How to Take Cat Selfies

DANGER. Cute cat photo overload alert, read on at your own risk…

Cats rule the internet. Apparently mesmerised by cute cat videos, people search ‘cats’ on Google more than 30 million times per month, while ‘Kim Kardashian’ receives a mere 11 million searches.

Scoopshooter: Константин Костенко

At Scoopshot we appreciate a good cat photo or video when we see one. However, we all know the famous quote by William Claude Dukenfield, “never work with animals or children.” Of all animals, cats have got to be up there with the least corporative of subjects and that’s why we’ve come up with five handy hints to help you take cat selfies.

1. Be ready!

Have your camera at the ready. Unless your cat has learnt the command ‘stay’ (in which case it’s probably a dog, not a cat), it’s unlikely your cat will continue posing long enough for  you to make a dash for you camera or phone — speed is of the essence.

If possible, take the photo in the Scoopshot app to increase its authenticity score and chance of being sold. If you don’t manage to snap your cat in the app, you can always upload from your photo gallery (we suspect this Siamese kitty cat has received an insta-tan!).

Scoopshooter: Brenna OBrien

2. Cats are like people

When taking a photo of a cat it’s very much like taking a human portrait, depth of field is key to isolate the cat from the background. Like with human portraits, to create an arty look, focus on the subject’s nose as this is the facial feature that is closest to the camera lens. By doing this, the cat’s features that are closest to the camera will be in focus and the parts that are further away from the lens will be out of focus, creating a soft background that ensures the cat is the main element, just like Anna’s cute grey kitty!

If you’re using a professional camera, this type of photo is called a shallow depth-of-field portrait and you will need to set your camera to Aperture priority and open the lens as wide as possible.

Scoopshooter: AnonScoopshooter: Anna Akhlamova

Scoopshooter: Anon

3. Don’t flash!

Flashes aren’t always flattering and quite frankly, cats are well aware of this! You might think they’re scared, but no they’re wise. Avoid using a flash!

4. You need an assistant

Amusing your subject and taking the photo can be tricky, this is where an assistant is invaluable to keep the cat’s attention. Get your assistant to stand behind you, so the cat will appear to be looking at the camera. Instruct them to do whatever’s necessary to keep the kitty’s attention. Waving arms around and making silly noises works well, but your cat will think you’re crazy and the look may be one of disgust (an expression favoured by cats when looking at their humans). For a happier portrait use food or string, but remember rule number one (be ready).

5. Classy cats

For a classy look, get down to eye-level. Looking down on one’s cat is not going to endear one! White backgrounds can add a touch of class making the kitty the one and only focus of the photo.

Scoopshooter: Tanja Smeets-Soldin

Getting the shot first time might not be realistic. Cat’s don’t have a long attention span and unless the shot you’re after is a rip off of Grumpy Cat’s expression (like Tanja’s Persian cat Laros), keep the sessions short. If at first you don’t succeed… buy some catnip!

Upload you cat selfies to the Scoopshot app and share them with us on Facebook and Twitter too, remember, the best photos get bought by us and our clients.