Do you wish that you could capture beautiful photos of your cat in their natural habitat, being themselves? You’re in luck, because we’ve rounded up some tips on how to do just that. All you need is a smartphone and a few easy tricks up your sleeve!
Start with some basics: Make sure the great moments you capture always look their best by cleaning the lens on your phone with a microfiber or soft cloth, and tapping on your screen to set the focus. You can even adjust the amount of light in your photo by holding your finger on the sun icon and dragging up to brighten the photo, or dragging down to darken.
Let there be light! Photos taken in daylight have more natural color and shadows than photos taken with artificial light. While you can still nab cute photos of your cat at night, well-lit day shots often give the best results. Try having the cat look towards the light, or capture them basking in the sun. If you really want to capture details, try aiming your phone or camera in the same direction as your light source, rather than against it.
Pepe and Georgia are model-ready in these shots taken in bright, natural light.
“For me it’s all about timing and persistence — which means spending lots of time with the cats while keeping your camera at the ready. And some nice window light doesn’t hurt either!”
Get a little silly to capture their attention! Does your cat have a favorite toy? Wiggle it behind the camera to get them looking right at you. Are they food motivated? Give them a treat, then hold the next treat behind the camera, and snap their reaction. Or, the classic, make weird noises. High pitched baby talk, kisses, trills, squeaks, snapping fingers, and jangling keys are all ways to make a cat wonder what is going on — and look your way!
Does your cat proudly display their belly like Caesar? Or have a silly signature pose like Sangria? Catching your cats “in the act” is a great way to show off what makes them so wonderfully unique!
Mix it up! Different perspectives can change the entire look of a shot. Test out different angles by getting on eye-level with your cat, photographing them coming towards the camera, or shooting from an aerial view. You can also try to catch your cats "in their element" by taking a photo from a distance, before going in for the close up — just be careful not to startle them as you do!
“Getting down to a ‘cat’s eye view’ has helped me capture some of my favorite photos of our cats. Being at or below the cat’s level makes the cat the ‘hero’ of the photograph, as opposed to photographing the cat looking down from our human perspective. If you see me at Cat Town photographing our cats, I’m usually lying on the rug!”
Bella spends time with her foster mom on the couch, while Hanoi shows off her silly side while playing on the floor. Getting on eye-level with the cats and maintaining eye contact with the camera gives these shots a sweet, personal touch.
Be patient! Chances are you aren’t always ready to have your photo taken — and neither is your cat. Be prepared to wait to get the best shot, or try again another time if your cat is feeling a little camera shy. Often the perfect photo opportunities come when you don’t plan for them — so take your time, and keep your eye out!
Take LOTS of photos! Even professional photographers sometimes take an awkward shot or two — so snapping plenty of back-ups is a simple solution. If your cat is looking extra cute, get a few shots in quickly. You never know what awesome moments you’ll capture when you take several photos in a row!
“Sit and wait — it’s how cats hunt and how I hunt for cat photos. Capturing a great moment is so rewarding, especially when it takes a lot of pictures and time to get.”
If you’ve got a bonded pair like Eira and Isley or Carabiner and Jumanji, showcase their friendship by letting them share the limelight in your photos!
Each of the photos featured on this blog post was taken not by one of our photography volunteers, but by our foster guardians. It just goes to show — capturing great photos of your cat can be simple when you try these techniques!
What are your favorite tips for capturing your cat’s best side?