We might want to share cute cat pictures with our friends and relations. We might want to capture that particular expression or pose that sums up our cat so we can have a picture on our desk at work. We might need a picture that will get a cat a new home.

The special challenge of taking good cat pictures is gaining the cooperation of the cat. Some cats are hams at heart, and the biggest problem is not taking dozens of pictures of their curious nose. Some are shy, and all we get is a blurry butt.

To get that special cat picture, we need to relax the cat and get them used to us carrying around that clicking object.

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For either kind of cat, leave the camera around when we are able to monitor it, like when we are on the computer or watching television. Show great interest in the camera, explain what we want to do, and let the cat explore this object.

Take pictures of other people in the house or closeups of our mouse pad. What we want to do at this point is get the cat used to what the camera does, and see that it’s not a danger, or that it’s not doing anything that fascinating that requires their nose in it.

Once the cat has accepted the camera, we can get ready for a photo session. If we want action shots, it shouldn’t be too hard to get the cat interested; our problem then is vantage points.

I’ve found that getting down on the floor offers the best angle. Create a mental zone where the toy is going to wind up, and figure out the distance that will keep the cat in that space. It’s better to mark out a space, bait it with a toy, and wait for the cat to move into it. Trying to track the cat with the camera, unless we have a fast film and shutter speed, gets us lots of pictures of half-cats.

While digital cameras are great for experimenting, many of them have a delay between pressing the button, and getting the shot. This makes it even more important to wait for the cat to fill the space; and pressing the button slightly before the cat is fully there. A confederate willing to toss the toy, wave the wand, or make funny noises behind our head is a valuable aid.

For great poses and faces, a cat who has spent some energy and is ready to sprawl somewhere is now in the mood for portrait work. The camera is still there and is no longer so interesting that it will interfere. Now is the time to drape a sheet over a chair and see if they will sit in it. A smooth background will show off the cat’s shape and let their face dominate the picture.

Even if they don’t want to sit on the nice setup we’ve made, we can still get great pictures by moving in close to crop out the background. Use the zoom so we don’t have the camera right in the cat’s face; that’s how we get noses instead of faces.

This is when a lot of mushy talk will get us the expressions we want. A camera with a viewscreen, to capture the cat while our face is unimpeded, can be useful, since the cat is going to be most attentive to another face, not a blank lens.

With all the fussing and treats, our cat can learn to look forward to picture taking.

Unless they are Mr. Bond.

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