A glamour portrait can only be as good as the photo it starts from. The image model keeps your cat’s face, fur and pose, so a sharp, well-lit photo of a relaxed cat gives the best result. The good news: you do not need a camera, a studio or a cooperative cat. A phone and a little patience are enough.
1. Find soft, natural light
Daylight from a window is the best light there is for cats. Place your cat (or wait for your cat to settle) a metre or two from a window, with the light falling on the side of its face. Avoid direct midday sun, which makes harsh shadows and squinting eyes, and avoid dim evening rooms, where the phone blurs the fur to keep the picture bright.
2. Turn the flash off
Flash startles many cats, flattens their fur and turns their eyes into glowing discs, because the light bounces off the reflective layer at the back of the eye. If the room is too dark without flash, move to a brighter spot rather than forcing it.
3. Get down to eye level
Most cat photos are taken from a standing human’s height, looking down. Crouch, sit or lie on the floor so the lens is at your cat’s eye level. The photo immediately feels like a portrait instead of a snapshot, and it is the angle that works best for every look, from Red Carpet to Renaissance Oil.
4. Focus on the eyes
On a phone, tap the screen on your cat’s eyes before you shoot. Sharp eyes make a portrait, even if the tail is a little soft. If your phone has a portrait mode, try it: the blurred background helps the cat stand out.
5. Fill the frame with the cat
Get close, or crop afterwards, so the cat takes up most of the picture. A small cat in a big room is hard for anyone to see, and our automatic check needs to see the cat clearly before it accepts the photo.
6. Keep people out of the shot
OnlyFelins accepts cats only: no faces, hands, feet or reflections, even at the edge of the photo. If you are holding a treat or a toy to get your cat’s attention, keep your hand outside the frame, or crop it out before uploading.
7. Choose a calm moment
The best portraits happen when your cat is relaxed: after a meal, after play, in a favourite sunny spot. Do not wake a sleeping cat or hold it in place for a photo. A cat that feels trapped will look it, and the shoot should be good for the cat too.
8. Use sound, not hands, to get attention
A soft click of the tongue, the crinkle of a treat bag or a quiet “pss pss” usually makes a cat look up for a second. Have the phone ready before you make the sound, and take several shots in a row (hold the shutter button for a burst).
9. Tidy the background a little
The glamour look replaces much of the scene, but a clean background still helps. Move bright objects, cables and anything with your address on it, such as letters or parcels, out of the way. It is better for your privacy too.
10. Take many photos and keep the best
Professional pet photographers take dozens of frames for each one they keep. Take twenty, pick the sharpest one with the best expression, and upload that one.
Then try a look
Once you have a good photo, glam up your cat and see it in all its glory. If the automatic check refuses it, the message tells you why: usually a hand in the shot or a cat too small to see.