I returned to Neko Ngeru Cat Cafe this week and they have a freshly picked bunch of cats and youngsters due to some very successful adoptions. The adoptions include Otis who starred in my cat photo prompts post and, you will be glad to hear, Jack, the cafe black cat has expressions of interest too!
This week I have a lovely shot of a single tabby ‘Bean’ that I work on. See what I do below.
On a side note: My second copy of Purrseverance (link to BookBaby) arrived this week!
How Did I Edit the Photo?
I did a couple of things you might like to try yourself.
I added a ‘vignette‘ aka a shaded frame around the edge of the photograph. This draws attention to the gorgeous tabby in the middle. You may have a vignette tool or function so check your tools menu. The tool is adjustable and you may only need a light shadow.
I used a mask to highlight the blue feather toy and boost its colour a little. (Mask basics here).
What is a ‘mask’? In photography, a mask is a tool used to control which parts of an image are visible or affected by adjustments, allowing for selective editing.
I hope to explore masks more over the coming months as many people seem to use them. See you next week.
Times are tough for so many people these days. Often budgets go on essentials and leave little for pleasure and fun for you, or your cats, and any dreams of improving your cat photography. But, don’t give up. Let’s take look at some of the things you might try while not spending much (or any) money.
Oh and if you have a simple free/fun idea I don’t cover, please share it in the comments and I will add it (and a credit) to this post.
This might not seem a thrilling idea but wait, hear me out.
The quote that knowledge is power applies to your camera as much as it does to ‘real life’. If you just lift your smartphone, point and shoot then you are missing out on valuable skills like Adjusting Exposure, Shooting in RAW (new models) or adding stylish Bokeh (soft background) with a smartphone’s hidden modes. All of these are adjustments that can turn an OK photo into an eye catching image. They are easy to access and fast to use – once you know they are there. check online.
Adding an Overlay for Free
An overlay is an image you add on top of your photo as an extra layer, just like an onion has layers. This photograph of Thomas and Toulouse was taken in summer but I added a layer of silly snow! Any image can be added to, and the images you add as layers can be free from an online site, an image you already own, or one purchased for a few dollars. I used an image of our boy Taz and a starlit sky for the image below.
OK I can see you might wonder how this is done. Let me explain, as it took me a while to grasp the idea of layers but, trust me this is fun. This is a great free project.
Your first layer is the original photograph you begin with.
Then you add a layer or two.
When you add a layer this is added on top of your original image. Each layer will affect what the photo underneath looks like but, but it does not change or damage the original photo.
To experiment for free there are several fee online editors, or you can use a software package already on your computer such as Paint Shop Pro, GIMP, Photoshop Elements, Or Luminar Neo. The results can be fun and help you build your skills while not spending a penny! I list more free options in my tutorial.
Sometimes our lack of results comes from honest to goodness lack of practice. I am struggling a bit with my mirrorless Niko Z50 so, I am going to have to knuckle down and get some confidence by using my camera, not grumbling it ‘doesn’t work’.
Do any of these apply to you?
Frustrated with your cat portraits?
Lack sharpness or light?
Not happy with your composition?
Are your wonderful cats surrounded by a lot of space making the cat look lost? Zoom in, or move closer if you can.
Are your cats looking fuzzy (and I don’t mean their fur) see if you can improve your focus. This is sometimes an issue for me too. It’s an area I spend time trying to improve (and that’s free). See what your camera has to help you focus. Some cameras have Autofocus, most smartphones let you tap the screen to focus in on your cat.
Check online literature if you can and if bandwidth is tight, is there a nearby Mall or Library you can hop on to to watch ‘how to’ videos or grab a manual?
If you are vaguely dissatisfied with your cat photo composition ask yourself how your cat photo actually looks. How your cat is positioned? Too far away and, worst of all, when you look down on your cat, they are diminished. Remember, you can get close and create stunning compositions by getting down or up at cat level.
Use the Rule of Thirds as a starting point to build your composition confidence. Take some practice shots with your camera. Position an element such as your cat’s eye, body, or face on a point where the lines cross. The human mind seems to appreciate this and likes your portrait even more.
You will find most cameras and smartphones will allow you to have an overlay on your screen to help. As you will mostly be working with digital images you can practice all you like for free.
Rule of Thirds Grid
Solarise Your Cat
Transform your cat into something wild and wonderful by using your computer software to ‘solarise’ a portrait.
Finally, if you work in your (free) time and create a work you are thrilled with, one you are happy to show to friends, or want to frame, see if you can have a small print made. This will give you tangible proof you are doing great, even if your bank balance is mostly fresh air and hope.
Save your image, and every other one you find you really like as you improve. Maybe keep them on a free Dropbox (secure) not Google Photos. One day, sometime in the near future, you may be able to get a canvas print made and hang it proudly on your wall, or even enter a photography competition.
We all have tough times but, if you have a camera and access to a computer, or a smartphone, you can spend time, and very little money growing your skills and becoming a better cat photographer.
Today’s selfie of Thomas is an overlay portrait that shows some of the rainbow colours that will greet our colleague Ernie of the Island Cats, who left us yesterday.
