Portraits from the Cat Cafe

After the family’s recent human flu outbreak with hardly any photographs taken (except some of Jack whose recovery is being recorded on Instagram!) I was able to visit my local cat cafe and see the wonderful new arrivals there. May I introduce one slightly mysterious black cat and a gorgeous tuxedo, plus a delightful cat called Pippa who has quite a story to tell. Chaplin Chaplin I could not resist a slightly unusual shot of a young cat scratching away at the post with enthusiasm. The scratch pole is amazing and goes right the way up to the ceiling. Yes, cats do climb all the way to the top where they reach platforms and can leap to a series of cubbies and platforms forming a ‘kitty parkour’ around of the walls. Corby Corby before being cropped I wanted to show the ‘before’ and ‘after’ of this shot. This cat who, I think, is Corby shows how a lovely cat can be improved by cropping. The top photo shows Corby without any editing. Admit it, he looks a bit lost amidst the cafe’s surroundings, am I right? So, what to do? Corby after being cropped closer in I removed the visual busyness with a careful crop using the Rule of Thirds lines in my crop tool making this gorgeous boy the centre of attention. I could have added a subtle dark vignette around the edges but left it for now. He really is a handsome young man cat. Pippa Pippa Read Pippa’s dramatic story “I was underweight, dehydrated and dying when I was picked up off the street and brought to a vet clinic. For ten days in the care of Feral Nation I wobbled the thin line between life and death and, honestly didn’t think I was going to make it. But, a strong will to live and good care brought me through. I got named Pippa. I was so grateful to humans I became an ambassador kitten to some unsocialised foster mates. That’s how I met Chaplin. She follows my lead and becomes friendly eventually. I think I can make a difference at Neko Ngeru too!” Neko Ngeru Pippa is now a proud Worker Cat and will ensure new arrivals feel at home. I hope to take more photographs of Pippa as she has a lot of white in her tail as well as a completely black body. She is also a very petite cat after her uncertain start, and not as large as other young cats of her age. Bottom line – everyone adores Pippa. (Editing note: I adjusted Pippa’s photograph to boost the colour and added a touch of Luminar Neo’s Mystical Tool for a richness around her.] Ellie-Mae In Memoriam Ellie-Mae – Image Credit K. Kern © On Friday 26 June the world lost one of its finest when Ellie-Mae of Momma Kat and her BearCat left us to join her brother Bear, after a mighty battle with cancer. Ellie-Mae’s cattitude was fearless and relentless. With her mom Kat she fought every step with grace and humour and without losing her beauty and confidence. Check out her portraits on the site. What a cat she was. There is a memorial post here please visit and comment. MarjorieMarjorie Dawson, Cat Photographer, Instructor and Writer Marjorie is an award-winning cat photographer, tutor and published author, based in New Zealand. She encourages cat lovers to strengthen the bond with their cats by enhancing their photography and photo editing skills using posts and short how-to videos. Marjorie believes everyone can take amazing cat photos with how-to’s and practice showing off their cats to purrfection! Professional Member of the Cat Writers Association, Winner of the Kuykendall Image Award Published at the Guardian newspaper