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DPChallenge Forums >> Challenge Results >> Painted Cat - C&C please
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 03/09/2005 02:48:24 PM · #1


Ok, so just kidding on the painted part. =]

This is my best challenge result (not including my somewhat lucky lightning shot from last year) and I'm very happy with how well it placed. A hearty thank you to everyone who commented during and after the challenge!

BTW, I originally stumbled on the idea a while ago as you can see in this thread.

Since my luck with getting an in-depth Critique Club comment has been not too great lately, I'm looking for constructive criticism on what I did wrong and how I could have improved the shot.

I guess my question is: what elements in this shot might have held it back from doing better? Bad sharpening? Too light? Bad framing/crop? Annoying subject?

Here are a bunch of alternates and a few outtakes for the challenge in my portfolio of Tungsten shots:



Do you think any of the alternates might have done better? The reason I chose the shot I did from the group is because I found the expression and angle to be the most striking of any of them.

Please leave comments in the photo page for easy future reference.

Thanks for the votes, comments, and hopefully criticisms. =]

-Ara
 03/09/2005 03:05:16 PM · #2
The eyes were maybe a bit light, and you might have suffered from "it's another cat shot" syndrome. I loved the shot. I think he's a great subject for a high key image. You might also make a point of cleaning his ears out before you shoot. It looks like he (like my cat Tico) tends to get a bit of dark wax in his widdle ears!

Some times an image places where it does simply due to the context of the overall challenge. I think this is one of those cases.

Clara
 03/09/2005 03:08:18 PM · #3
I like the shot but I think if it was me I would add more contrast. It looks a bit washed out to me. Otherwise, very cool photo...
 03/09/2005 03:47:47 PM · #4
Originally posted by blemt:
The eyes were maybe a bit light, and you might have suffered from "it's another cat shot" syndrome. I loved the shot. I think he's a great subject for a high key image. You might also make a point of cleaning his ears out before you shoot. It looks like he (like my cat Tico) tends to get a bit of dark wax in his widdle ears!

Some times an image places where it does simply due to the context of the overall challenge. I think this is one of those cases.

Clara


Thanks!

Actually the wax bothers me too. I'm afraid to go in there and do anything. First cat for me, how do you clean their ears? Washcloth with a little mild soapy water solution? I guess I should ask my vet too. He also gets a little dried eye-snot in the inner and outer corners of his eyes, the inner corners clean out with a gentle brushing, but the outer corners are nearly impossible to clean, and you can see a speck in the shot.
 03/09/2005 03:52:59 PM · #5
Originally posted by eostyles:
I like the shot but I think if it was me I would add more contrast. It looks a bit washed out to me. Otherwise, very cool photo...


Yes, I couldn't figure out how to keep the overall tone light without losing some of the darker elements in the eyes.
 03/09/2005 04:06:23 PM · #6
Originally posted by BikeRacer:
First cat for me, how do you clean their ears? Washcloth with a little mild soapy water solution?


Nothing wet, just a dry cotton ball, I just wipe gently to remove any visable schmutz off the ears. Don't dig in and don't us anything wet.

Check with the vet just to make sure that there's not another problem. But some cats just can't keep their ears clean. :)

Clara
 03/09/2005 04:33:42 PM · #7
This was my pick to Ribbon and I was amazed it didnt. I think it is perfect the way it is.
Originally posted by BikeRacer:


Ok, so just kidding on the painted part. =]

This is my best challenge result (not including my somewhat lucky lightning shot from last year) and I'm very happy with how well it placed. A hearty thank you to everyone who commented during and after the challenge!

BTW, I originally stumbled on the idea a while ago as you can see in this thread.

Since my luck with getting an in-depth Critique Club comment has been not too great lately, I'm looking for constructive criticism on what I did wrong and how I could have improved the shot.

I guess my question is: what elements in this shot might have held it back from doing better? Bad sharpening? Too light? Bad framing/crop? Annoying subject?

