Looks like you got them up. I prefer to use the "original" size when linking from pbase because I don't like what pbase resizing does to some of my images. That said, I usually only put 600 or 800 pixels max on the long side for web images, so I don't have to worry about ending up with a huge image.

The cats are cool. I've really only done a couple of cat shoots. One was for a rescue and the other was sort of impromptu as the cat walked into the middle of one of my dog shoots.

Thanks everybody for the comments! Heres a little more technical information. In re the lighting: the light varied in each location. For Gracie (the calico) and Skye (the grey) I had natural light and a built in flash. I also have a Canon SPeedlite 430x which I used for the tortie kitten. That shoot was the most challenging for me, because there is almost no overhead or natural light in that home. My ISO on SKye and Gracie was 400; for the kitten, it is 1600.
I wonder about using a diffuser. Any thoughts on that? Or on decreasing the noise in general for low light situations?

I agree about the background being busy. I am going to photograph again this weekend, and I've requested that we use a plain light colored background only this time.

I am willing to purchase lighting, (strobe, etc) put I am not really sure what kind I need, and what would be portable. I could use some advice on that. I think it would be invaluable, since there is so much variation in light available in people's homes.

My f/stop for all pics is f4. If I pushed it to f6 would it separate the subject from the background a little more?

So what do you all think; am I "dreaming" to think I might be able to sell my photos? I'm feeling like this is something I can do, especially since I have a good feel for cats. Pet photography isn't an oversaturated market in my area so that's a plus; in my experience, people photographers will take pictures of family pets, but it isn't their specialty. That's one reason I think shooting on location is good for pets (again, especially cats); I expect most of them will be more relaxed in their own surroundings than they are in a studio.

There is always room to grow and learn, and this is an excellent forum for that! But it's nice to think I have the groundwork. How did all of you get your start? Are pets a certain percentage of your business?

The one thing I did was study people who I wanted to photograph like. Here are a couple of my favorite cat photographers

http://www.prestonsmithphoto.com/

http://www.nwpphotoforum.com/ubbthreads/JM_Pieces/hflick/hflick_pt1.htm?Cat=0

Particularly read Helmi's article. It is *excellent*. I really don't do cats, as like Helmi is a cat person, I am a dog person.

I have looked at each of your pics and really would recommend that you use some kind of noise reduction software such as noise ninja etc.
Noise happens mostly when you are shooting in dark places with your iso set high to gain speed of shot such as ISO 800 etc. You'd be surprised how much better those images could look when the noise is reduced or removed. I hope you take this as constructive help and not criticism as the whole point of these forums is to help each other to become more successful in what we do.

Tori,
doing what you love is not "dreaming". It's the objective in life . You have excellent photographic skills and very good rapport with your subjects. That's very important.

As for some technical advice: you need consistent lighting -- even on location -- so you can clean up those images. I have 2 Alien Bees B400 strobes that I take everywhere with me whether it's in my studio, at a dog show for formal portraits or in somebody's home. That way, I can always control my lighting. My "typical" shooting ISO with them is 200 and my F-stop is F8.0. That insures sharp images from each lens and low noise.

The downside of using strobes for cats is that they can get spooked by the flash. Some dogs have issues with that as well but, overall, I can get my subjects used to the flash better than I can try to squeeze light in places there isn't any.

As for how I got into the "pet" business, I've been a professional photographer for over 30 years doing commercial work, weddings, events, etc. I started shooting dog shows when we became active in showing dogs about 12 years ago. That naturally migrated into shooting the dogs in more natural settings such as my studio or in the home. Right now, pet portraits account for about 70% of my business if I include those we shoot for advertising purposes.

The key to any business is how you market it. Once you know you can deliver the images, then you need to find people who want what you're selling. And you need to be able to reach them. Photography is the easy part .

Jim

+1 on Jim's advice on lighting. I also use bee's. I also use my 580ex II with a softbox but I will say I find pet's more intimidated by the large camera with bracket and softbox than the studio lights. Typically I'll just use umbrellas with my B400's. Under the right circumstances I will use a B1600 with a 48" octabox. Another thing to consider that I would highly recommend is a 5 in 1 reflector. Even if you are alone have the get parent give you a hand, reflectors are amazing and can really light up a dark subject, even indoor using window light, keeps the pet parent busy and out of your way as well.

One thing to be careful of. When forced to shoot high ISO and then use a tool like noise ninja, although the tool is great, with pets you typically want fine detail like hair and those tools can really over soften. I use noise ninja but seldom on pet shots.

Another benefit of the lights is they will freeze action. If you shoot outdoors and your budget allows, also think about Paul Buff's Vegabond II. I have one and it is awesome for locations with no power. The cybercync's are awesome as well. If you decide to buy bee's, I would recommend B800's over the B400's. Little difference in rice and twice the power. Start with one light and an umbrella and remotes and you have a reasonable priced quality solution, and very portable. Conquer using one light and then buy more one at a time.

Definitely no offense taken, Britannicus.

It seems that my next step is to work on the lighting issues. I will do some reasearch on the brands you all use and recommend and see what I can do. I think mastering one light at a time is definitely the way to go!

I will keep everyone posted, and I also appreciate continuing advice. I am going to photograph a kitten this weekend - maybe try for some holiday themed photos. She's a tortie, so Halloween pics would be fun with her.

In the meantime, I'll investigate strobes and other lighting options.. Is anyone here from the Tulsa, Edmond or OKC area? I was hoping to maybe rent some glass (85mm and so on) to see if prime lenses made a big difference in my portraits. However, I am having difficulty finding a photography shop that rents equipment in my area.

One more question:

With limited funds, and a lens that is working for me already, should I be saving for an extra camera body and flash before extra lenses? It's a lot of money, but I don't ever want to have to cancel a shoot because my camera broke..... do all of you go to a shoot with more than one camera? Ever had a Murphy's Law day?

I carry three cameras with me to all shoots. Up until recently I have had a back-up of every piece of equipment, but I've culled that down some by using lenses with overlapping capability and selling off some of the dupes.

You can do a lot with a simple speedlight, inexpensive light stand and an umbrella, while you're waiting on getting a set of "real" strobes.

I don't know Canon well enough to judge whether you have a "good enough" body to start with, but in general, lenses are always a better investment than bodies. That said, if you only have one, I would certainly look at getting a back up.

Before making any purchases, I'd do a lot of study on what you like about other cat photographs. You'll develop your own style, but, those who are already successful are so not because of lenses or other equipment, but, because they know how to light and pose. They know how to set the animal off to show their best.