What Can You Do With A Cat Photo?

It is easy just to lift your camera and snap a cat photo, whether it is a DSLR, Smartphone or Mirrorless model. No thought, no adjustments, just point and shoot. Easy right?

Unfair to Cat Photographers?

This makes cat photographers sound a bit careless doesn’t it, and that isn’t fair. Sometimes you literally have seconds to capture a shot and you need to use the settings your DSLR or smartphone was set to last time you used it.

So, how can you make your shot look a bit different to the usual ‘here’s a snapshot of my cat‘? * yawn * Let’s have a look and how you can adjust, or gently edit a cat photo.

Miranda’s Portrait

I captured Miranda lit from behind, also known as backlighting or back lit. The sun lights up the edges of her shape, and the sun reflecting off the white wall behind me means her face is gently lit.

• You can try a shot like this with your cat on a window ledge or on a table with a window behind it. You can also gently dodge the cat face to add a little light.

How Can You Edit This Cat Photo?

You can change the orientation. Images are mostly portrait, an upright rectangle, or landscape, a wider and flatter shape.

You can decide to change the shape. Portrait and landscape rectangles are the most common but you can also crop to a square. Some smartphone apps allow fun shapes like circles and stars, but see how your image looks before you commit – and always save a digital copy.

Try A Square Crop

As a quick cheat this is useful if you want your cat photo to fit most social media.

It is not the ‘correct’ shape social media likes but if your cat is in the middle, like this, it’s worth a try. [Especially if you are short on time.]

Miranda in a Landscape Shot

A different look for a portrait orientation cat photo.

Even if your shot was upright you may still be able to crop it to a landscape shape. Try to use the Rule of Thirds so your cat is nicely positioned. Your cat does not need to be in the middle of the shot. It can be but this is not essential.

Be confident. Go with what you want, what you think and what works for you.

The last thing you can do is crop a shot closer than you might believe is possible.

Try A Close Cat Crop

Cats can be a challenge if you want a good close-up. Sometimes your cat doesn’t like you getting too close and will they stalk off looking grumpy. Work to get them familiar with closer shots, or, hold your camera steady (essential) zoom in.

Super Close Cat Crop

The shot of Miranda is cropped super close for this last shot. I love how wistful she looks and you might not see this so well in the distance shot. This is the kind of shot you can achieve from further away and cropping in if moving close doesn’t work. Just remember to hold your camera steady as digital zooms are sensitive.

PHOTO EDITS The image was not sharp so I grabbed my Enhance tool, then added a small touch of sharpening in Luminar (affiliate). It worked because you can see one or two white hairs on her black fur. Always use a light touch with your tools, regardless of your device or your cat may end up looking like an unskilled piece of AI.

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