Here are a bunch of alternates and a few outtakes for the challenge in my portfolio of Tungsten shots:



Do you think any of the alternates might have done better? The reason I chose the shot I did from the group is because I found the expression and angle to be the most striking of any of them.

Please leave comments in the photo page for easy future reference.

Thanks for the votes, comments, and hopefully criticisms. =]

-Ara
03/09/2005 10:32:06 PM · #8
Originally posted by kiwinick:
This was my pick to Ribbon and I was amazed it didnt. I think it is perfect the way it is.
Originally posted by BikeRacer:


Ok, so just kidding on the painted part. =]


Thanks, kiwi. Looking at some of the more recent challenges, I thought my score might carry me to a yellow, but all of the shots above mine (and a few below too =]) were among my highest votes, so I'm not surprised I didn't even make the fabled green ribbon.
 03/09/2005 10:44:53 PM · #9
Ara, I loved this shot the way it is, wouldn't change a thing and I thought it would ribbon for sure but soooooo close !
 03/09/2005 11:53:21 PM · #10
Originally posted by megryan:
Ara, I loved this shot the way it is, wouldn't change a thing and I thought it would ribbon for sure but soooooo close !


Thanks!
 03/09/2005 11:58:23 PM · #11
Originally posted by BikeRacer:

Actually the wax bothers me too. I'm afraid to go in there and do anything. First cat for me, how do you clean their ears?


Garden hose always seems to do the trick. They may not like it at first, but after the 30th or 40th time they begin to get used to it.
 03/10/2005 12:27:45 AM · #12
Originally posted by nsbca7:
Originally posted by BikeRacer:

Actually the wax bothers me too. I'm afraid to go in there and do anything. First cat for me, how do you clean their ears?


Garden hose always seems to do the trick. They may not like it at first, but after the 30th or 40th time they begin to get used to it.


Funny that. One of the reasons I chose this breed was meeting one a while ago. I don't know much about cats, and haven't known many in my life, but none I'd ever heard of or met before were like the first Tonk I ever saw. He was the same age my cat is now ~8-9 months. Very curious, to the point of jumping up onto a counter and investigating what was going on in a sink with a running faucet.

He didn't care that his feet were getting wet and that little splashes were hitting him - so I walked over, cupped my hand under the stream, and he drank from it! He didn't mind getting wet!! When he was done, he just jumped out of the sink, leisurely shook each paw a couple of times, and was off investigating something else.

Now, my girlfriend's cat will run out of the room as though a gallon of boiling hot battery acid had been dropped on him if so much as a drop of water hits him.

My guy sits between the two extremes.
 03/10/2005 12:33:58 AM · #13
When I lived down on the river in Bon Secour a neighbor had a Siamese that would dive off the end of the pier trying to catch fish. It would swim back in, shake off and walk out to the end of the pier again to wait for another fish to swim by.
 03/10/2005 09:22:55 AM · #14
Originally posted by nsbca7:
When I lived down on the river in Bon Secour a neighbor had a Siamese that would dive off the end of the pier trying to catch fish. It would swim back in, shake off and walk out to the end of the pier again to wait for another fish to swim by.


wow! did you ever see it catch one?
 03/10/2005 10:30:33 AM · #15
Originally posted by BikeRacer:
Originally posted by nsbca7:
When I lived down on the river in Bon Secour a neighbor had a Siamese that would dive off the end of the pier trying to catch fish. It would swim back in, shake off and walk out to the end of the pier again to wait for another fish to swim by.


wow! did you ever see it catch one?


I've seen that often, including them catching fish. But what's even more amazing is that up here the cats always where disguises to make them look like Great Blue Herons. Mother nature has such a wide imagination.
 03/10/2005 12:23:31 PM · #16
Originally posted by coolhar:
Originally posted by BikeRacer:
Originally posted by nsbca7:
When I lived down on the river in Bon Secour a neighbor had a Siamese that would dive off the end of the pier trying to catch fish. It would swim back in, shake off and walk out to the end of the pier again to wait for another fish to swim by.


wow! did you ever see it catch one?


