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Top 10: 1. Thomas

by Darren

We’ve reached the end of my top 10, and right now you’re either thinking Thomas looks great … or you’re thinking I’m out of my mind. It’s difficult to take an image of pure blacks and whites without losing some detail in the shadows and/or highlights and this has some slight issues with both.

It’s always important when taking a picture of an animal to thoroughly research the species and watch the individual animal.  That way your research will tell you what it’s likely to do which helps you to anticipate, while watching tells you what it does do so that you can capture the behaviour when it happens again.

Over the four months we’ve spent with Thomas I’ve had the opportunity to watch him at length, virtually every day.  And that’s what makes this image special: it’s every bit the reflection of him.  Portrait photographers will tell you that capturing the essence of the subject is everything in terms of a great image and it’s just the same with any other living creature.  That way he’s sitting up in an anthropomorphic fashion is something he does regularly.  As is that stare which just says ‘what?’

But it’s not been easy to get the image either because Thomas is such a scaredy cat.  When we went to the RSPCA he was languishing, unpicked by the other visitors because he rarely came out of his (enclosed) bed.  His previous elderly owner could no longer look after him and he’d therefore been taken out of his home and put in a small cell.  I can remember the look on the RSPCA worker’s face when we said we’d take him.  Apparently not many people will take a 10 year old cat and I dread to think of the consequences had he not found a home which, given the time he’d been there may have contributed to the tear in her eye.

Over the last four months he’s adjusted and can be quite bold at times, especially when we’re lying down – I guess that’s less threatening to him.  But the slightest quick move and he runs to the nearest hiding place, and he hates cameras.

Yet I managed to capture an image which truly reflects him, and that’s why it’s special.  That’s why it’s #1.

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Posted on Sunday, August 30th, 2009 at 10:59 am. Filed under: Pets Tags: , , , , RSS 2.0 feed.

6 Responses to “Top 10: 1. Thomas”

  1. @thomas_cat says:
    August 30, 2009 at 10:07 am

    I iz famus! – RT @WildlifePhotog: This is it – my No. 1 image, the one and only @Thomas_Cat http://bit.ly/R97px #photo

  2. @fluffyhoneybee says:
    August 30, 2009 at 10:28 am

    I love love love love it….RT @WildlifePhotog: This is it – my No. 1 image, the one and only @Thomas_Cat http://bit.ly/R97px #photo

  3. Ryan aka rygrade says:
    August 30, 2009 at 11:50 am

    I really have enjoyed this article. Thought I’d wait till number 1 to comment. I think this is a great image. Fantastic pose and colours. In all your shots I think you have managed to capture the essence and character of your subjects. Truly inspring work to a beginner like me. Your blog is now in my favourites. Thanks for sharing. Ryan

  4. @caterham7 says:
    August 30, 2009 at 3:12 pm

    RT @WildlifePhotog: my No. 1 image, @Thomas_Cat http://bit.ly/R97px — I reckon the lad deserves a special pusscat cocktail for that posing

  5. BMichael says:
    August 30, 2009 at 4:11 pm

    I loved the whole top ten, and read all the stories, with interest, and a great deal of happy-jealousy! And some of the images are exceptional. But when I read this last blog about Thomas and studying the image itself, the one thing that truly makes this No.1 for me also, is purely the fact that what comes across, is the understanding you do have of Thomas Cat, and that you ‘have’ studied him, and got to know him in a way that you can’t do with some of the other beautiful animals. And even ‘though’ you know his nature has that nervous scaredy-cat bit, here he seems perfectly relaxed in this pose, and is studying you as much as you are studying him, or he could be judging you, even. It is very difficult to get a great shot of a black & white cat, true, but here you have captured that so well, and his white whiskers, against the dark, etc, gives him such character in his face. A cat learning to trust again, after a separation trauma, can be very difficult. Knowing this also personalises this image for the viewer also, creating a ‘relationship’. Sentimental possibly, wrong? Never. Love it.

  6. Darren Hector says:
    August 30, 2009 at 4:28 pm

    Thanks guys, very kind comments. I enjoyed putting the top ten together too, and I hope you’ll enjoy the also-rans too which are coming up.