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Category Funny Cats
Funny Cat Picture: Devious Manna
Manna is our little troublemaker. There has got to be one in every crowd I think. One of Manna’s favorite tricks is to sneak up to Cinco when he is least expecting it and bite him on the scruff of his neck. I have a feeling that she was about to do just that when I snuck up on her with the camera (Cinco is the one that is sleeping). What do you think, is that a devious face?
Thoughts on Cat Photography
Part of making a really cool cat blog is taking (and sharing) great pictures of cats. I am by no means a professional photographer; I have hand tremors and I use an out-of-date little point-and-shoot camera that is in desperate need of replacing. However, I have found some things that really work for me and some things that don’t. Perhaps some of the pawsome photographers out there can add to this conversation (by all means do), but here are some of my discoveries:
Lighting makes all the difference in the world.
Digitally brightened photo of Manna with fixed “red-eye”.
I find that if I can take a photo of the cats with natural light, that photo will turn out better than one taken with the the lamps in my apartment doing the lighting. If natural light isn’t available, the lights have to be as bright as possible (without being blinding). Photo editing programs can help to brighten a photo, but there is definitely a difference between a well-lit photo and a photo brightened by editing. Good lighting also helps because then you don’t need to use the flash. Whenever I have to use the flash I spend tons of time editing “red eye” and/or sorting through photos to find one with the cats’ eyes open.
Naturally lit photo of Manna, no lighting or eye corrections.
Try to see the cat’s point of view.
Cinco not realizing that I had placed a milk ring and a fuzzy ball on his head.
When I’m taking photos, I’m usually on my knees or crawling around on the ground to get as close to their eye-level as possible. Not too many interesting photos happen when I’m hovering over their heads. Photos that are taken straight on at the cats are a lot easier to use with an article if you ask me.
Get in the action.
Manna playing with a catnip candy cane.
Action shots are adorable! They make the cats look alive and playful – it gives them personality. Many times when I do a photo shoot with my cats, I am playing with them with one hand and taking photos with the other hand. Lucky for me, my little camera has a setting for taking action photos so they don’t look too blurry. I use this setting all the time because of my hand tremors (if I don’t it will look like a took my photos during an earthquake).
Take lots of photos.
A Manna selfie fail. Try, try, again.
It is rare that I get the photos I want in the first few shots. I just keep taking photos until either the cats have had enough or I’m just sick of taking photos. For my Wordless Wednesday shoots it is not unusual for me to take 100 photos. Then I just choose around 5 of them that turned out well to use. The more photos you take, the more likely you will get a few really good ones.
Add your own interpretation.
I knew I’d seen that expression somewhere before…
Cats don’t pose. No matter what great idea you have for your photo shoot, expect it to go awry. I just add a few elements to my “scene” and I see what the cats decide to do with them. I don’t force anything. The cats will do whatever the cats want to do. If some scene elements are not getting a good response, I replace them and try again. Adding catnip is helpful, but then they may just get busy licking the cat nip and refuse to look at the camera.
After the photo shoot, I add my own interpretation to the photos. This is a creative process. I look at what I’ve got and I say something like “hey, Cinco and Manna look like crime-fighting super heros” or ” This is like one of those slow, dark film noir scenes” or “hey! Manna looks just like Jack Nicholson in this photo.” Some interpretations are more creative and some are more reality based.
Cinco starring in Niptoon Noir.
Super Cinco attacks the Red Dot with his Super Raspberry.
A question for you: What qualities do you think make a great pet photo?
Wordless Wednesday: Bubbles!!!
What could be more fun than bubbles?! My homemade bubble wand and bubbles didn’t work out as well as I would have liked, but Cinco and Manna loved it. This week, rather than my usual trick of playing with the cats with one hand while simultaneously taking pictures of them with the other hand, Dave (my husband) took the pictures.
Manna could barely wait for the bubbles to leave the wand before she attacked them.
Get those bubbles Manna!
Cinco felt that the bubbles were a dirty nasty trick. He sniffed one and it popped, squirting him with soapy water. “These things are not to be trusted.” – Cinco
“Where did it go? It was here a second ago…”
“I will get you, you strange magical orb!” – Manna
Manna getting ready to pounce the bubbles.
“I wonder if I can catch it on my paw…” – Manna
Did you hear that we’re moving?
Playful Kitty is moving to self-hosting! I’ve been very busy designing the new site at http://www.playfulkitty.net . It is coming along great and we should be ready to completely transfer over by next week. Playful Kitty’s Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google+ accounts will not be changing. You will need to visit the new site to subscribe to the new Playful Kitty by WordPress reader, Bloglovin’, or email. All of those subscribe buttons are already functioning on the new site if you want to subscribe now (excuse my mess if you do visit).