I've seen that often, including them catching fish. But what's even more amazing is that up here the cats always where disguises to make them look like Great Blue Herons. Mother nature has such a wide imagination.


I hear getting them into the costume isn't too hard, it's training them to walk on the stilts that's the real headache.

Hey, thanks for the nice PM, BTW. =]

Message edited by author 2005-03-10 12:25:24.
 03/10/2005 03:35:35 PM · #17
So, no other criticisms other than my cat's ears are too waxy for a basic rules challenge? =]
 03/10/2005 03:41:59 PM · #18
Originally posted by BikeRacer:
So, no other criticisms other than my cat's ears are too waxy for a basic rules challenge? =]


I thought it was slightly underexposed, but I also understand that you probably did this in light of the challenge.
 03/10/2005 08:08:14 PM · #19
Originally posted by nsbca7:
Originally posted by BikeRacer:
So, no other criticisms other than my cat's ears are too waxy for a basic rules challenge? =]


I thought it was slightly underexposed, but I also understand that you probably did this in light of the challenge.


Do you mean under or overexposed?
 03/10/2005 09:34:20 PM · #20
Originally posted by BikeRacer:
Originally posted by nsbca7:
Originally posted by BikeRacer:
So, no other criticisms other than my cat's ears are too waxy for a basic rules challenge? =]


I thought it was slightly underexposed, but I also understand that you probably did this in light of the challenge.


Do you mean under or overexposed?


Over. My best dog died today so I shouldn't even be on line. My mind's not into anything in particular. Just drifting.
 03/10/2005 11:15:36 PM · #21
Originally posted by BikeRacer:
Originally posted by blemt:
The eyes were maybe a bit light, and you might have suffered from "it's another cat shot" syndrome. I loved the shot. I think he's a great subject for a high key image. You might also make a point of cleaning his ears out before you shoot. It looks like he (like my cat Tico) tends to get a bit of dark wax in his widdle ears!

Some times an image places where it does simply due to the context of the overall challenge. I think this is one of those cases.

Clara


Thanks!

Actually the wax bothers me too. I'm afraid to go in there and do anything. First cat for me, how do you clean their ears? Washcloth with a little mild soapy water solution? I guess I should ask my vet too. He also gets a little dried eye-snot in the inner and outer corners of his eyes, the inner corners clean out with a gentle brushing, but the outer corners are nearly impossible to clean, and you can see a speck in the shot.


It is perfectly ok to give a cat a bath. The trick is to put something in the bottom of the tub that they can get their claws around (besides your arm). They are generally more afraid of being less than sure footed than they are of the water.

Side note: My mother's cat just passed away a few weeks ago, but it was a whopping 21 years (people years) old. She lived such a long healthy life, it wasn't sad. She was a fine old lady, but maybe now she can run and chase again. :)
 03/10/2005 11:44:12 PM · #22
Originally posted by nsbca7:


Over. My best dog died today so I shouldn't even be on line. My mind's not into anything in particular. Just drifting.


Very sorry to hear about your dog.
 03/10/2005 11:44:44 PM · #23
Originally posted by dartompkins:
It is perfectly ok to give a cat a bath.


Probably so, but I won't be trying it. ;o)

I found this and thought it was funny and appropriate for the conversation...LOL

How to Give your Cat a Pill
1. Grasp cat firmly in your arms. Cradle its head on your elbow, just as if you were giving baby a bottle. Coo confidently, "Thats a nice kitty." Drop pill into its mouth.

2. Retrieve cat from top of lamp and pill from under sofa.

3. Follow same procedure as in 1, but hold cat's front paws down with left hand and back paws down with elbow of right arm. Poke pill into its mouth with right forefinger.

4. Retrieve cat from under bed. Get new pill from bottle. (Resist impulse to get new cat.)

5. Again proceed as in 1, except when you have cat firmly cradled in bottle-feeding position, sit down on edge of chair, fold your torso over cat, bring your right hand over your left elbow, open cat's mouth by lifting the upper jaw and pop the pill in - quickly. Since your head is down by your knees, you won't be able to see what you're doing. That's just as well.

