Thursday, March 28, 2024
black catscat photographsdaily photojelly beanmewsettemimi

Daily Photo Reprise: Mimi Photobomb, 2011

two black cat on red cloth
Mewsette gives Bean a sisterly bath…

Now there’s a sweet shot, Mewsette and Jelly Bean cuddling and bathing each other on the red blanket on the landing. Want an instant cat bed? Fold anything and set it anywhere. It will be a cat magnet.

The two of them kept at it, and knowing their habits as I do they were only going to get cuter each moment until there was a crescendo of absolute sweetness. So I stuck around. My cats are pros at this and if they are involved enough with what they are doing, my preparations for a great shot don’t inhibit them at all, even if I prowl around them on all fours and end up in a partial headstand in the corner in order to get the best angle.

In this case, they were on the landing, I was on the steps, actually laying on the steps in my bathrobe with my elbows on the landing but leaning way back in order to get enough distance between the camera lens and my subjects, camera focused and finger on the shutter. My digital camera is rather big and somewhat heavy, but I do this all the time and know that if I give up waiting for the perfect shot, I’ll stand up and shut off my camera…and really regret it!

I took a few other shots…

two black cats on red cloth
Then they pause and look down the stairs, still a little blurry, then they look up at me and I focus and make the shot and…

…cute, but while it seems bright the light isn’t the best, plus my hands were getting tired. I had also gotten a few shots that were too blurry.

I gave my hands and elbows a little break, then get back to my pose.

two black cats on red cloth
Then Bean gives Mewsette a little brotherly bath.

Aha, too blurry on the Bean, but every so often he pauses and I can get this one! I time his movements, I’m all ready to capture to perfect moment and…

black cat closeup in photo
Mimi Photobomb!

Mimi says, “What are you doing down here on the floor?”

Well, my subjects may pay no attention to me, but other cats do—and they love it when I’m on the floor! I often get tortured while I’m lying on the floor or other surface trying to get a good shot with cats walking all over me, including my head, walking under my chin, dragging a tail across the camera, settling in for nap on my back. And, of course, the photobomb.

But all was not lost to Mimi’s photobomb. Before I laid down on the floor to get these photos I had done an ink sketch of these two from another angle; later in the day I added watercolor washes using the reference photos I’d taken, and this became one of the most popular daily sketches and general pieces of cat artwork I have, “Purple Cats, Red Blanket”.


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 or Fine Art America profile 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.

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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