What I've learned from working with professionals and experienced on my own has been similar. Cats do not like you to pose them. They don't like outfits, they don't want to be on Santa's lap for your Christmas card and they never want to stare where they're supposed to. Here is the best advice I can give you to take good pictures of your cats.

The first thing you should do is prep your area. Unlike dogs, cats need to be lured, intrigued even. I suggest taking a pinch of catnip and lather your hands with it (rubbing it back and forth in your hands like soap brings out the scent). Sprinkle the catnip in the area you want the cat to go to. If your cat likes it, he'll wander over there and sniff around for a while, roll over and be all cute.

Give him a few minutes to indulge himself and then get ready to take some shots. You can go ahead and whistle, but it probably won't do you any good. Cats aren't attracted to whistling. Some may respond to it, but if they're like mine, they won't even lift their head. The best noises you can make to get your cat looking in your direction are best described as an "angry squirrel."

Make a fast clicking with your tongue and teeth. This sound makes my cats stop dead in their tracks and stare at me, eyes wide open. Move quickly to take their photos, they'll get disinterested fast. You can also make "kissy" or "smooching" sounds by smacking your lips together. Don't try to jingle a toy above the camera to get their attention. They will run over to you and try to bat at it. Look at Figure B to see my sound effects in action.

FIGURE B


10 seconds before this, he was tangled in the lights. Once he heard the sounds, he stood at attention. Roll over picture for a larger image.

Cats vs. dogs
So as you can see, there is a difference in how you should handle each species of animal in regards to photography. Puppies take patience and kittens take cunning.

Follow my tips and you'll have the perfect pet pictures to share with all your friends! Also, I used a soft focus on Figure A and a vignette and oil-painting effect on Figure B. Both of these effects were created by Adobe Photoshop Elements version 6. You can read about the ease and affordability of this product by reading my Connected Photographer review.

James Booth is Editor-at-Large at ZATZ Publishing. In addition to writing for Computing Unplugged and Connected Photographer, he's the author of Do-It-Yourself Wedding Photography. A self-taught photographer, James also dabbles in digital graphics and has learned to be a PC and handheld specialist through personal trial and error. James can be reached at jbooth@zatz.com.