6. Leave cat hanging on drapes. Leave pill in your hair.

7. If you're a woman, have a good cry. If you're a man, have a good cry.

8. Now pull yourself together. Who's the boss here anyway? Retrieve cat and pill. Assuming position 1, say sternly, "Who's the boss here, anyway?" Open cat's mouth, take pill and...Oooops!

9. This isn't working, is it? Collapse and think. Aha! Those flashing claws are causing the chaos.

10. Crawl to linen closet. Drag back large beach towel. Spread towel on floor.

11. Retrieve cat from kitchen counter and pill from potted plant.

12. Spread cat on towel near one end with its head over long edge.

13. Flatten cat's front and back legs over its stomach. (Resist impulse to flatten cat.)

14. Roll cat in towel. Work fast; time and tabbies wait for no man-or woman.

15. Resume position 1. Rotate your left hand to cat's head. Press its mouth at the jaw hinges like opening the petals of a snapdragon.

16. Drop pill into cat's mouth and poke gently. Voila! It's done.

17. Vacuum up loose fur (cat's). Apply bandages to wounds (yours).

18. Take two aspirins and lie down.
03/10/2005 11:49:05 PM · #24
Originally posted by laurielblack:
Originally posted by dartompkins:
It is perfectly ok to give a cat a bath.


Probably so, but I won't be trying it. ;o)

I found this and thought it was funny and appropriate for the conversation...LOL

How to Give your Cat a Pill
1. Grasp cat firmly in your arms. Cradle its head on your elbow, just as if you were giving baby a bottle. Coo confidently, "Thats a nice kitty." Drop pill into its mouth.

2. Retrieve cat from top of lamp and pill from under sofa.

3. Follow same procedure as in 1, but hold cat's front paws down with left hand and back paws down with elbow of right arm. Poke pill into its mouth with right forefinger.

4. Retrieve cat from under bed. Get new pill from bottle. (Resist impulse to get new cat.)

5. Again proceed as in 1, except when you have cat firmly cradled in bottle-feeding position, sit down on edge of chair, fold your torso over cat, bring your right hand over your left elbow, open cat's mouth by lifting the upper jaw and pop the pill in - quickly. Since your head is down by your knees, you won't be able to see what you're doing. That's just as well.

6. Leave cat hanging on drapes. Leave pill in your hair.

7. If you're a woman, have a good cry. If you're a man, have a good cry.

8. Now pull yourself together. Who's the boss here anyway? Retrieve cat and pill. Assuming position 1, say sternly, "Who's the boss here, anyway?" Open cat's mouth, take pill and...Oooops!

9. This isn't working, is it? Collapse and think. Aha! Those flashing claws are causing the chaos.

10. Crawl to linen closet. Drag back large beach towel. Spread towel on floor.

11. Retrieve cat from kitchen counter and pill from potted plant.

12. Spread cat on towel near one end with its head over long edge.

13. Flatten cat's front and back legs over its stomach. (Resist impulse to flatten cat.)

14. Roll cat in towel. Work fast; time and tabbies wait for no man-or woman.

15. Resume position 1. Rotate your left hand to cat's head. Press its mouth at the jaw hinges like opening the petals of a snapdragon.

16. Drop pill into cat's mouth and poke gently. Voila! It's done.

17. Vacuum up loose fur (cat's). Apply bandages to wounds (yours).

18. Take two aspirins and lie down.


I have four cats and one of them fits the above description. We had to take her to the vet to get a pill to stay down.
 03/11/2005 12:01:06 AM · #25
That is hilarious! I actually felt that way about giving a pill to my dog. Wrap it in cheese, and he would eat the cheese and spit out the pill. Cover it with peanut butter you say? Nope, sucks off the peanut butter and spits out the pill. Cream cheese is the only thing that seems to work. Go figure.
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