Andrew Marttila - How to Take Awesome Photos of Cats

Copyright 2020 by Andrew Marttila

Interior and cover photographs copyright 2020 by Andrew Marttila

Cover copyright 2020 by Hachette Book Group, Inc.

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First Edition: May 2020

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2019948457

ISBNs: 978-0-7624-9515-3 (hardcover), 978-0-7624-685-9-1 (ebook)

E3-20200401-JV-NF-ORI

For Jumbo

Hi, everyone! My name is Andrew, and Im a cat photographer. Im betting you picked up this book, leafed through some of the pages, and thought, Wow. This is weird, but really cute and potentially useful for my own photos of Fluffy. Welcome! In this wild world where cat photos dominate the internet, Im honored to be your guide. I hope that the time we spend together will be valuable, and that by the end of the book youll see a marked change in the photos you take.

Personally, I think everyone ought to contribute to the everlasting fountain of feline photos on our feeds, but my goal is to elevate your photos to the next level. While it may be perfectly evident to you that Fluffy deserves a vast audience to appreciate every last whisker on her face (including the ones with leftover bits of breakfast), images are easily lost to the internet shuffle. Its time to make your photos stand out from the crowd.

As for me, Ive been taking pictures of cats for almost a decade. Surprisingly, for a self-confessed cat guy, it wasnt until later in life that I got my first cat. I grew up terribly allergic to animals and couldnt have traditional pets around the house. After living around a family members cat for some time in my early 20s (inhaler in hand, of course), I developed a tolerance to cats and felt comfortable taking the plunge into cat fatherhood. So, I got my first cat in 2010; a Bengal named Haroun.

From the get-go, Haroun was incredibly sweet and photogenic. Unfortunately, I didnt have a decent camera to capture him, nor the know-how to use one. I tried my best to take shots of him with a phone, but there were obvious limitations, especially with the technology from 10 years ago. My roommate at the time had a professional camera, and I asked him if I could borrow it for a few trial shots on my cat. And that, my friends, was the beginning of my journey to becoming a professional cat photographer.

When I first started taking photos of my cat, I was absolutely clueless. I looked around on the internet for guides, and while there was a plethora of photography tutorials online and in print, unsurprisingly, very few applied to animals. And, believe it or not, even fewer to cats. I began by learning general information about cameras and then read up on the basic principles of photography, especially portraiture and the use of light.

It became clear that if I was to move forward, I was going to have to figure out a lot of the specifics on my ownthe vast majority of which would take place through trial and error. Like most acquired skills, we can look back and laugh at our first attempts. In fact, my social media posts are a testament to slow and gradual progress; the images from the beginning of my photo-taking days are a minefield of missteps and errors. But I improved. And, for better or worse, the evolution is painstakingly documented online.

What began as a hobby slowly morphed into a part-time job. I gained some recognition on social media at a time when taking photos with a real camera stood out from the sea of blurry, low-resolution phone photos. In my last year of college, I created a website, plastered some flyers around town, and began taking my first clients as a pet photographer. The majority of shoots started with family and friends, and god bless them for paying real money for those amateur photo sets.

It ended up helping me out more than they knew. Those initial sessions built my portfolio and boosted my confidence. After college, I stepped away from continued studies in the field of neuroscience to pursue pet photography full time. Since committing what my parents at one time considered a grave mistake, Ive taken pictures of literally thousands of felines all around the world.

To date, I have published two books filled to the brim with cat photos: Cats on Catnip and Shop Cats of New York. My photos have been featured in numerous galleries and covered by major news outlets both online and in print. Ive even appeared live on national television to talk about my cat photos. Most of you will probably know me from the internet. Say hi on Instagram @iamthecatphotographer. My partner Hannah Shaw (aka Kitten Lady) and I even have a nonprofit organization called Orphan Kitten Club. In the book youre bound to see, and maybe even recognize, a bunch of the kittens we have rescued. Yup, its fair to say cats are (a big part of) my life.

In 2018, I started giving photography workshops at cat conventions all across North America. Ive done a bunch of them now, but I used to be genuinely petrified by the idea of public speaking. The first talk I gave in New York City was in front of a few hundred people in a big conference hall. I had a lump in my throat the entire time. I was sweating. I was mumbling. I felt as if my words were virtually incoherent, but I did it. And I did it because I felt it was necessary to put my fears aside so that I could be of assistance to others. By others, I dont mean peopleI mean the cats!

Sure, its important to help amateur photographers get a better understanding of their craft. Its also satisfying to explain how smartphone users can create lasting memories with their devices. But what has been most valuable has been teaching photography to those who work with or volunteer at animal shelters. I truly believe that by enabling people to take better photos of adoptable animals, the likelihood of those animals leaving the shelter system skyrockets.

In the upcoming pages, Im going to spill all my photography knowledge and secrets in what I hope will be an approachable, easy-to-understand way. I want you guys to be able to read an actionable tip, put down the book, apply it, and (pending your cats cooperation) see immediate results. As you may have gleaned from my short bio, Im not classically trained in photography, which means Im going to break everything down in really straightforward terms.