Nala's Portrait
Oct, 2016Views
490
Likes
Awards
Zenith Award
Legendary Award
People's Choice in Pet Portraits Photo Challenge
Top Choice
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Outstanding Creativity
Peer Award
Superior Skill
All Star
Magnificent Capture
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo at home on my sofa.Time
It was mid-day so the light was shining nicely through the window.Lighting
I tried to use as much natural lighting as possible; therefore I postioned my camera at an angle that gave me the best light reflecting off Nala's face.Equipment
I used my Canon 750D camera with a 55mm lens. I used manual mode with my shutter speed set at 1/500 with an aperture of 5/1.Inspiration
I love photos with black backgrounds as I believe it makes a photo look elegant and eye catching. So whilst Nala was lying on the sofa I decided to try and achieve this myself. When I uploaded the photo I instantly loved it. Being a Bengal she's such a beautiful cat and I think I captured her beauty in this photo.Editing
I used an app called snap seed on my iPad. I reduced the saturation, added contrast, sharpness and highlights to the photo to enhance it. Nala is a beige Bengal however I felt that making this photo black and white added elegance and worked really well with the background.In my camera bag
When I travel with my photography equipment I usually have my camera, a 55mm lens, a 300mm lens and my tripod.Feedback
Cats aren't the easiest animals to photograph especially as they are quite disobedient - definitely not like dogs. Therefore trying to force them to do something isn't the best way as they will just walk off and be disinterested. I've found the easiest way to photograph a cat is to catch them in the act such as lying, sitting, running, without forcing or prompting them. That way they are more likely to stay where they are or carry on as normal therefore allowing you take a picture as you're not disturbing them. What's more it requires a lot of patience when working with cats. It is best to wait for a cat to move into the position you desire rather than physically moving them - they can be incredibly stubborn. With the photo of Nala I saw her lying down already on the sofa taking a nap, I grabbed my camera and just started taking photos. I've found that this method of taking photos of her works really well as she just continues doing what she wants but I'm able to capture beautiful photos of her.
