many times have you tried to take a terrific pet photo and got the back of a head? If you are like me it’s so many you lose count. They look away at just the wrong moment.
Oh. The frustration!
But, let’s take a breath here, because there may be hope for our poor pet portrait.
When I first downloaded this photograph of Natasha my reaction was like yours. Oh no, I missed her looking at me.
But wait, let me take another look.
I decided it is actually a fun portrait. Why? Because not every portrait faces front. Some are profiles and some, like this one capture a cat whose attention is definitely focused elsewhere out of the shot.
The other cool thing is I transformed the photograph into black and white. I love working in monochrome. It helps to encourage you to ‘think different’ before you delete a pet photo and just pause your finger before it hits that delete button.
Natasha is the perfect model as she is black and white herself and has a certain amount of attitude when I take her portrait.
- Natasha was the perfect model for our ‘effective Fill Flash‘ post.
Even a beginner has access to basic or free photo editing software. Make the most of this and have some fun. It often takes a littl while to learn the collest tricks but it is worth a bit of your time.
Free Software Resources
- GIMP – A steep learning curve but with video tutorials on YouTube you can be off to a good start. Available for Windows, Mac and Linux.
- PAINT.net – An intuitive free photo editing software aimed at those looking for an easy-to-use free image editing software that offers high-quality results.
- Photoscape X – The program includes thousands of filters, frames, brushes, shape crops, smart cut out tools, a colour picker, and clone stamps. Mac and Windows.
- BeFunky – As used by our friend Bionic Basil. BeFunky offers easy-to-use photo editing tools that enable users of all levels to easily achieve professional results. Its interface is uncluttered and user-friendly, making it easy to find the right tools and see the effects on the image in real-time.
Marjorie Dawson
Marjorie is a motorbike riding blogger and award winning cat photographer who believes that everyone can shoot and edit wonderful pictures they love regardless of the camera they use.
She is a Professional member of the Cat Writers Association, Kuykendall Image Award winner and published photographer at the Guardian newspaper.
Natasha is a beauty.
natasha ewe bee gorgeouz frum all sidez…….total lee awesum cap surez bye mum two !!!
pea ess…..we due hope ewe waz knot lookin at burd ~~~~~ 🙂 ♥♥
I started using Gimp a couple of years ago, and yes it does have a HUGE learning curve , but I do love it. It does crash a lot though, so if you want to use it, be sure to save, save, save!
( I make most of my ‘cards’ on Gimp…and I have gotten so used to it, that when I try to use PS Elements, I can’t, unless I start at the bottom of that learning curve all over again, MOL!)
I am glad for the thumbs up for GIMP. No, not easy but worth the time investment for its great options and the fact it’s free.
Thanks for sharing this wonderful post with us. This happens to us all the time with taking photos. We try everything to make them look at the camera for two seconds and it always gets the back of the head. Natasha, you are such a beauty. Have a great day.
That is so true, a good photo is a good photo! Thanks for joining our Thankful Thursday Blog Hop!
Great pictures of Natasha!