Bob Scott  

Pole Cat by Bob Scott

March 2025 - Pole Cat

About the Image(s)

This Oriental Short Hair (a close relative of the Siamese cat) was being judged at a show of the Central Jersey Cat Fanciers. Cats are placed on a high table and examined by the judge. She periodically flicked a cat toy toward the pole to see which would follow it. I realized if I stayed seated I would have just so-so shots of cats on the table so I started leaping up quickly when cats when for the pole. I cropped in to get rid of the remainder of the table and the bottom part of the pole, rather than mess with trying to clone them out because of the hair detail. These was through Lightroom for basic lighting and then processed in PhotoShop and TopazAI. I used the latter’s SuperFocus Beta which has been impressive. I brightened the eyes a bit and darkened the background.

Nikon Z 7-2 Nikon 7 28-75 f/2.8 ISO 3200 75 mm f/7.1 1/200sec

This round’s discussion is now closed!
3 comments posted

Yamuni Perera
Great capture! The clarity and detail in the eyes are impressive, even with the sharpness. I would like to see more focus on the cat's eye. The blurred background is nice, and I appreciate the painting-like style of this image. Well done!   Posted: 03/10/2025 00:21:14
Howard Frank   Howard Frank
Nice catch. I like the soft color palette. The back is a little burned out. I wonder if taking down the whites a little could help.   Posted: 03/23/2025 16:29:49
Joseph Rahav   Joseph Rahav
Sharpness and Texture - The cat's fur and the texture of the scratching post are sharp and well-defined, adding interest and a sense of depth to the image.

Soft and flattering lighting - The lighting is subtle and creates a natural and pleasant feel. The light flatters the cat's facial structure.

Interesting composition - The cat's facial expression and his grip on the post create a dynamic and interesting scene.

Suggestions for improvement

Over-processing - The image appears to have been heavily processed, especially in the smoothing of the fur and tones. This can cause a loss of naturalness and a feeling of excessive "painting." You can reduce the processing a little to maintain natural texture.

Depth of field and background - The background is a bit flat and doesn't contribute much to the image. If you had opened the aperture a little (i.e., a shallower depth of field), it would have helped separate the cat from the background.

The cat's right eye - The cat's right eye looks a little cloudy and perhaps less sharp than the left. You can check if this is related to processing or perhaps intentional highlighting.   Posted: 03/28/2025 15:34:26