12-26-2024 4:06am

What Is Winston Trying to Say?

Lesley Misko Editor

by Allison Kelly*

Pet owners love to share pictures of their furry friends. Facebook is littered with photos and videos of cats and dogs looking cute or being silly. I got my first camera when I was a teenager, way back before there were cell phones, social media, the internet, or even personal computers. This was also before digital cameras were available. Still, my love of cats made me use some of the precious 24 shots on a roll of film to capture the adorable things my cats did – which was pretty much everything. I remember taking pictures of my cat, Lily, lying on her back in the living room. My older brothers labeled these photo sessions “cat on rug.”

Now, 40 years later, I believe my photography skills have improved, but getting good shots of my cats remains a difficult task. Pet photos on social media in December seem to focus on pictures of cats being naughty or nice around the Christmas tree. My cats have never climbed the tree or knocked it over, but they do take an interest in those shiny objects dangling from the branches. I’ve learned to put unbreakable ornaments near the bottom of the tree. I have a soft one of a cat sleeping on Santa’s hat that I use as a prop for photo shoots; amazingly, the cats have posed under this particular ornament a few times. I’ve also taken “nice” photos of the cats sitting near the tree gazing at it with admiration or “naughty” ones of them looking at the tempting ornaments with a mischievous gleam in their eyes. I love to spot the cats sleeping under the tree, often in a patch of sunshine. Real or artificial, the Christmas tree always seems to attract them.

For many years I struggled to get a decent photo of any of my cats relaxing under the tree. With a disability that prevents me from getting down on the floor, I had a hard time lining up a shot at the eye level of the cat. But Winston, the most photogenic cat to ever live here, didn’t let me down. In December of 2014 he stayed still long enough for me to position myself on the antique bench we use as a coffee table, lean down as far as I could, and aim my little point-and-shoot camera in his direction. I was thrilled with the result – the way the branches frame his face, the beautiful green color of his eyes, the intensity of his gaze… I’ve used this photo on some of the cards I sell (available at www.noteworthynaturephotos.com). It’s also in my shop at www.society6.com where I had to give it a title before adding it to my inventory. I had trouble thinking of just the right words to describe that look in his eyes. Winston was not giving me his usual sweet expression or even a smug one; I finally decided on the generic “Cat Eyes” but am not entirely satisfied with that. Maybe “Watched” or “Ready for My Close-Up” would be better. Or maybe just “Cat Under Tree.”

What would you call this photo?

* Despite living almost her entire life with severe juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, Allison has always enjoyed the outdoors. Growing up on a family Christmas tree farm – she could literally go over the river (creek) and through the woods to her grandmother’s house – instilled a love of nature in her at an early age. As an adult she uses a mobility scooter or power chair to get up close to nature and take photos that she turns into note cards available for sale at Engage Arts Studio, 1005 Gravel Pike, Schwenksville, or at her online shop at www.noteworthynaturephotos.com.