We have a new installment in our pet photography interview series, this time with Ingrid Nevinger of 9 Lives Photography. Ingrid specializes in cat photography, plus she volunteers her time with several cat charity organizations, helping to photograph adoptable cats, definitley putting the cats in their best light. She also put together a Blurb book, Faces of Felines Inc., with a sampling of the photos taken at this Chicago no-kill shelter.

You have to check out Ingrid’s blog Cat Nipped, where she posts portraits of people with their cats along with a little interview about the image and the cat-human relationship.

Ingrid also plays in a string ensemble, Elle Musique, that donates their musical services to Chicago-area animal shelters.

How long have you been photographing pets and how did you get started?
I’ve been photographing animals, especially cats, since I received my first point-and-shoot camera as a child. During high school and early college, I studied darkroom photography and often used my cats as models. After taking a long hiatus from photography, I picked up my first digital camera only a few years ago. Virtually every week for the last year, I’ve visited Felines Inc., a no-kill Chicago cat shelter, to photograph its many residents. Felines Inc. is such a wonderful environment. Since it is cageless the cats know each other and are completely at ease. I capture them engaged in their normal activities of playing, grooming, napping, etc. I then sell their portraits and donate the proceeds back to Felines Inc. Recently, I’ve also started photographing cats from Animal Care League in Oak Park, IL and Cats-Are-Purrsons-Too.

What kind of pet photography do you do? Do you have a specialty?
Feline, definitely feline (hey, I’m a “cat person!”) Although I enjoy photographing humans, dogs and assorted other subjects, my real passion is capturing the character, spirit and extraordinary beauty of cats.

Do you do anything special to prepare for a photo shoot with a cat?
Since every cat possesses a district personality, I first spend time sans camera “making friends” (talking, petting, playing). I wish to gain my subject’s trust, and to make him feel comfortable in my presence. Upon introducing my camera, I always let him check it out. I’ve know many a cat who’s loved to headbutt the lens and chew the strap! To engage a cat’s curiosity and appetite, I frequently bring a variety of toys and treats. I also wear clothes I don’t mind getting dirty, as I follow my subjects everywhere and often end up crawling on the floor or ground.

What was the most challenging cat photo shoot you have done? Any funny stories?
A friend of mine has a lovely white cat named Marshmallow. I wanted to photograph them together for my blog, Cat Nipped. My friend warned me that Marshmallow didn’t take well to strangers, but I insisted that we would hit it off. After all, I had Da Bird (a great toy which no cat had ever resisted). Well, after hour upon hour of trying to lure him out (including “ignoring” him) I had to confess that I had met my match. One day, over the course of many, many visits, I will get that shot!

Do you have any tips for readers about how to take great photos of their cats?

• Cats can be unpredictable, so have your camera ready and seize the moment.
• Photograph in natural light if possible, as flash can frighten cats and cause red eye.
• If you have the option to shoot in aperture priority or manual mode, use the widest f-stop setting on your camera (this allows more light to hit the sensor).
• Capture your cat from every possible angle.
• Focus on just one body part ~ a fluffy tail, single eye or outstretched paw.
• Avoid cluttered backgrounds.
• Focus on expression, not technical perfection.
• Take lots of pictures (you will never regret having too many, only too few).

Continuing our pet photography interview series, today we have Sarah Sorrentino of SSP Photography Pets. Sarah combines her life-long love of animals with her photography skills to create some really spectacular images of pets. She also works with several animal welfare organizations in Atlanta, including Animal Action Rescue and FurKids. I am completely in love with the images above of her adorable kitty, Cat the Cat! Read more about him here.

How long have you been photographing pets and how did you get started?

I graduated with my photography degree from Columbia College Chicago in 2002. I began in the wedding photography field, and started my photography business after moving to Atlanta in 2003. Weddings were fantastic to photograph – so much energy, emotion, and humanity all wrapped up in one day – but the passion I had in the beginning just wasn’t quite there as much after I started shooting for a living. So I decided to take my focus in a new direction, and my life-long love for animals quickly led me to pet photography. Spending my time making new furry friends here in Atlanta and a bit in Chicago as well, and capturing their personalities for their moms and dads to cherish has been such a joy and I know I’ll continue to love this job for years to come.

What kind of pet photography do you do? Do you have a specialty?

