Conference misery::feline_v1

    What's this?  Can I get a copy?  Would someone mail me one?  My
    mailstop is UCT.  Thanks.
    

    I'll send you one Monday.  Want it autographed?
    
    Gary

    Don't you mean, do I want 18 pawprints on it...Thanks.
    

    I want a copy too please!!!! MR03-1/N17.  I'll take autographed
    or unautographed....
      Nancy DC
    

I'll send you one too, but...

Elaine -

Could you take over satisfying your adoring fans?  I know I blew the whistle,
but you're the one who's going to get rich on the royalties 8')

Please send me a mail, and let's work out the percentages.

Thanks...Gary

    Perhaps someone could send a copy out to Colorado Springs (CXO1-2/E29)
    and I can figure out a way to share it with others here.
    
    Chuck
    

    I have a copy!  Great article -- very nicely done!!
    
    Congrats, Elaine -- I'll get your autograph at the Framingham Show!
    
    
    /Roberta
    

    You guys.....
    
    Thanks for them nice words!  Needless to say, I'm feeling a tad
    'exposed' these days!  
    
    ok, I'll grab a few copies and mail 'em, although I should let
    the whistle blower have the honor!!!  
    
    I feel doubly lucky - being owned by 18 wonderful furfaces - and,
    having someone as good as Cindy Gerry to learn the trade from. 
    She is a very sharing person - it makes me feel good to know that
    I'll be learning the business the 'right' way - producing very
    healthy babies!  Thanks Cindy !! and Thanks to all my hairy kids!!
    and a big thanks to all of you for all the support you all provide
    in this file!  our sharing benefits all felines.
    
    E.T.

    It pays to have friends in the right place... Anne Wifholm, who
    has two of my Birman babies, knew that I would be interested and
    sent me a copy of the article.  I thought it was very well done,
    and it stressed some great points, spaying/neutering, and responsible
    breeding.  Congrats to Elaine, and thanks for being part of such
    an informative article.
    
    Also, thanks to Anne for sending me a copy!
    
    Jo

    I suppose someone could type the article but, it would loose something
    not being able to see E.T. surrounded by real furfaces and trophies,
    and her HHP walking up the front of her like she was saying, "Hey
    Mom you only did all the work while it was my beauty that got the
    hardware."
    
    I see E.T. every day and she has a constant red face from blushing
    in humility about the article. (Hey E.T. copy it and bring it to
    the cat show's with you and a lot of the DECies could pick it up
    there.)
    
    Barbara
    

    re: 11  You are (red) right!
    
    I can bring some to Framingham if anyone wants one.
    
    Actually, I kinda liked the picture of Katenka in the
    lower left corner !!  I really could have lived a long
    time without the one of me.  Thank you all  -  I get
    more support from you all than the people in my group. 
    What I'm saying, is that I'm very thankful this file
    exists - the understanding is priceless!
    
    E.T.

    Hi E.T.!
    
    Yes, be sure some make it out to Colorado Springs!
    
    				-- Ed

    Hi Ed,  sure  - will do - tomorrow, I'll grab some from the caf
    and mail 'em.   Thanks for asking!  
    
    E.T.

    E.T.  are you coming to the cookout in Braintree?  If so, bring
    some copies to that too  :-)
       Nancy DC
    

    And don't forget several copies for Manchester this weekend!
    
    	Pennie

    re:15
    
    Gee, Nance, I can't make it that date - sorry!!  I'll try 
    mailing some out and bring some to Framingham - just don't
    flash them around - I feel weird enough - we don't need
    the whole fancy to know about this!  
    
    E.T._very_redfaced

    Hey I got mine! I got mine!!!!!  (Thanks)
    
    E.T. Can I have your autograph???  ;-)

    re: 18
    
    Nance, you are a hoot !! ok. I sent a bunch out yesterday -
    they are in plain yellow unmarked unidentifiable envelopes!
    It sure is wonderful to see that so many folk love cats the way
    we do!  I've been hearing lots and lots of nice stories about
    people that have saved kittens and then gone on to have them
    spayed and neutered - these are the stories that are music
    to all our ears!  
    
    E.T.

    Ya, Its great to know we're not alone and not the minority
    we sometimes feel we are.  I had someone once tell me that I
    was directly responsible for her rescueing an abandoned collie
    because I had rescued a kitten.  She said I set a good example!
    Makes me feel so good I could cry!
    
    Well, now gang.  I have a bribe to get folks to my cookout ;-)
      Congrats E.T.!
       Nancy DC
    

    I got mine today.  Thanks!  Which baby is which in the picture?  
    Especially that wonderful one standing on your lap.
    

    re:  21
    
    Well, let's see - the baby standing on my lap is Paskenka Shelton
    ZhivagoCat - red classic boy - he is really something!  In person
    he really shines and is so red with a wonderful pattern and an
    incredible purrrrsonality -and I do mean PURRRR - he even sings
    when he sleeps!  He is just sweeter than sugar.
     
    Lara The Lady ZhivagoCat is standing up with paws on my knee.  And
    to Lara's right is Katenka Dolly ZhivagoCat and above sort of 
    crawling around the trophies is Terror my Rex baby boy !   The rest
    of the crew was a little further back and didn't quite make it in
    the picture - space was limited.
    
    E.T.

    
    If you still have the article, would you send some to me so I can pass
    them out here in Maine. 
    
    Mail Stop - ASO/6KB  Crystal Estes

    E.T. -
    
         I'd love to see it.  Mail Stop MRO4-1/H16.  Thanks!
    
