Hamish
Oct, 2015Views
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Contest Finalist in Cats Being Cats Photo Contest
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nandicmb
December 11, 2015
Congratulations on your Contest Finalist win in Cats Being Cats Photo Contest!
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken at my mum's house, specifically her new sun room that she was proudly showing off to me on the day. The cats lay around on the floor as we had a chat and a glass of wine on the plush comfy sofa and 'Hamish', the kitten in the photo was just oblivious to everyone around him.Time
The sun was getting low in the sky, so I think it was around 4pm on a Sunday, that magic last few hours of a weekend where everyone just chills out and enjoys the evening before work looms on a Monday morning.Lighting
Ah yes, it was one of those "where's my camera" moments! Although rare, the sun does sometimes shine in Scotland and on that day it was streaming in through the large window and casting long streaks of shadow and blocks of orange light onto the floor as the cats lazed around soaking up the heat. Perfect natural lighting for a portrait and the heat from the sun made the cats perfect subjects, lazy and unwilling to relinquish the perfect spot for sunbathing.Equipment
I had just bought a Nikon D810 and this was one of the first shots I had ever captured with it. The lens was a Nikkor 85mm F1.4, the perfect combination for tack sharp portraits with smooth creamy backgrounds. No flash or tripod was required, I think if it was I would have missed the shot and scared the cats away anyway.Inspiration
It was really an 'on the spot' shot, not much more can be said really. No planning, no location scouting, no calculating the sun's position in the sky or camping out for hours in the freezing cold to catch that perfect moment as the sun sinks low in the sky. I just set the camera, composed the shot quickly and captured a docile sunbathing feline, which worked out pretty well. This has been my most popular photo on VB and the quickest and easiest to take, go figure.Editing
The lighting was so perfect there was very little post processing required. Obviously shooting in RAW requires some adjustments to really bring out the best in the image, so the usual adjustments to exposure, contrast, white balance, sharpness etc. were made and I was happy with the way it looked. I use Lightroom for my basic editing and no Photoshop was required. Apart from that, I only used a brush on the eyes, this being the focal point of the image it's important they really 'pop'. Shots like these are simple to process and my sole aim was recreating how my eyes saw the scene on the day... the warm sun on a happy kitten.In my camera bag
Way more than I need is the honest answer. Some of it I have never used! The essentials however are my D810 and various Nikkor and Sigma lenses, selection of LEE filters, Nikon Speedlight and a lightweight CF tripod from Manfrotto. The rest is just 'bumf'.. cloths, cards, triggers, batteries, manuals, filter housings and an old half eaten Mars bar.Feedback
Just have your camera with you and ready to go at all times, you never know when an opportunity presents itself for a nice shot. Modern full frame DSLRs are pretty bulky and awkward but it pays to have it handy. As with any photography light is the key, natural or artificial, developing an eye what what is a 'good light' is the key to great images.