My work is completely spontaneous and all about having fun! I don’t like to do any “posing” at all… my goal is to have a great time with the pets and the pets’ people. Out of spending a fun day together, and observing all of the little quirks and unique aspects of each pet’s personality, we can get the most natural and accurate record of who that pet is and what he means to his owner – and that is the whole idea. I also like to make images that might not be “portraits” technically speaking –  maybe a close shot of just whiskers, or an abstracted view of markings on fur — but the overall mood and feel of the photograph captures the spirit of the animal. To me, these are the best pieces to transform into artwork for your home. And for me the shoot is only the beginning of the creative process. I love finding unique ways to bring the images to life, whether it’s the perfect way to frame a classic print, printing on alternative materials like metal, or bringing a whole story together in a coffee table book featuring your pets. Great imagery is just a starting point!

Do you do anything special to prepare for a photo shoot with a cat?

The biggest thing I remember for cat shoots is patience! You have to work on the cat’s schedule, not your own. Dogs are much more eager to please their owners, so you can coax them to participate in the shoot far more easily than cats. If a cat isn’t in the mood for having a camera pointed towards him, I’m just going to have to wait awhile! Of course, snacks and toys can always help a bit too.

What was the most challenging cat photo shoot you have done? Any funny stories?

So far I’ve been lucky to work with some relatively easy-going cats, even if it did mean practicing some of the aforementioned patience. One cat I photographed was completely startled by the sight of my camera, and for the first part of our session he just sat straight up and stared at it all wide-eyed and afraid. The best thing I could to was to shoot him as he was — and I ended up getting a hilarious shot out of it that his mom just loved! After awhile he warmed up just fine and we were able to finish the shoot as planned and captured the full range of his expressions…but the deer-in-headlights pic really captured a sweet part of his personality and ended up being one of mom’s favorite shots.

Do you have any tips for readers about how to take great photos of their cats?

Definitely use plenty of natural light — cats do not like flashes! If the cat feels like he’s being forced to do something he doesn’t want to do, he’ll be out of there. So make it fun and interesting for the cat — really just play and interact with him the way you normally would; and remember that the shot of the kitty looking straight into the camera is not the only great shot to go for. Just shoot what the cat loves doing to get the best portrait of what your pet is really all about. Those are the shots you’ll cherish for a lifetime.

For the second interview in our pet photography Q & A series, I’d like to introduce Michelle Brodsky from Phoenix, Arizona. Michelle is a photographer for one of my favorite local no-kill shelters, the Arizona Animal Welfare League. She also donates 10% of all her photography fees to AAWL — such generosity and incredible talent! What more could you ask for?

How long have you been photographing pets and how did you get started?

I actually took the scenic route to animal photography by way of an attempt at Zoology, a degree from graphic design school, then finally graduating from photography school. My passion in life has always been animals. Being a Phoenix native it started out with scaly creatures that you find in our desert and it just went from there. I have also always been creative, so once I found that I could do a pretty good job with a camera I realized how I could follow my passion. I’ve been photographing animals since I was in photography school. I would sneak all kinds of things into the studio. Officially it has been my full time job for a little over a year now. Even though I am located in Phoenix I do not get much call for photographing desert dwelling creatures.

What kind of pet photography do you do? Do you have a specialty?

My husband calls what I do “plain air” photography. I’m not really sure what that means. I call it “on location.” I like to keep animals as comfortable as possible by photographing in their environments with natural light — that is what animals are used to. I like to capture the expressions animals make. My favorite part is that brief moment when they are interacting with their owners and everyone forgets that I’m there. I aim to capture the emotion between the two. Since I am an animal lover first there is no animal I will not photograph. (I have to admit, though, there is something about me that birds don’t really seem to care for.)

Do you do anything special to prepare for a photo shoot with a cat?

Twice a week I photograph for the Arizona Animal Welfare League which is a local no-kill shelter. I get a LOT of practice photographing cats. I have found they are usually easier than the dogs. Cats are a much more curious creature than dogs so my biggest issue is trying to keep them from getting too close or climbing on me. I’ve learned that you can usually get a dog to cooperate, but after a while a cat just will not do what it does not want to do. I guess for me the preparation is all mental, including a lot of wishful thinking. It always helps to have the mindset that I might not get the shot I came for because the cat might not want to be in the spot light that day.

What was the most challenging cat photo shoot you have done? Any funny stories?

I have to say I haven’t had any challenging cat photo shoots. I’ve photographed both challenging and funny looking cats, but the shoots weren’t challenging. The most challenging part about photographing cats is their ability to blink when the flash goes off or to not blink, yet give you the kitty cat evil eye. Where dogs usually look depressed or sad, cats usually look like they are secretly clawing your eyes out in their minds.

