OK, now that XingXing has your attention......I took a flash photography course at ICP (Internatonal Center of Photography) this weekend that was really enjoyable & I think it will help my photography going forward. Up to now I realized that some of my best images were ones that had some amount of flash (not surprising for a photographer of indoor cats), but I didn't really have a lot of control of the process and it was rather random if I came up with usable images. Now I am pretty confident that I understand what is going on with the flash. I also came away from the course with a healthy list of additional equipment I need to buy! Although photography can be an expensive hobby, every time I pluck down $$$ on camera related classes, gear, software, books, etc., I try to comfort myself that I'm not into cars, golf, or any number of hobbies that potentially could be even more expensive!
These leaping bookshelf photos were really fun. The key to keep XingXing motivated was the furry white thing on a string. It is his favorite toy, I think it is real rabbit fur or fur from some other animal ($1.99 at Petco!) and he is obsessed with it to the point that he is only allowed to play with it under supervised conditions because if unattended he tends to eventually tear it apart, eat it and vomit it out. For this shoot I would put the toy on the top shelf, and XingXing would jump up to grab it, and then I would photograph him leaping down with the toy in his mouth. XingXing would then run out into the hallway with the toy and I would have to go out there, take it away from him, and repeat the process. I was bouncing my Canon Speedlite off of the ceiling and had a cheap Vivitar slave flash from either the bottom or the side. I realized that I need another Canon that is compatible with my other flash so I can control the exposure better. Although the focus is decent, I don't think I "nailed" it so next time I'll use a tripod and manually focus on the point where the cat is expected to fly through to try and get more exact. Fun stuff!
I am interested in the process that cats go through before a big leap downward. I think they do some measuring and positioning ... very cool.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, the first time he was rather cautious, and placed his paws as far down as possible on the vertical support so he didn't have to jump as far. But then he got comfortable and really started enjoying the game (probably about 15-20 jumps!) and flew off the bookshelf with happy abandon!
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