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Shoot: Lee and cat “Harley”

How are you? Good. I'm Erica. Come on. In a way. You know what your baby's name is? This Harley Harley Have a guinea pig named Harley. Yeah, I love it. Cool. All right. You guys can just hang out for a second. Okay, Let's and flip this around for you. So you have somewhere to sit, So come have a seat. What would I like to do with you? How old is hardly, Um, she's about 16 and she okay else her sight and everything. Um, pretty good. Is it? Yeah. Perfect. Um, I'm thinking, let's do the basket. It's on. I think so. Yeah. Yeah. All right. So I'm gonna use the, um, Ottoman again, That's all. Over there in the corner. Sorry. Um, when I'm photographing dogs, I always ask people house, they're hearing house their site. I want to know, because if I'm making noises and they're not paying attention, sometimes people will be like, how's your hearing? And I went through, like, three shots, and they're not paying attention. They're like, Oh, actually, there death like, Okay, kind of good to know. Ki...

nd of need to know that. So, someone I'm doing sessions with cats like this. Did you say 15? 16 15 16? I've had about seven years. So for a dog, that would be, like, really old for a cat that's, like pretty average, you know, Just like a nice, perfect senior Kat. But I do want to know what their site is like. And we heard that her site is good, so we're good with that. All right, So I'm doing I'm sorry. I know you can answer this, but a question had come up earlier. How do you shoot death animals? That's a really good question. Um, obviously not using noises. I'm just using getting their nose activated. So, um, and site. So a lot of times, I'll do the whiff treat were like, You don't go like, here's a treat. You just kind of with it by their nose So that what was that or sometimes all tired treat to the end of the stick and like, I'll actually show you my step because I use it with cats. But I'll tire trees that end of a stick so I can kind of waving in front of their nose and they kind of go like what's going on and they can smell it. And if they can see, like, throw balls behind me. So I kind of go like this and then thorough ball in the air and they're like, What was that? So yeah. Oh, this is a hotness. Okay. Um, yes. So we're actually gonna pull this out a little bit? Backgrounds kind of wrinkle brought this from Vegas with me. So one way we can blur the background a little bit is to shoot at a wider aperture. But I really care about the animals and them being focused the way that I want. So if you move the background further removed the couch further off the background, that creates blur as well. So thanks, Sally. So if I had a bright green blanket, that's what I would use because that would match Harley's on is better. But do you have a preference on color of these two zehr One that I believe? Yeah, they're both gonna kind of pop, So let's actually put that down. Yeah, I got it from here. I know. I got it. I got it. I got it. Thank you. Appreciate it. Okay. So I'm just kind of creating, like, a little nook the thing with cats. When you're photographing them, you can just sit them on a couch or in ottoman like this. But if they're not sitting like sometimes they kind of hunch their head over. So it's kind of nice to put them in something or put them on a pillow. In this case, we're going to see and he's a little bit older, too. So he might kind of, like, cuddle up and wrap his tail around so we'll see how he does. Obviously. And even with my lights, because I moved my ottoman. All right, that's gets I'm a little posted, see if we're in order. Okay? And it's Lee, correct? Yes, Slightly. Come on over. I am gonna actually give Lee a pillow. Are you okay? Kneeling down? Sure. Okay. I'm gonna do a fellow like this cause I don't want her to kneel on the hardwood, cause that's just not fun. So your job is to be right here. You can keep your hands like this. Okay? You over here? Yes. And I would prefer sitting or laying, and I would prefer not to just see your butt. Let's see, I'm gonna start. Okay? My crazy feather here. That's good. No, curious is good. Okay, I'm gonna start with a smaller toy to see if she sees it. All right, So let's see if we can kind of, like, lay her on her side just for a couple, cause I kind of want to see what she's reacting to. So perfect is a test. That's perfect. All right. I'm gonna kind of do let me just use a bigger one. I'm gonna do things to get her attention. If she looks at me, all you need to do is take your hands out. If she moves, you're just gonna stick your hands back in. All right? Open. I keep saying back in there, and actually, my camera was just slowing focusing cause she's black. So can I reckon they're holding, baby. Give her a second. Keep working with her bottom. I want to get her bottom down. Never got perfect already. Maybe. And the thing, too, is she could just not care. She could not see it. Well, I'm not sure yet, so I'm gonna switch to the other side, see if this is a little more colorful, but with Castor walking off like this hope on, sweetie. With cats that are walking off like this, You don't want to let them keep standing because all they're gonna do is keep walking off. So we want a flipper on her side, like completely in this basket. So sideways. Yeah. On your side, baby. It's OK. Come here. Have. And if you could just keep your hands on her and even just laying like that is fine. Perfect. We just keep your hands on her, actually working with me. Hey, sweetie. Okay. And we'll give her a few minutes to try this. It could be that she doesn't like the basket, but just try and get her laying down. And she saw that. There you go. And watch your hand, sweetie. Written care and have really down in Britain, there is a shot. There we go. Yeah. So I would think this would work better because it's bigger, But she likes a smaller toy. So let's go with that, um, Heverlee again. We could. That's really British is one long white whisker. I know. It's so pretty. All right. Hang in there, sweetheart. Sure. What happened? Thank you. Well done. What? Your hands, sweetheart. Yeah, and interest is good. Yeah. There it is. Perfect. Go. So it took a second to get, but she's actually comfortable, so she's gonna look around. Okay. No, I'm good. Let me show that one for you guys. And there it is. Can you see that? Yeah. OK, OK, so let's get rid of this basket. I'm not sure if that's what's causing it, but it's a little bit like unstable. So let's get around there and what I'd like to dio I'm gonna kind