Taking the purr-fect cat picture

When David Sutton explains the fine points of photographing a cat, people listen.

A skilled pet and portrait photographer, he has had his work exhibited around the world, and he has a steady stream of four-legged clients visiting his studio in Evanston, Ill. (Take a peek at his website, suttonstudios.com.)

Photographing a cat, he said, can be — not surprisingly — challenging. But not impossible.

"I don't think any cat is unphoto­graphable," he said.

Our model for the day was Clifford, a year-old orange feline who was awaiting adoption at Paws shelter in Chicago. Clifford took a morning off from lounging to pose. But Sutton was working at a disadvantage.

"Cats are very sensitive to changes in their environment," he said. "They're homebodies. So [their home] is the ideal place to do it."

Bringing them to a studio or other location adds pressure on them, he said. And riding in a car and being in a carrier to get to the studio are not their favorite pastimes.

"Pay attention to places the cat likes to be," Sutton said. "There are probably three or four. And pay attention to the light. Cultivate an awareness. Where do lighting and background come together nicely? What time of day? It's almost more of a meditation."

He suggests using natural light, coming from the side or behind you, "so you're defining the shape of the animal with shadows and light."

A professional-looking background is not essential; you may want some elements from your home in the photo. If they detract, scrap them. If they enhance the shot, keep them.

This will be much easier with help. So once you have your session mapped out, get an accomplice. They can be in the photo, or they simply can be a second set of hands to keep Bucko in line. And being a cat, Bucko will need some gentle correcting.

"If you keep putting a cat in the same place over and over," Sutton said, "they'll eventually get frustrated and park themselves and let you take the picture."

"Make the cat feel comfortable and get the faces together. You only have to look good for a 60th of a second."

Here are more of Sutton's tips.

• Try various points of view. You can stand above the animal and shoot, getting a bird's-eye view, but Sutton said, "I find portraits are more compelling at eye level. Either put the animal up on something, or you get down on the floor. I think it's more natural."

Another shot he uses is of the owner from the shins down, with the cat around their feet.

• Don't draw a crowd. The more family members in the shot, the less compelling the picture will be. Sutton suggests a maximum of two people.

• Turn off the flash. It can frighten the animal.

• Eye contact is key. To get the cat to look into the lens, use a toy (Sutton used a feather on a stick). Hold it high, get the cat's attention, then bring it down to near the camera so the cat is looking right into the lens.

• The animal's expression is important. "With some animals, if their ears are back, they look suspicious, tentative, scared," Sutton said. "If they're looking at you and their ears are forward, the animals look most accessible, warm."

• Take a lot of pictures, then winnow them down to one to three keepers.

• Figure on spending 15 to 30 minutes shooting. "Don't expect to get the job done in a minute. Photography now is so easy, people believe it's a really simple process. But the key word is 'process.' if you want a good portrait, you have to take some time."