336 



THE BOOK OF THE CAT. 



fatal loss of time that would be entailed by 

 having to step back to the camera or by giving 

 the word to an assistant. 



A subject suggestive of a picture will often 

 turn up when least expected and, at the time, 

 impossible to take. I always make a note of 

 these, and they come as a basis for future use 

 and to be worked out at leisure. " Thieves " 

 (page 79) was suggested by noting the fond- 

 ness of two of my kittens for melon, " Amateur 

 Photographers " by a group of kittens playing 

 round some photo frames put out to print, 

 and " Mischief " (page 88) by a frolicsome 

 kitten overturning a small bottle of ink and 

 playing with the little black pool. 



Isochromatic plates should be used in all 

 cases where there are mixed colours in the 

 cats' furs, as in tortoiseshells, brown tabbies, 

 etc. ; mixtures of red, black, and yellow cannot 

 be truly rendered with ordinary plates. The 

 only extra precaution necessary in their use is 

 absolute freedom from actinic light in the dark 

 room. Double ruby glass in the window, or, 

 if artificial light is used, an extra thickness of 

 red tissue paper round the developing lamp, 

 will answer the purpose and make everything 

 safe. With this little extra care, nice crisp 

 negatives are obtained, while the relative value 



of the red, yellow, and black seen in our 

 furry friends are well defined in the resulting 

 picture. 



Cat? used as models should, if possible, be 

 in the pink of condition the prettier the 

 model the more pleasant the picture. The 

 best time to photograph a cat is about one 

 hour after a light meal. Immediately after a 

 meal most cats want to wash and sleep. A 

 hungry cat or kitten makes the worst of sitters ; 

 its thoughts are too much turned towards the 

 inner man. Never overtax your cats, give them 

 plenty of rest during a sitting, and never lose 

 your temper and attempt by force to secure a 

 pose ; it only frightens the cats, and can never 

 result in satisfactory work. Time and patience 

 should always in the end achieve what you 

 desire. 



Artistic photography having been for some 

 years a pleasant and recreative hobby with me, 

 I can assure my friends who keep cats for 

 pleasure, and those who find pleasure in the 

 camera, that by uniting the two hobbies they 

 will discover a field of enjoyment and artistic 

 possibilities which neither pursuit alone can 

 afford. To all such the preceding notes are 

 offered as humble finger-posts, indicating rather 

 than assuring the road to success. 



LUCY CLARKE. 



IN THE STUDIO. 

 (.Photo : Mrs. S. F. Clarke.) 



