It’s another edition of the Military Spouse Professional Photographer blog circle! If this is your first time hearing of a blog circle, it’s a pretty simple concept. Each month, the group I’m in gets a theme. Each photographer in the group then interprets the theme their own way and captures new images inspired by it. Then on the third Friday of each month, we post on our blogs and link to the next person on the list. If you start on my blog, you’ll visit Wind Inspired next and then she’ll link to someone else who’ll link to someone else and so on until you circle all the way back to this post.
This month’s theme was TEXTURE…. when I saw the theme, I realized that texture wasn’t something I routinely incorporated into my portraits. Sure, there is close ups of sandy toes on the beach but most of my “texture” would be the smooth, buttery bokeh (photog word for blurry background). I guess that’s a down fall of shooting wide open. I don’t own a macro so getting in really close for texture isn’t much of an option. So sad to say, I waited to almost the last minute. I was finally inspired when I ran across beautiful images of lifestyle pet photography and knew I want to harrass my cat photograph Elmo. Considering he’s a feline, it’s safe to say he is pretty furry… and furry is a TEXTURE! And he has a rough tongue and smooth claws… And his paws feel gritty when he gets cat litter stuck between the pads on his feet….. and yeah, I was pretty much grasping at straws.
So I set out to photograph Elmo, who could have cared less about the camera. The story behind Elmo coming into our life isn’t the happiest. Right before we moved to Texas, our last cat -who was the best cat ever- escaped outside and was never seen again. It was heartbreaking to have to tell my sons that our beloved pet was gone and it was our fault. So like any parents racked with guilt over losing a pet, we promised them a new kitty. Within days of moving into our new Texas home, we found ourselves at the Bell County animal shelter watching Elmo go crazy over some little balls with bells inside. He made a huge impression on the staff at the shelter because they were so thrilled for us to adopt him, they waived the fee and gave my boys an arm load of cat toys for them to play with. Go figure, that his two favorite toys are the laser pointer and a black fozoodle (oversize furry pipe cleaner). So now he’s home with us, talking our ears off, sleeping in our bed, and keeping my toes warm when I sit on the couch. He’s a good cat… and he’s microchipped and has a collar so hopefully, he’ll be with us for a very long time.
Now that you’ve seen my interpretation of texture, go check out Jacqueline’s at http://wind-inspired.com/2012/07/19/fast-food-fri-tasty-textures/ Before you go, why don’t you comment below and tell me about your pet(s)?
Katie Smith is a lifestyle photographer located in Killeen, Texas.
She loves incorporating pets in family photography because after all, they are part of your family.
She’s been a cat person all her life and is pretty sure she’ll some day be the crazy cat lady.
Find Katie Smith Photography on Facebook.
Serena Nicole
20 Jul 2012I think furry is the perfect texture!
Meredith
20 Jul 2012I love cat texture! What a playful little guy. I love the picture with your son lying on the floor with him!
Kricia Morris
21 Jul 2012Elmo is adorable, thank you for sharing him! Furry is a fantastic texture 🙂 We have our own kitty named Bella and an Olde English Bulldog named Pickles who both have fantastic textures all their own. Love our fur-babies!
karen davis
21 Jul 2012LOVE your take on texture…furry is the sweetest 🙂 texture I know!
Lea
21 Jul 2012I love this! The shot of Elmo and your son on the kitchen floor is priceless!
Staci
23 Jul 2012These are GREAT! I can never get my little Sophie to be still long enough to get a shot! Love them!