Tips for Photographing Black Cats ...?

jonchicoine · 8th of August 2011 (Mon)

I've had terrible luck with any shots of my black cat.

Anyone have any tips?

I open the raw files in lightroom and then usually feel i have to zero out the "black" slider to see any detail what so ever.

I lower contrast and what not... and i think all the pictures are terrible.

Can anyone indoor shots of black cats that you like with shooting details?

I'm thinking i need softbox or something.

Thanks,
jonathan

Sirrith · 15th of August 2011 (Mon)

Posting pictures will help us help you

digirebelva · 15th of August 2011 (Mon)

What's your metering, spot, or evaluative, try overexposing by a stop and work from there

Gatorboy · 23rd of August 2011 (Tue)

Pretend it's a black dog: http://photography-on-the.net/forum/...d.php?t=994305

M_Six · 17th of September 2011 (Sat)

The biggest problem I have with my black cat is the lint. Seriously. The cat is a walking lint brush. I take a shot and look at it in PS and I can't believe how much lint and flakes the cat has in his fur. I have to spend a half hour with the spot removal tool to clean the image up enough to post.

Getting detail is always going to be a problem. Tough to get the lighting right if the cat won't sit still.

pwm2 · 17th of September 2011 (Sat)

Quote:

Originally Posted by M_Six

The biggest problem I have with my black cat is the lint. Seriously. The cat is a walking lint brush. I take a shot and look at it in PS and I can't believe how much lint and flakes the cat has in his fur. I have to spend a half hour with the spot removal tool to clean the image up enough to post.

Getting detail is always going to be a problem. Tough to get the lighting right if the cat won't sit still.

Maybe instead 5 minutes with a brush on the cat

M_Six · 18th of September 2011 (Sun)

Quote:

Originally Posted by pwm2

Maybe instead 5 minutes with a brush on the cat

That creates more flakage.

Gundogs · 26th of September 2011 (Mon)

Use a piece of kitchen paper slightly damp, wipe over the cat before you shoot any pics - it really helps with the flaky bits.

killeraxemannic · 31st of October 2011 (Mon)

My GF has a black cat. She does well when shes against a light background and in the daylight. If she's indoors I get a weird glare off the fur. Here is my best one of her

little_mcturtle · 8th of November 2011 (Tue)

@ M-Six - Have you tried a lint roller? If his/her skin is very flaky you can add salmon oil to his food.
I find sunlight is the easiest way to get a good shot. I put the cat tree next to the window and hope for the best.

AntonLargiader · 11th of December 2011 (Sun)

Quote:

Originally Posted by killeraxemannic

If she's indoors I get a weird glare off the fur.

In a way, the glint is what you have to use to see black fur! Work that from different angles.

I'd love to see that shot with more DOF and custom WB.

RPCrowe · 22nd of June 2012 (Fri)

1. The cameras meter will try to make the cat into 18% gray. Under expose to get a true black.

2. Cross light the cat. Cross lighting will bring out the texure in its coat...

3. Say "To hell with that!" and photograph a dog. Dogs are easier to photograph...

JennW · 15th of August 2012 (Wed)

Start with good lighting, wherever possible. Soft lighting, but lots of it. Harsh lighting will produce glare/shine. Good natural light or a softbox, if you can. This shot is using flash, but bounced up and behind me off a white wall.

As for lint and stray hairs, a damp cloth works ok, as long as it's not so wet that the fur shines. I also use a feather toy to flick away really noticeable hairs - it also gets their attention, too!

AntonLargiader · 1st of September 2012 (Sat)

Patrick's posts are harvested from other websites and appear in multiple places on multiple forums. Google "Your first thought for pet photography may be a formal, full-body pose" if you want to see for yourselves.

Patrick, if you're a real person please post about your own experiences in your own words.

8th of August 2011 (Mon)	#1
jonchicoine Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 168	Tips for Photographing Black Cats ...? I've had terrible luck with any shots of my black cat. Anyone have any tips? I open the raw files in lightroom and then usually feel i have to zero out the "black" slider to see any detail what so ever. I lower contrast and what not... and i think all the pictures are terrible. Can anyone indoor shots of black cats that you like with shooting details? I'm thinking i need softbox or something. Thanks, jonathan

15th of August 2011 (Mon)	#2
Sirrith Cream of the Crop Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Hong Kong Posts: 8,460	Re: Tips for Photographing Black Cats ...? Posting pictures will help us help you __________________ -Tom Flickr \| Zenfolio F-Stop Guru review \| RRS BH-40 review