Do you have any tips for readers about how to take great photos of their cats?

The best thing I can tell readers is do not be afraid to get dirty. These are animals, not people. They won’t judge you for lying on the floor with them or crawling under a bed to capture how they are sleeping. They don’t care if you have to kneel in the mud to get that perfect shot and your pants get dirty. People are always apologizing to me when I get dirty during photo shoots and I always say, “hey, it’s part of the job.” Cats also see things from different perspectives. Don’t be afraid to climb up on something and shoot down or lie down and shoot up. The final thing is that photography is the art of patience. Don’t think you are going to get a great shot in 5 minutes. The more you rush, the more frustrated you will get. Always remember to breathe. You are dealing with cats after all.

See more of Michelle’s photography on her web site www.cowdreamz.com.

I’ve always been fascinated by pet photography, marveling at the exquisite photos some photographers can make of subjects who may be less than cooperative. To investigate the topic, I’ve rounded-up several pet photographers who have what I’d call a modern style. I’ll be interviewing each of them in a Q & A series. This first interview is with San Francisco-based photographer Edyta Szyszlo. Edyta is a Moderncat fan and you may have seen photos of her two moderncats Desher, an Abyssinian, and Boris, a Russian Blue, in the Moderncat gallery. Edyta currently focuses on portraits of people and pets, as well as wedding and product photography. Her background in fine art is obvious in the beautiful photos she captures.

How long have you been photographing pets and how did you get started?

I’ve been in the photography business since 2005. I started working professionally in San Francisco doing commercial photography (food, products, etc.) and some portrait work, but I quickly realized that my passion was in creating portraits of expressions, both human and pet. I moved to Chicago for a couple years specializing in weddings and portraits and now I’m back in San Francisco. As a child growing up in Missouri, I used my dad’s zoom lens Minolta, disposable cameras, and pinhole cameras to photograph our pets, plants, and my friends (after giving them a makeover). I guess it was just natural for me to pursue photography in college and now here I am and loving what I do!

What kind of pet photography do you do? Do you have a specialty?

In general, my style is very much documentary and photo journalistic. I believe in capturing my subject matter in its most comfortable environment and not forcing much direction. You’ll find me running around with dogs at the park or sitting next to a cat’s scratching post or favorite recliner. My goal is to document the pet’s personality and expressions, whether they are a scaredy-cat, ruff-n-tumble or a big hunk of snuggly love! In the end, I want the owner to look at the photograph and feel the memory or personality of their pet.

Do you do anything special to prepare for a photo shoot with a cat?

Well, we all know we love our cats for their unique personalities (wink wink)!  And while we can expect the cat to be a little stubborn, I find that most react well to treats and toys. I usually ask the owners to have favorite items (such as blankets & toys) close by so there isn’t a lot of movement during the shoot. We don’t want to play a chasing game, but instead create an area of comfort that the cat automatically finds interesting. I always make sure I know about the cat’s personality so that I’m able to read them faster. After we do a few studio-type shots with a white backdrop, I move into a ‘you go, I follow’ approach.

What was the most challenging cat photo shoot you have done? Any funny stories?

Surprisingly, I haven’t had a super challenging cat photo shoot (knock on wood).  Having a big camera with a flash can be scary for just about anyone or anything, so that’s always a hurdle that the cat and I have to overcome. Most of the time, the cats’ bellies become full of treats! It’s funny to watch the cat go from scared, to curious, to giving me something in return, to full and happy, thus lazy.

Certain cat breeds are more socially curious. I have an Abyssinian who loves adventure, climbing and people, so she tends to create her own dramas, which are fabulous to photograph! All cats have their little quirks like plastic obsessions, certain smells, or ways they like to be rubbed. My Russian Blue loves the smell and sound of nail files, so I can usually bribe him into some photos with that (I know funny and gross!)

Do you have any tips for readers on how to take great photos of their cats?

First and foremost, lighting! Lighting is key for the perfect photo, and I highly recommend seeking natural light. Use a flash only if you need. Second, relate to your pet on a personal level — get down on the floor and connect to their world. See what they see. And third, have patience! Most of us don’t like having our picture taken, so you have to approach your cat in the same way. Blend playtime and photo-taking together, let them get used to your camera — it will make for memorable photos. Hope that helps!

Edyta would like to offer Moderncat readers in the San Francisco Bay area and in the Chicago area 10% off a pet photo session. Just mention Moderncat when you contact her.

Read more interviews in our pet photography series here.