I love cats. In fact, I've owned more cats than dogs in my lifetime. Fortunately, my jobs lets me spend time with both! However, cat photography seems to be a bit less popular and the majority of my time is spent in photo shoots with dogs. That being said, I was thrilled to find out that the Humane Society of Iredell had plenty of cats that could go for a good photo shoot. I was happy to oblige. Humane Society of Iredell has a great facility up in Mooresville, NC. The building is clean and is staffed with awesome volunteers that have the animals' best interests in mind. The cats have multi-level cages and have a private room where they can socialize with one another and visit with potential owners. If you ever get the opportunity, check out the facility and spend some time with the wonderful kitties! PS - they have dogs available too! They are all placed in foster homes but can easily have a visit arranged.
I'll start out with an adorable little kitten named Hope. She is just a little 12-week-old bundle of energy! She absolutely was cracking me up as she zoomed from corner to corner in the room. She would flatten her tail along the top of her back and looked like a chipmunk as she ran to and fro. Total cuteness...
Her favorite game must be tug-o-war! Check out these outtakes of her pulling with all of her might. Her chipmunk stance is on the lower right.
This beautiful kitty is Gloria. She is just 11 months old and has the biggest eyes I have seen on a cat in a long time. She loves to cuddle and if you're not careful, those eyes will lure you in to give her treats...
Skye is the next kitty I got to photograph. She is a fluffy 3-4 year-old Persian blend with lovely silver/smoke fur. She will need a peaceful home where she will be free to do her own thing.
If I didn't know better, I would say that this next kitty is Gloria's twin. She shares the same stunning eyes, beautiful markings, and hard-to-ignore personality. This lovely girl is appropriately named Princess...
The last girl I visited with was Laverne. This grey kitty is only 8 months old and loves playtime, being held, and lots of kisses and toys. She is a lover...
On a technical note, I used my new 50mm f/1.4 lens for these pics. I would have been out of luck if I didn't have it in my arsenal! This room was very dark with only one fluorescent fixture providing the light. I had my lens wide open and fortunately managed to avoid using any flash. Because the room was so dark, I wasn't able to stop action at all and I still have to practice with the very shallow depth of field. However, this lens rocks and I can see myself using it for all types of situations - low light or in the middle of the day!
Next up is BB. She is a little scruffy dog and, yes, I LOVE me some scruffy dogs! Not to mention her underbite and Gremlin-style ears are to die for! :)
This next girl is Sarah. Her foster mommy spoils her with pretty dresses and Sarah just eats it up! Can't you see the love these two have for each other?
This is Sarah's "sister" Daphne. She also gets to dress up and hang out at the adoption events with the volunteers.
What is a pet adoption post without a success story? Well almost two years ago, Chaddy, the kitty pictured below, was rescued from HSI and placed in the best home EVER! He gets to hang out in public just like a dog and even has his own tricked-out stroller. He travels to races and has even had his picture taken with some of the greats in NASCAR! He gets the best clothes and is sporting a HSI volunteer shirt in these photos. Oh, what a life!