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Funny Cat Pictures: Cinco Sings for Joy
This week we got a package in the mail. The package happened to come in a decent sized box. When Cinco discovered the box, he just couldn’t help himself. He burst out singing his “New Box Song” at the top of his lung. It is good to see a happy cat. 🙂 What has made your cat happy this week?
Valentines from Cats
Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! This year I decided to let Cinco and Manna come up with their own ideas for Valentine’s Day gifts. They are pretty creative kitties! I’m sure we will be handing these out to everyone we know. 🙂
Colored Catnip Hearts
Amazing Homemade Gifts
A bouquet of mousies
Eau des Chats – Now you can spray yourself with your kitty’s scent. Who wouldn’t want to smell like cat all the time?
The sculptured hairball; a true work of love.
The Artists- Cinco and Manna
What do you think ? What would your pets give you for Valentine’s Day?
Check out the Pet Parade (or join) to see some more Valentine’s themed pet posts. Click the banner below.
Wordless Wednesday: Niptoon Noir
Playful Kitty Presents :
“Niptoon Noir”
Starring: Cinco and Manna
Last Call for Nose-to-Nose Award Nominations!
Make sure you stop by Blogpaws and nominate all of your favorite blogs today! Click this link to go to the nominations. There are lots of great categories and who wouldn’t want to win an award for their blog?! I will be finishing up a few last nominations today too 🙂
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Funny Cat Picture: “Trust Me, I’m an Angel”
Manna would like me to believe that she’s a little angel. I think that someone might have gotten into the toy bin. What do you think?
Kitty Cat Limericks
Once again I’m taking a little time to show off my creative side. Cinco and Manna inspire me in a lot of different ways. In my post Unforgettable Kitty Moments #recipeformoments (published this past Saturday), I describe just a few of the moments that have really impacted me. Today’s post is much lighter – some goofy little limericks about cats.
Cat Owner Privacy
A cat owner really should know
Cats follow wherever you go
If you try to go pee
They all want to see
You might as well make it a show.
Manna and Cinco “the stare”
Cat Traps
There once was a cat very tall
Who spotted a box very small
He knew he could fit
And determined to sit
He squeezed himself into a ball.
Cousin Cuddles in a little box
Cuddles went OTRB this past summer
For the Love of Mice
In the night oft’ I do rouse
To find my cat running the house
She sings every morning
And without a warning
She brings me her favorite toy mouse
Manna enjoying a toy mouse
The Shelf Game
On a shelf sat knick-knacks galore
And not the kind easily to bore
The cat made a game
And down each one came
Saying “I’ve decorated the floor!”
Cinco knocking things off of his daddy’s dresser.
Do you have kitty cat limericks to share? I would LOVE to see them. 🙂
Wordless Wednesday: Attack Cats
Our apartment is protected by attack cats!
Anyone trespassing will be subject to Kitty Kung Fu.
Cinco and Manna have agreed to demonstrate their fierceness. A red ribbon (sometimes having a plastic straw on it) will be playing the part of the Trespasser. Mouse over the images for a description of the action.
Manna puts the smack down.
Cinco rids the cat chair of the Trespasser.
Manna makes the Trespasser beg for mercy.
Cinco stops the Trespasser with one claw.
Manna puts the Trespasser in a bind.
Cinco tells the Trespasser who’s boss.
So there!
* Yes, the white chair belongs to the cats.
*Never leave a long stringy toy with cats unsupervised.
BlogPaws Nose-to-Nose Nominations
Click here to go the nominations.
It is time to nominate your favorite pet blogs for BlogPaws’ Nose-to-Nose awards! Nominations are open until Wednesday, February 12, 2014 (that is next Wednesday). No voting will be necessary and you can nominate as many blogs for each category as you would like.
If you would like to nominate Playful Kitty, we would be thrilled 🙂 This is a really incredible opportunity for a new blog like this one. Here is the information you would need to nominate us:
Playful Kitty’s homepage link : https://playfulkitty.wordpress.com
Contact name for Playful Kitty: Robin Mudge
Email for Playful Kitty: robinsplayfulkitties@hotmail.com
Playful Kitty’s Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/robinsplayfulkitties
Playful Kitty’s Twitter Page: http://www.twitter.com/theplayfulkitty
Categories Playful Kitty is qualified for:
- Best Cat Blog
- Best New Pet Blog – Playful Kitty Started in September 2013
- Best Humor Blog
- Best Blog Post
- Best Design
- Best Pet Blog Photo
- Best Pet Blog Video – Manna’s songs over Christmas time were done via Youtube videos
- Best Pet MicroBlogger
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