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.
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.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
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!
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.
