Part III: The Shoot

JM: Where does most of your work occur, in your studio or on location?
PS: On location at cat shows.

JM: Would you please talk about your photographic set-up?
PS: I use four Alienbees. A main light with a softbox, a fill light with a softbox, a hairlight with a grid, and a heavily modified backlight. I also have a very specifically designed shooting deck. Immediately following a photo session I move the images to a viewing station where my clients can select and approve images for purchase.

JM: Typically, how do you look to use light in your work? Is it mostly done with studio light or natural?
PS: Lighting fur well is quite different than lighting flesh. I use studio lights at all of my cat portraiture sessions.

JM: How are you using natural light in your pet portraiture?
PS: There really isn’t any natural light in show halls. So I have to use my studio lights to do it all.

I do have a couple of creative projects that are in progress that deal with outdoor cats and ferals in which I’m using natural light exclusively.

JM: Do you work with a handler?
PS: Yes, I have been fortunate to have my father-in-law travel with me to many shows. He is very good with cats and he has great stories to tell on long drives to a shoot. My clients are also very involved in the photo session. I work some shows without a cat wrangler or assistant, but it is much more difficult and not nearly as much fun.

JM: How would you describe your work – specifically dealing with cats as being different from other forms of pet portraiture?
PS: I guess I would describe it as being entirely different altogether. To photograph purebred cats well, you need to know the breed standards of each Association that you shoot in (I work with three). You have to apply that knowledge to find the poses that most accentuates the best features in the animal and that deemphasize any weaknesses. And you need to know how to work with cats, which is not like working with any other animal that I know of. Most importantly, you have to know how to play with a cat with a purpose.