Sunday 21 March 2010

Macro Monday: Happy Birthday!

How could I resist? Today, my adorable little kitties turn eight and this is as good an excuse as any to post their photos, again. I have written many posts about my cats, talking at length about their shortcomings and how useless they are on a practical level - here is the most recent. But today, it is their birthday and so all I shall say is that they light up my life, make me smile when I am feeling blue and, all things considered, make my life and my home a better place to be.

Since this is a Macro Monday posts, here they are, in all their close up cuteness and fluffiness.



Did I ever tell you how hard it is to photograph a black and white cat? Getting the right exposure is nearly impossible. It is like trying to photograph a lump of coal on a fresh bank of brilliant white snow, except that the lump of coal refuses to sit still, even if you do try and tempt it with some cat treats.

For more Macro Monday - go here.

27 comments:

wenn said...

lovely eyes! happy birthday!

Johnny Nutcase said...

such a sweet post, the macros of your feline friends are excellent! I can imagine the exposure issues on the black and white being an issue, but great job. these pictures are so cute! and happy birthday to them :)

Sistertex said...

OH....they are beautiful - happy birthday to your lovely furbabies!

Black cats are really tough to photo, as well as black and white - I am with you there!

Anonymous said...

oh how sweet...amazing how you got their 'fluffiness' in the picture!!
happy birthday babies :)
i never thought about it being hard to photograph a black and white cat...seeing as i have one, i'll have to make her my next victim...i mean 'subject'!

Cortes said...

I would never have remembered the 8th birthday, and look fondly back on your kitties little brother Deco. I do know he has a great home with a young fellow who loved him from first sight. They are special aren't they?

christins, sweden said...

wonderful cropped headphotos of the cats. th first is great with its profile looking very cancentrated. Photos of black cats and dogs - I know how hard that is... you made an excellent one on this cat

Killara girl said...

their little faces are so wonderful...and those eye! i don't know about cats but i tried for bees this week and that wasn't easy.

Regina said...

Happy birthday to your cuties.
awesome macros.

Jama said...

Happy birthday to your cats! love the first shot.

jabblog said...

Happy Birthday Tess and Willow! You really are gorgeous cats and I think you're probably spoilt rotten - and why not?

Moon said...

Did they get my card ??

jay said...

I find coal seldom responds to cat treats. LOL!

You did a great job on the exposure though - detail in both black and white. And what cute faces!

Rita said...

Are they siblings....very different...or did you just get them on the same day?

Lovely fluffy girls [?] anyway! My ginger tom Harry is just that...gay as they come, but these days we have to live with that don't we?

Suldog said...

There's little so pleasant photographically, in a tactile sense, as a cat close-up. The whiskers, the eyes... very nice.

Don't Bug Me! said...

Wenn: Thank you!

JNutcase: Indeed, I have lots of great photos of Willow, but Tess, well, let's just say I have lots of photos, few of which could be framed! BTW - loved your orchids!

Sistertex: Perhaps I should try converting to her to B and W?

Tina: My cats might say victim - I think they got a bit fed up with me chasing after them with the huge thing with a very bright flashy light.

Cortes: Wasn't Deco a girl? And yes, they are special, very special.

Christins: The photos weren't actually cropped - well, just enough to centre them. I actually got really close with my macro lens, which is probably why they weren't very happy and kept running away!

Shelle: Bees are difficult - I have a lot of shots where the wing is in focus, but the head is not!

Regina: Thank you!

Jama: I think the first shot is better - Willow is just much easier to photograph, since she is not black and white and she sits still longer.

Jabblog: Oh yes, definitely spoilt rotten.

Moon: I suspect it is still in the post, along with my card.

Jay: My cats respond to treats, but not in the way that you want. With a dog, you can tell it to sit and stay. That just doesn't work with a cat. If you don't give them the treat, they either come and take it or walk off.

Rita: They are sisters, but I suspect that they have different fathers. Female cats, when in heat, will mate with several male cats and so you can have a litter with more than one father.

Collen: Not easy is it? Next time I get a cat, it will be a tabby!

Anonymous said...

They sat still long enough to get these gorgeous shots of them! They're so very pretty!!! Great macros

Kala said...

Their eyes are amazing when photographed.

Tammie Lee said...

gorgeous close ups of your dear kitties!

Kim, USA said...

Ohhh Happy Birthday to them. I bet they are going to have a good dinner tonight.

Macro Monday~ The bud

Dianne said...

Happy Birthday to your beauties

I have a B&W too and I often feel like I'm taking photos of a shadow in the dark :)

your shots are wonderful

Andree said...

whoa! Those are breath taking shots. I am partial to black and whites so the second one just stopped me in my tracks. You have inspired me to try to get some shots of my own "useless kitties" that are as wonderful as yours.

Teresa said...

These are so great. I think we were on the same wavelength this week with our photos. My dog turns 12 on Thursday. weird.

Baino said...

Well hard or not you've captured their royal furriness delightfully. I miss my cat . .if only I didn't have such slow lizards and pretty birds.And at least I don't have to guess what they are! I'm bombing out dismally over at Jay's. For some reason, my dog hates the camera and gets this pathetic 'please don't point that thing at me' look.

Moon said...

Tuuuuuuuuuunnnnaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa .....

Anya said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY :-)
Yeaaaaaah......
So sweet post and photo's !!

Hugs from Kareltje =^.^=

Don't Bug Me! said...

Tricia: Hmmmm, they were not exactly still, but yes, they are very pretty.

Kala: They certainly are, aren't they?

Tammie Lee: Thank you!

Kim: T-U-N-A - I have to spell it, otherwise they go crazy!

Dianne: A shadow in the dark that keeps running away!

Andree: Good luck getting some shots of your kitties - the end results are worth it.

Teresa: Happy Birthday to your dog!

Baino: I am sure that you know from reading my posts that Willow is no angel and she does terrorise the local bird, rodent and snake populations. I am always very conflicted by this, and I feel horribly guilty everytime she brings me home a gift. But she hates being inside and so I have to let her out - I just hope she doesn't catch anything.

Moon: Don't worry, they got some.

Anya: Thank you and hugs back to Kareltje.

Kate said...

Aren't they beautiful? I just love their eyes! And you know you will forgive them anything.......?