332 



A SNAPSHOT. 



(Photo : E. Landor, Baling.) 



CHAPTER XXIX. 



CAT PHOTOGRAPHY FOR AMATEURS. 



\ LL lovers of the cat who are also amateur 

 _~A_ photographers must have seen with 

 envious admiration the lovely cat pic- 

 tures by Madame Ronner, the more racy and 

 amusing sketches by Louis Wain, and the 

 many beautiful photographs which so greatly 

 enhance the instructive and pictorial value of 

 this " Book of the Cat." 



To the amateur wishing to take up this 

 fascinating, though somewhat difficult, branch 

 of photographic art, I venture to offer a few 

 suggestions. 



The subject naturally divides itself into two 

 distinct branches the commercial and the 

 artistic. By the " commercial " I mean all 

 photographs taken with the special aim of 

 showing the shape and points of the cat from 

 the fancier's, owner's, or purchaser's point of 

 view. In the " artistic," I include all those 

 pictures where the cat is used as a model only. 



In either kind of work almost any sort of 

 camera and lens will do, providing it will 

 yield a fair definition and admit of rapid 

 exposures. If one possesses a portrait lens 



all the better. At all events use a lens which 

 will give you good definition at a large aper- 

 ture. A good make of roller-blind shutter is 

 an important accessory, with a sufficient length 

 of tubing to the pneumatic release to enable 

 one to move about freely while holding the 

 ball and to get close up to the cats while 

 making either time or instantaneous exposures. 

 The camera stand should be very firm and rigid. 

 I like best to work in the open air, my 

 studio being the small open run of my 

 cattery. If the light is too direct or strong 

 I diffuse it by stretching light blue art 

 muslin curtains above the table or stand 

 upon which the cats are arranged. These 

 curtains run with rings upon cords stretched 

 from the boundary walls on each side, so that 

 they may be moved in any way the lighting 

 may require. For background a dark plush 

 curtain will be found useful. Avoid figured 

 backgrounds, as they detract from the value 

 and crispness of the cats and accessories. An 

 example of what I mean will be seen in my 

 picture on page 158 of the present work, 



