Help on Pet Photo Ideas!

[birder_herper]

Hello all,

I'm going to be heading off to my brother's house in the next couple of weeks to photograph his girlfriend's two cats (just a little something he'll give her for Christmas). This was HIS idea and not mine, but I'm happy to accept the challenge. But I'm not too sure what exactly to go for in this photoshoot; admittedly I might not be as creative as I'd like. If you guys have any pointers, creative ideas, suggestions, etc. I'd love to hear them!

My gear, if this helps:

Canon 40D
Sigma 180mm f/3.5 macro
Canon 60mm f/2.8 macro
Canon 18-55mm IS
Canon 10-22mm WA
And a telephoto, but I'm not bringing that.

Thanks!

[Flo]

Get yourself a large paper bag........lay it on the floor..lol.open the end..and wait.;)
You lay on the floor.aim at the open end....

After that, give them some catnip...they should be loose and calm....;)

[shybull]

Get down to eye level with them. Try not to shoot down at them. Maybe get them by a bright window so you won't have to use flash. Use a reflector or white board to fill shadows. Be patient. Good luck.

[ceegee]

Use your 60 macro, get down to the cat's level, and be patient. Toys and catnip, as suggested, might also be useful. Experiment with depth of field. The 60, wide open, is an awesome pet photography lens. Activate one focus point only, and make sure you always focus on the eyes. Allow at least an hour; cats aren't always cooperative ...! Good luck and have fun.

[suecassidy]

I scattered yellow feathers around a black cat, with one hanging out of his mouth, and called it The Cat That Ate the Canary . Not to everyone's taste, I know, but I was trying to camoflage a large tumor growing out of the side of the cat's mouth... Client loved it and put it on coffee mugs and greeting cards, a great memento as the cat has since died.

[Meanderthal]

What are cats the best at? Sleeping. What will make the girlfriend's heart go flutter? Seeing the beloved cats curled up in sleep. After all the action shots are done, shoot the sleeping cats from all angles, including from above. By then they will be exhausted - and used to you lurking about, used to you using diffused flash. Have the stage set by knowing their favorite spots. Clean the clutter, maybe set up a backdrop, set up the lights... Have fun.

[jackies35]

Great ideas listed above!