how do you photograph a black cat?

Question

I am interested in lighting positions (multi flash?),or preferably domestic lighting,back-ground etc.,
It is a fairly docile cat. I have a compact digital and a quality steam driven S.L.R. with a selection of lenses.

Answer 1

Use backlighting, if possible. Position one of your lights or strobes above and behind the cat, and fill in the front in a flat manner with a soft light, bounced off of a piece of white board or shot through a white silk, about 1-2 stops lower than the backlight. You want to expose for the front lighting, and let the backlight blow-out a bit.
If you put the black cat against a black background, and shoot him this way, he'll appear to glow from the backlight, and you'll still see detail in his face due to the flat front fill lighing..

Answer 2

Bracket the exposure (i.e take several pictures at slightly different settings). If you camera as a 'back-lite' setting, play with that too.

In order to get some detail in the cat you may need to over expose the image by anything from ½ a stop (a click setting on shutter speed or the 'f'settings on the lens) to as much as two or two½ stops. Much of this depends on just how you light the cat... and just how black a cat it really is.

Ambient or natural light is best... sit your cat on a window sill - preferably on a slightly overcast day so that the light is softer (if he/she will stay still to pose). Then there should be plenty of light to play with without having to resort to flash which makes cats eyes look strange - and may put the cat off sitting for another shot!

If you can, use a high resolution B&W film. The best thing next would be to print the images yourself - so that you can balance the exposure on the paper (dodging & burning as it is known in the darkroom).

Digitally you can achieve similar results with a fairly high resolution camera and image manipulation software such as 'Photoshop', but a darkroom is more fun.

Answer 3

Photographing a cat can be tricky since their eyes tend to shine and they may not want to sit still. I suggest trying it without a flash, set the shutter speed to slower and get a higher speed film (like 800) that will allow you to get more light in without using a flash, you may also want to get the cat when it is sleepy, so that doesnt move around too much. If it is still too dark, try indirect lighting. But if you are going for something a little spooky, you could use a flash and get his eyes shining...it is all up to your preference! Good Luck!

Answer 4

Dark room and back light the cat. Scare the heck out of the cat and at the same time snap the picture. The cat will grow a halo

Answer 5

I'd opt for natural light, and go for a neutral background- nothing too light (like white) which might throw off the sensor reading and result in an underexposed cat with no detail visible.

Answer 6

white background and red eye flash, or just experiment im sure if you feed the cat fish afterwards it wont mind! edit the photo on a computer and experiment with abstract and psychadelic backgrounds, that could look cool or you could try taking the peicture at different angles and diff. light tones, oh the possibilities are endless, art isnt a 1 chance and your out kinda thing, u gotta leran and improve.

wow i cant believe i just answered like that, im deep!!!! jokes!!!!!!!!!

Answer 7

High speed, black & white film with the cat front lit with a white strobe. Try to get the cat to stand or jump with his front paws extended towarsd the lens.

Answer 8

You'll need a light-colored background of some sort: Black cats can be hard to photograph on account of their color.

Answer 9

to get detail try getting a shine off his coat but putting a light source at an incident angle. then use soft light. using a light background makes it easier but if you light it properly you can use black.

Answer 10

Try your digital first, that way you can check the lighting and composure. Then you can try taking it in different lighting conditions. Taking it in good outdoor light may be best way