These flowers are currently blooming in a trough in the garden, in spite of a few frosts. I love the resilience of pansies especially, they shine on in spite of everything, like Ernie.
Ernie has been an absolute joy to see every week in the selfies with his wry comments or his blissful enjoyment of the sunshine. We will miss you Ernie, very much.
I thought you might be curious to see the two photographs I used to create the tribute image. One is of Thomas sat enjoying the garden and the other is an overlay. You can try overlays too.
Let’s talk photo editing woes. You take a picture, you love it on your camera, then you open it on your computer and it’s so disappointing.
Maybe the colours seem wrong, the lighting needs help, and overall it just feels…meh. It happens to all of us, but it can be super frustrating, especially when you were so excited about capturing that perfect moment.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
But. Did you know your DSLR or mirrorless camera (and maybe your smartphone) has a secret super power that can rescue a lot of your images? Let me introduce you to Camera Raw. It sounds a bit scary but stick with me to the end of the post to discover if RAW might be useful, knowing about it certainly is.
What is Camera Raw?
Camera Raw is a different way to take photos because it captures your image as data. Imagine it as something out of the Matrix movies, streams of numbers that are impossible to interpret until they are processed using a raw processor/editor.
DEFINITION. How to take photos in raw. A raw photo editor is software designed to process and enhance raw image files captured by digital cameras. Using raw editors/processors preserves the full data from your camera sensor, providing a lot of flexibility for post-processing. This ensures that your photos look their absolute best.
Yes. The data you see here is transformed from this scary jumble of data into an image when you open your photos using the raw processor.
Let me suggest three processors/editors when you want to explore camera raw. These will be helpful if your own software might not ready be ready to open the images. All of these are cross-platform compatible, which means they work on Windows PCs and Macs.
Here’s the kind of transformation you can make using camera raw. Your usual photo software might lighten the image but there would be a lot more blur, not the lovely definition of fur and eyes like you see in Toulouse and Jack below.
Original Capture
Black & White (Edited)
What Camera Raw Cannot Do
You cannot take a very rapid series of cat photos if your cat is running very fast and you want to capture and freeze its motion. Many cameras fall over their own digital feet processing the data ‘on the go’. Like me you might prefer to practice changing your shutter speed instead.
How Do I Add Raw to My Camera Settings?
To experiment with Raw and see if it is a function you can make use of, you will need to add the Raw option (aka RAW in capitals) to your image settings on your camera.
Here you can see a DSLR menu from my Canon camera menu. Look for something similar to these in your own camera’s menu. If you can’t find it, check your manual or an online resource.
You will have an Image Quality button that stores your image options. You may have a lot more options but this list gives you an idea of image settings and file sizes.
Small – 720x 480 pixels. This takes up 0.3MB (megabyte) of space per photo
Medium 3456 x 2304 pixels 8.0MB (megabytes) of space per photo
Large – 5184 x 3456 taking up 10MB of space per photo.
RAW – 5184 x 3456 taking up 18MB per photo
Remember that a higher image size like 18MB means a larger picture and a much larger file size than 8.0MB.
Raw in Summary
It is easy to get swamped by discussions about RAW and JPEG formats that you find in dozens of photo blog posts. Most of these you will not need as you are on your own photo journey, at your own pace.
So, raw may not be something you will use immediately but the power it brings to your editing (called post-processing by expert photographers) can make a difference to your photographs, when the opportunity arises.
Explore it to see if you would find it useful. It’s an interesting next step to take in your camera and software exploration.
Today’s selfie is one I am very proud of. Not only is it a member of the Dash Kitten Crew
BUT……..
Toulouse will travel the world as a birthday card to greet Cat Writers’ Association (CWA) members. How thrilling is this?
How did this come about? Late last year I was contacted by Deb Barnes, who is not only a talented blogger at Zee & Zoey but also Outreach Chair with the CWA. She asked me if I would like to be featured on the annual Birthday card sent out to members.
Yes I would!!! (Can you imagine the excitement!).
An image was chosen; tweaks were made and, below; you see the lovely card Deb created featuring my photograph of Toulouse.
The image of Toulouse is one of my favourites and also one of the first I took using the lens I purchased with prize money from the 2019 Kuykendall Image Award.
What a selfie and when my own card arrved for MY birthday I was so thrilled!
I want to add a note for all cat creatives in the blogosphere.
If you write about cats, have written a story featuring a cat(s), written a poem that is on a blog or published in print in the year 2023 then please consider entering.
You have a couple of weeks to do so, and you do NOT have to be a member of the CWA to enter (although they are an awesome bunch).
Dot’s Muse® Medallion
Categories you can enter include:
Cat health, product review or entertainment posts
Poems and stories or books,
Podcasts
Videos
Your Blog
Social media accounts (fun, characterful impactful)
Photography -Single Image or Series
Cat Fine Art or commissioned work
You can find out more about entering and submit your best cat focused work here.
There are also some special awards here for special catgories like senior cats, training, and best NEW blogger (with cash prizes).