of focus on head shots cause she's moving a lot. And I already kind of got one with her whole body. So I'm gonna kind of zoom in and just kind of get a face shot. And when we do this, it's totally okay for your hands to be in it. There she sideways. You can kind of holder, but if she straight didn't like, you know, it's perfect. Okay, give her a second baby play. Actually, I'm doing a full length, but she's not moving. I'm worth Well, it's on. You got it. Here it is. Perfect. Cool. More real close, sweetie. Yeah, and that's the thing. If you can find something, there we go. if you can find something that they're interested in. I love that. And she likes smaller try better than the bigger toy. So I'm good with that. Yea. Carol saying shortly All the way on her side again. And if she doesn't want to, that's totally okay. But I want to see if we could get her to kind of roll over. And sometimes animals like in a new environment, you're kind of rocking back and forth like, No, I'm just staying like this. So if she does it, it's cute. If we could get her head like, all the way down, she doesn't like That's not her thing. No, let's not do it. Give her a second letter. Just look around. Perfect. Good girl. I'm happy with that. Awesome. Go. Let me just find one to show you guys That's not out of focus. All right, Those so at cats air really expressive with their eyes. Cats can look really mad in certain shots so they can look really happy just with the way that their eyes are. Thank you, baby. And I'm actually good with that. I mean, the only other thing if I wanted to try a couple of the things would be like to put her in other baskets Or do if this was a full session, Do different backgrounds. Switch it up. Actually, we're going to be Are you okay? Being in some of the shots with her way? Let's do it. Yeah. So let's actually have because I'm really happy with all her individuals. So and I found the toy that she's happy with, so I'm just gonna keep going with it. All right? Push this over. You are here. I still want to keep this blanket because I want to tie the colors in. So if you guys put these portrait's next to each other Oh, they match with the individuals and an actual matches with your shirt has to sit on the bottom one. Okay, She's gonna be up here, and this is the same thing. Like what I was doing earlier with the shepherds just gets their heads closer together. And I like blankets to be messy. It's just a personal preference. Alright. Squeezer in real close to you. I'm still going to do this because it's working. Perfect. Pull your hair back on this side. Perfect. Just like that. All right effect. Don't do it, Hedi. You know I'm tired of your toy. And then if she does look up at me, just make sure you're looking girl. All right? Look at her for one. If you could, I'm a little overexposed, but And if you want to, like, blow on her, see if she'll look up. Here we go. And then, Darcy, if you could come over, put you to work, I'm gonna have you stand over and get her attention with this. So you're gonna look at her the whole time? Actually, if you could stand over there on the back. There you go. Perfect. And just kind of. And just make sure you're smiling if she looks at you, huh? There it is. And all of you, only up. All the way up and behind your head. Even if it's in my shot. Here we go. And then hang that, like, behind her head. It's OK if it's very go perfect. That's the shelling wanted. Go. Hey, that's awesome. Thank you so much. Hey. Okay. So I know I took like, a 1,000,000 in there, but that was a shot. I wanted where she was looking up And, of course, you're not seeing her face really good. But that shots all about the owner and the owner having that relationship with her and then looking at each other. Let's do one more, actually, because that's super cute what you're doing. So just sit, Okay? I was actually done, but like, they're super cute how she's holding her. So let's do it. All right. And actually, turn your shoulders. I don't want you straight. Turn, turn, turn, turn, turn. Yeah, There it is. All right. And look at me, sweetie. You're so easy. Bed done. Done. Okay? Yeah. Thank you so much. And I am like I said, I'm overexposing her face a little bit. Not bad, but you as a perfect thank you. I appreciate it so great in a situation like that. Like I said, it's just finding one thing. She didn't like the big toy. She liked the small toys. Perfect. If she didn't like any of those, I might have switched to doing a lot of cats will react. That noise doesn't work over and over and over, but it works for a few shots. So that's something we could have tried, so I really need that noise soundtrack. I know, right? So, genius. All right, so I know we have another kitty coming in. Can we ask a couple questions? Absolutely. This William and Herbie. Yeah. You guys have just come in and have a seat on the couch. Actually. Have a seat on this couch over here. Question from lyrical. Do you prefer the pupils dilate fully or smaller? So more color? It's a good question. And I know if I let's actually look at the picture that we're tethering for a second. This is like how I would prefer this cat's eyes in this shot there a couple shots. Like you said, we're their super dialogue and there's a lot of black. I don't care for that. But again, when they start squinting like this is a perfect look for her, she looks like happy and relaxed and inquisitive. But yeah, I don't like that super violated. Look, I like it just about like this, and if they squint at all, that's the real mean look. And they're not mean. They're not being mad, but it just said they look mean in that shot. So about what you see in tethering right there. I love Yea. We gonna questions Darcy. Sorry. A little bit off topic earlier if you were gonna shoot a great card down. Do you feel like you haven't shot a great card? Even the dogs? I did it yesterday and we're in the same environment. I'll just show it to you guys so you can see when I'm white balancing. Maybe because I find that dog color is so specific. Yeah, in the client. Always white balance. So and this was yesterday, and we're in the same spot and nothing really moved. So I was like, and we're fine. I was doing it today just to show you guys. But if I When I'm shooting at a client's home and I'm moving to different locations, I'm absolutely white balancing over and over and over. If I'm outdoors, I'll use this thing and seriously shoot like, 20 times a white balance because it went into this tree White bounds. I went over here white balance. So I'm just using a target like that