15th of August 2011 (Mon)	#3
digirebelva Goldmember Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Henrico, Virginia Posts: 2,371 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: Tips for Photographing Black Cats ...? What's your metering, spot, or evaluative, try overexposing by a stop and work from there __________________ EOS 7d, 50d, Tokina 11-16, Sigma 70-200mm F/2.8, Sigma 17-50 F/2.8, Canon 24-70mm F/2.8L, Canon 70-200 F/2.8L, 580EX Speedlites When it ceases to be fun, it will be time to walk away http://www.tawilsonphotography.com

23rd of August 2011 (Tue)	#4
Gatorboy Goldmember Join Date: May 2005 Location: Bel Air, MD Posts: 2,414	Re: Tips for Photographing Black Cats ...? Pretend it's a black dog: http://photography-on-the.net/forum/...d.php?t=994305 __________________ Dave Hoffmann

17th of September 2011 (Sat)	#5
M_Six Goldmember Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: East Central IL Posts: 2,045 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: Tips for Photographing Black Cats ...? The biggest problem I have with my black cat is the lint. Seriously. The cat is a walking lint brush. I take a shot and look at it in PS and I can't believe how much lint and flakes the cat has in his fur. I have to spend a half hour with the spot removal tool to clean the image up enough to post. Getting detail is always going to be a problem. Tough to get the lighting right if the cat won't sit still. __________________ Mark J. Canon 7D Gripped\|Canon 6D Gripped\|S95\|FZ-18\|Rokinon 8mm f3.5, 14mm f2.8, and 35mm f1.4\|Tamron 17-50 f2.8 (non-VC)\|Canon 10-22mm f3.5-4.5\|40mm f2.8\|24-105mm f4L\|85mm f1.8\|135mm f2L\|70-300mm f4-5.6L\|400mm f5.6L\|430 EX II

26th of September 2011 (Mon)	#8
Gundogs UK SE Photographer of the Year 2012 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Surrey, UK Posts: 2,496 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: Tips for Photographing Black Cats ...? Use a piece of kitchen paper slightly damp, wipe over the cat before you shoot any pics - it really helps with the flaky bits. __________________ Penelope Malby Photography my Facebook my Flickr my 500px POTNSE group portfolio - add your best pics!

31st of October 2011 (Mon)	#9
killeraxemannic Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Colorado Posts: 224 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: Tips for Photographing Black Cats ...? My GF has a black cat. She does well when shes against a light background and in the daylight. If she's indoors I get a weird glare off the fur. Here is my best one of her Last edited by killeraxemannic : 2nd of November 2011 (Wed) at 14:41.

8th of November 2011 (Tue)	#10
little_mcturtle Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 47 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: Tips for Photographing Black Cats ...? @ M-Six - Have you tried a lint roller? If his/her skin is very flaky you can add salmon oil to his food. I find sunlight is the easiest way to get a good shot. I put the cat tree next to the window and hope for the best. Last edited by little_mcturtle : 8th of November 2011 (Tue) at 18:31.

22nd of June 2012 (Fri)	#12
RPCrowe Cream of the Crop Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: San Diego County, California, USA Posts: 7,109	Re: Tips for Photographing Black Cats ...? 1. The cameras meter will try to make the cat into 18% gray. Under expose to get a true black. 2. Cross light the cat. Cross lighting will bring out the texure in its coat... 3. Say "To hell with that!" and photograph a dog. Dogs are easier to photograph... __________________ See my images at http://rpcrowe.smugmug.com/ EQUIPMENT: Two Canon 7D cameras plus Canon D60 camera modified for full-time IR; Tokina 12-24mm f/4, 50mm f/1.8 Mark-I, 17-55mm f/2.8 IS, Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Macro, 135mm f/2.8 Soft Focus, 70-200mm f/4L IS, 300mm f/4L IS, and 400mm f/5.6L lenses;

15th of August 2012 (Wed)	#13
JennW Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Ontario Posts: 8	Re: Tips for Photographing Black Cats ...? Start with good lighting, wherever possible. Soft lighting, but lots of it. Harsh lighting will produce glare/shine. Good natural light or a softbox, if you can. This shot is using flash, but bounced up and behind me off a white wall. As for lint and stray hairs, a damp cloth works ok, as long as it's not so wet that the fur shines. I also use a feather toy to flick away really noticeable hairs - it also gets their attention, too!

1st of September 2012 (Sat)	#14
AntonLargiader Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Charlottesville, VA Posts: 1,784 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: Tips for Photographing Black Cats ...? Patrick's posts are harvested from other websites and appear in multiple places on multiple forums. Google "Your first thought for pet photography may be a formal, full-body pose" if you want to see for yourselves. Patrick, if you're a real person please post about your own experiences in your own words. __________________ T2i . 18-55 IS . 70-300 IS USM . 70-200 2.8L IS . 28mm 1.8 . 100 Macro . 430EX II . TT1/TT5 . Bogen/Manfrotto 3021 w/3265 ball-mount

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