Friday, March 29, 2024
black catscat photographscat shadowdaily photomewsette

Daily Photo: Mewsette and her Shadow

Mewsette with shadow 2.
Mewsette with shadow 2.

Mewsette is a wonderful model no matter where I photograph her. She holds more still than her brothers who like to make faces at the camera like my brother did when we were growing up. But Mewsette is a proper kitty and holds a pose with every whisker in purr-fect form.

Really, the tub is the best place to photograph a black cat, especially when a soft morning sun is streaming in through the window—what interesting shadows and patterns we can get.

Mewsette and shadow.
Mewsette and shadow.

I captured so many photos of her but as usual many are variations on a theme, but I was looking just as much for her shadow as for her self. I chose the ones that had the clearest subjects, both Mewsette and her shadow.

Mewsette with profile.
Mewsette with profile.

And Mewsette’s lovely light green eyes with tiny pupils like thread on a button.

Mewsette with her shadow.
Mewsette with her shadow.

. . . . . . .

Other Photos Posted On or Around This Date…

Stalking the Wild Asparagus, 2014
black cat with asparagus
Wow, cool toys!

What cool toys!

So I got all of seven stalks of asparagus out of my garden this spring, but was glad with at least that! Last year my neighbor’s tree fell across my yard in a storm in May and the asparagus was covered at a crucial time, after it had produced edible stalks, but before it began producing the greens that feed the asparagus crowns for next year. After this winter everything was slow coming up and after everything else started sprouting, no asparagus. Then suddenly this past weekend, asparagus! Well, a little, but there is nothing like the first fresh asparagus right out of your garden.

Bean was pretty excited too, as you see. I set down the basket with my seven precious stalks and he was right on it. If you look closely at the photo below you can see one of the many endearing things about Bean—he uses his paws like a raccoon does, holding things as if he has fingers. Even though I clip his claws they are still long enough to grip an asparagus stalk at the end and wave it around, and he even sits up on his haunches like a raccoon too.

black cat wiht asparagus
How does it work?

And it actually managed to get away from him, but he got it under control! I wish this photo was a little more clear—he was intent on playing with one of my precious stalks of asparagus as I had foolishly decided to take a photo of his cuteness until he ran away with it.

black cat with asparagus
I’ve got it under control!

. . . . . . .

What other photos have I featured on this date?

. . . . . . .

Drama in the Stairway, 2013
two black cats
“Drama in the Stairwell”

Really, they are just kind of hanging out enjoying the sunshine even though it looks as if Giuseppe might be in trouble with Mewsette for some reason. But Mewsette isn’t that kind of kitty, and Giuseppe is just enjoying a bit of a snooze.

I not only take photos knowing they’ll be nice photos, I sometimes just point my camera and see what happens, adjust a few manual settings, approach from an odd angle, just let it happen, and this was from a series of those sorts of photos, and the first name for this photo was “Just and Interesting Shot”.

Even the good DSLR has a hard time with all the black fur and the glare of a spot of sunshine, so when I saw Giuseppe walking up the steps and Mewsette at the top with sun on her head, little smears of sunlight on the edges of the steps and reflecting in interesting colors, I took a few shots. Apparently the camera metered the light for the brightest areas because I could see the bright streaks of sunlight and everything else was dark.

But I’ve learned what’s in those shadows. I could see the silhouette of Giuseppe’s profile, and Mewsette’s eyes and just a bit of sun on her. I always shoot both JPG and RAW files, so I opened the RAW file and changed the exposure a bit to see a few details. It’s already a bit grainy but after this point it the grain just looked like dirt, so I stopped here, took a look at it in black and white, decided I liked the oversaturated blue and yellow highlights and left it at that because I like the outline of Mewsette’s face and the curving lines of her whiskers, and the flash of light on Giuseppe’s chest and on his leg right above his paw, the little bit of light on the step that just defines him.

. . . . . . .

Preparing the Studio, 2012
cat drinking water
Jelly Bean takes his turn at my watercolor rinse water while Mr. Sunshine waits.

As part of the set up for a day of working in the studio, every cat in the room needs to interact with whatever it is I’ll be using. This is especially important when I watercolor—each needs to have a good long drink from my jar of rinse water before I even begin painting. Perhaps it’s that little residual cat spit in the water that gives my work a special quality.

Then all cats must walk on all surfaces and inspect all boxes and other containers. Below, Mewsette waits her turn at the water while Mr. Sunshine pauses in his drink. Mimi has finished her drink goes on to inspect my work table.

three black cats in studio
Where am I supposed to fit?

I’ve discovered it’s best if I just let them do as they please, then settle down. That’s not a bad policy in other areas of life either.

. . . . . . .

You Can’t See Me, 2012
cat behind wrinkle in rug
You can’t see me behind this wrinkle.

“I have fixed the rug in exactly the way I want it.

“You can’t see me at all behind this wrinkle I have so cleverly built out of the rug.

“Also notice that I am squinting. You can’t see cats when they are squinting at you like this. Or when they have their paws over their faces. Or when they have their head in a bag or under the couch, even if their fuzzy butts are hanging out in plain view. You may think you see us, but it’s just your imagination.

“And furthermore, don’t even consider changing this rug from the way I have it set up. When I choose to leave it, I will expect to find it exactly like this when I return.”

Guess he told me.

. . . . . . .

Giuseppe Prefers a Sun Roof, 2011
two black cats in a cube
Giuseppe looks out the sun roof.

The red cat cube has added excitement to everyday life. Here, the cube has been turned on one of its sides and Giuseppe, sitting tall, looks out the sun roof while Mimi enjoys the side door.

I’m not sure how long this thing can hold up. The wires that hold it in shape are already bent up even though I straighten them out regularly and I see some tears in the fabric here and there. They use it for cuddling, for solo sleeping and for ambushing. Yesterday, the cube made it into the kitchen as various cats used it for various purposes and dragged and pushed and rolled inside it. Sometimes I hear fearsome yowling as the cube rocks and rolls, the sides bulging with feline hips and paws and heads, and all cat parts remain inside though it rolls over once or twice. Giuseppe spent part of the day sleeping in front of the door in the cube.

And, of course, it provides hours of entertainment for me.

Unfortunately, the cube only lasted about three weeks—here it’s nearly at the end of its run.


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Bernadette

From health and welfare to rescue and adoption stories, advocacy and art, factual articles and fictional stories, "The Creative Cat" offers both visual and verbal education and entertainment about cats for people who love cats, pets and animals of all species.

3 thoughts on “Daily Photo: Mewsette and her Shadow

  • Loved the next to last one of Mewsette the best! Gorgeous! And – ALlie LOVES asparagus! Best toy EVAH!

    Reply
  • mewsette…ewe N yur shadow takes awesum fotoz !!! ♥♥♥

    heerz two a manefish madtom kinda week oh end ta everee one ♥♥♥

    Reply
  • Chris Davis

    Mewsette IS a wonderful model!!

    Reply

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