In my last post I said I was going to try to get close-ups of Iris with better lighting. I had a plan, and it was a good one except for one thing I should have seen coming.
Like me, Iris is very sensitive to light. One of the challenges I failed to mention last time is, even in my not-so-close photos of her, she’s usually squinting or scrunching, or has her eyes closed entirely. Like this:
I suspect this has something to do with her coloring. Iris isn’t just a nearly white cat – she’s really a Tuxedo cat. But unlike most of her family, the parts that would normally be jet black are more of a cream color (and some of that gets darker all the time). And, thinking back over my sessions and time with them, yes, she squints in lighting that doesn’t seem to bother them.
So, some success with my experiment. I was dialing in the time of day for the lighting I thought I wanted. And, I was making progress very quickly on getting her to go along with the arrangement of eating, and therefore posing, outside of her comfort zone.
She hasn’t relaxed enough to really hang out for good close-ups, but it’s obvious that this is not the lighting I want for that. I do love what I caught with her feet in motion and the nice shadow.
So, now to hone my approach. This morning light is too severe for her. And soon, it will be too sunny and hot for mid-day shots, even if I can convince her there will be food involved. They hide from the heat of the day, just like I do.
