Friday, March 29, 2024
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Vintage Photo: Sally’s Photo Shoot, 1984

white cat turned
Sally turned.

I forgot to post this on Thursday for my sort of TBT post after I’d featured her painting earlier this week, but Sally is just as pretty today and it’s not only “Adopt a Less Adoptable Pet Week” it’s also “National Deaf Awareness Week” and “Deaf Pet Awareness Week”…well, it’s “Deaf Dog Awareness Week” but what the heck.

I’m happy to share these photos of Sally to show that deaf cats are just as beautiful as hearing cats, in fact you can’t tell at all! And Sally’s deafness may have added to her mystique as a model since she was often so deeply focused on something without the distraction of sound that she could hold perfectly still and I could capture an immense amount of detail, even as a total amateur.

I still can’t believe I managed to take these photos after having my camera for only about a year. I laid on the floor watching the late afternoon sunlight fill Sally’s frothy fur, its texture and depth holding the light more than reflecting, and in the shadows showing the textures of her fur instead of just a shadow as if she was emitting light on her own. Kublai was black and I was just learning how to photograph him in different lights, without too much success, and Bootsie was gray and white and much easier, but Sally, I found, was the perfect model.

white cat in profile
Sally Profile.

I will admit that I don’t really understand how cameras work, not logically. I understand visually after much experimentation which lenses achieve which effect and how manually changing settings changes the outcome. But at the time I took these photos I had little understanding of what I was doing. That’s okay, we all begin somewhere.

white cat bathing
Sally Twisting.

I continued on with this photo shoot, seeing the interesting difference in texture between her fur and that awful olive green sculptured carpet, much improved in contrasty black and white, and the unintended nearly solid black background. The prints have been missing for a while—I find them among a stack of reference photos, then I lose that folder, etc. —and now that I’ve scanned the negatives I have them all digitized.

white cat bathing
Sally bathing.

But I also liked the effect of her face in shadow instead of in the light. I would never have thought of that at the time, I know, if she hadn’t posed herself like that. And this was still in her wild days so I don’t know if she was actively teaching me a lesson or if she was just being Sally. Probably a little of both.

Below, she looks as if she’s made of whipped cream. She was so beautiful.

white cat reclining
Sally reclining.

The image below is the only one from this set that I’d scanned years ago, and the only one I could find, but it’s still one of my favorites.

white cat in silhouette
Sally Silhouette.

. . . . . . .

Read about Sally’s life and see more photos and art and read more about my lovely Sally.
Also, see other Vintage Photos of my household of cats from days gone by, and taken on film with my Pentax K-1000.

Browse some rescued cats and kittens—browse here or visit PittsburghCAT!

cats and kittens
Gallery view of Pittsburgh CAT cats for adoption.

All images used on this site are copyrighted to Bernadette E. Kazmarski unless otherwise noted and may not be used without my written permission. Please ask if you are interested in using one in a print or internet publication. If you are interested in purchasing a print of this image or a product including this image, check my Etsy shop to see if I have it available already. If you don’t find it there, visit Ordering Custom Artwork for more information on a custom greeting card, print or other item.


© 2014 | www.TheCreativeCat.net | Published by Bernadette E. Kazmarski

Weekly schedule of features:
Sunday: Essays, Pet Loss, Poetry, The Artist’s Life
Monday: Adoptable Cats, TNR & Shelters
Tuesday: Rescue Stories
Wednesday: Commissioned Portrait or Featured Artwork
Thursday: New Merchandise
Friday: Book Review, Health and Welfare, Advocacy
Saturday: Your Backyard Wildlife Habitat, Living Green With Pets, Creating With Cats
And sometimes, I just throw my hands in the air and have fun!

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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.

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