ivymccosh

Mikey the Kitten

May, 2017

Views

932

Likes

+140

Awards

Action Award

Chatter Award

Zenith Award

Legendary Award

Peer Choice Award

Staff Favorite

Peer Award

+160

Absolute Masterpiece

+19

Top Choice

+14

Superb Composition

+11

Outstanding Creativity

Superior Skill

All Star

Top Ranks

Top 10 rank

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Top 10 rank

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Top 10 rank week 1

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Behind The Lens

Location

This photo was taken on my back porch. My sister had just brought the kitten home and I thought he was the perfect subject to practice my skills on.

Time

This was taken at about 9:30 in the morning on May 12, 2017. Normally I do not like shooting at 9 am, but my back porch is screened in, so it was actually rather dark, which led me to make several lighting adjustments.

Lighting

I had just purchased a new speedlite that day, and I was trying to teach myself how to use it. I attached the flash to the hot shoe atop my camera and pointed it at the wall to the right of the kitten in order to bounce the catchlight into his eyes (you can also see some reflection of the light on the ground to the left). Flash was at about 2/8 power.

Equipment

This was shot with a Canon 5D Mark III, 50mm 1.8 lens, and a Neewer TT560 Speedlite. Settings were 1/160 at f/4.0 and ISO 2500.

Inspiration

I honestly just wanted to take this photo because I thought the kitten was really cute. However, this photo has become extra special to me over the past week because Mikey (the kitten) recently passed away. I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to take this photo of him while he was still with us, but my family misses him every day.

Editing

I made a few adjustments to this photo in Lightroom. First, I cropped it in closer to his face so that his eyes were more centered. I then applied a preset I purchased from the Pretty Presets Film Bohemian Collection (Wildflower) and used a brush (+0.15 exposure) to brighten his eyes and draw more attention to the catchlights.

In my camera bag

I always carry my Canon 5D Mk III in my bag - it's the best body I own. And I never go anywhere without 85mm 1.8 or my 50mm 1.8, and for portraiture my 85mm rarely leaves my camera. This photo, of course, is an exception, as it was taken in a tighter space and required the 50mm. I also carry a 28mm 2.8 most of the time, just in case I ever need a more extreme wide angle.

Feedback

The best advice I can give based on my limited knowledge and experience - as I am still learning - is this: I have simply learned to look for unexpected moments. I get my camera settings in order and then I watch my subject do his or her thing. For this picture, I just watched Mikey closely as he explored the back porch, and I waited patiently for him to look up at me. My best advice would be to pay attention to the little things your subject does because capturing real moments and raw emotion is one of the biggest responsibilities a photographer can have. Learn to see the world through a set of eyes that pays attention to the little details, and you'll start to notice photo-worthy moments more and more.

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ivymccosh

ivymccosh

Mikey the Kitten

Behind The Lens

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