                                       - Andrea

    Sure thing - they are 'in the mail' - thanks for asking!
    
    E.T.

    Just got my copy today!  Beautiful cats!
    
    Deb

    Thanks, Deb!  too bad my black boys didn't make it in - I think
    they look like your babies!!
    
    E.T.

    Probably, and not to get into too much of a rat hole, but I've noticed
    that the black ones seem to photograph better against dark backgrounds
    than light backgrounds. Anyone else noticed this?
    
    Deb

    When I do my sealpoint Birmans on dark backgrounds, we lose the
    ears and tail in the background.  One thing that I have done though
    is to put some vaseline on their faces to help bring out the features
    in the photo.  Sometimes the dark faces come out like big, dark
    blobs.  You can't see the features.
    
    Now I usually have the seals done on Mauve or medium blue and that
    seems to work okay.  I used a Beige color for Limoges and didn't
    like the effect.
    
    I have also noticed that you kind of have to consider the cats "colors"
    when choosing the background.  Blue points have a cool tone to the
    color, and should be photographed on colors that have a cool tone.
    Seals, on the other hand, are a warm toned color, and really need
    to be done on warm toned backgrounds.  I made this startling discovery
    after paying a fortune to have Kalliste photographed on a silver
    background (the photographers suggestion).  Yuck, Yuck, Yuck!!!!
    The silver really washed out his nice warm coloring and made him
    look half dead.
    
    Jo (who has spent lots of time and bucks analyzing these things)
    

    > Black cats against black background...
    
    And there's a good reason!! Most modern cameras and lighting systems
    of the type typically used for that type of non-studio photography
    try to 'average' out the light in a given scene. Soooo, if you
    put a black cat in front of a white background, the camera will try
    to interpret the whole thing as 18% grey (neutral). The white gets
    darker, and so does the cat which was dark to begin with.
    
    Edd (who actually just felt like saying HI to all the cat people
         he hasn't noted with for what seems like ages...)

    I never tried Niky or the twins (all three are solid black cats)
    against a BLACK background, just a DARK background. Are you saying that I
    should try using a black background (as opposed to a dark brown)?
    
    Deb

A totally non-scientific report:

When I photograph all-black Sam, he usually looks like a furry alien with
heartburn - a large lump of fur with glaring yellow eyes.  The only time
I've gotten a good photo of the boy, I had light behind me, a flash
on the camera, 200 ASA film AND a brown background....mind, I didn't
like the brown so much, but obviously I am on the right track here with
the darker background....now, if I can just get Sam to lay on a nice
red background...or maybe green....I know!  I'll let him think it's a
special dress on which I simply CANNOT tolerate cat hairs...

    Question for all you camera buffs.
    
    If the camera averages out the color, what happens when the points
    of the cat are seal (black) and the body is white?  I need to know
    how to work this problem out, as well as the blue eyed demon eyes
    problem.
    
    I have had a couple of my cats photographed on dark blue, but lost
    the ears and the tail in the background.  And that was a professional
    cat photographer.
    
    Jo

    Assuming you have a camera that allows for manual adjustment of the
    controls governing exposure (or a light meter), one way to get yourself
    into the ballpark is to expose for something that *is* neutral grey.
    18% grey cards can be purchased in most any photo-supply store. (I
    have a T-shirt that's practically the right color, I just point at
    myself!)
    
    Once you've determined the proper exposure for neutral grey, do NOT
    allow the camera to 'auto-expose'. Some of the newer 'point and shoot'
    cameras don't allow this. I don't like them.
    
    When photographing a dark object against a dark background, it's often
    desireable to have a low intensity light positioned above and just
    slightly behind the subject in order the 'break' the subject from the
    background. This can be tricky with cats, as all the little hairs
    sticky up can cause a furry halo along the top of the cat. (C'mon, be
    honest, does any cat really deserve a halo?) Karen Luby's picture of
    Bandit as a kitten is a good example of the halo.
    
    Don't use a camera mounted strobe. We're all familiar with the demon
    eyes caused by shining a lite directly into cat eyes.
    
    "Bracketing" is a good way to hedge your bets. Figure out your proper
    exposure and then take extra exposures 1/2, 1, and 1 1/2 stops over
    and under. 
    
    Edd

    I received 5 copies in the mail today, so I have 4 to share with
    others in Colorado Springs.  Please call me at DTN 522-2697 or
    send me E-Mail with your mail stop and I'll send one on to you.
         
    GENRAL::BALDRIDGE
    
    FIRST COME - FIRST SERVED  !!
    
    Chuck
    

    Ed, 
    
    Thanks for the tips.  Unfortunately, I have a Canon Sure Shot automatic
    everything camera.  The only thing that is does allow me to do is
    to adjust shutter speed, and to prefocus if I want.  So far, my
    best shots are taken with a telephoto lens, with prefocus, on a
    light background, with natural light.  This is difficult to achieve
    since the perfect natural light is in my bedroom at 3:00 in the
    afternoon.  Of course, I am here at that time.
    
    Looks like I need a new camera.  Have to put that on my christmas
    wish list.  Any suggestions for a complete novice of a good 35mm
    camera?
    
    Jo

>    Looks like I need a new camera.  Have to put that on my christmas
>    wish list.  Any suggestions for a complete novice of a good 35mm
>    camera?
    
My "big" camera (not just point and shoot) is an olympus.  I recommend
the cameras and the lenses.  They are not cheap, but the OM-2 is good
for automatic and manual override (I think that is the model - I have
an old OM-1 which is manual only) so you can have the best of both
worlds...and the camera/lens are smaller than the CANNON, NIKON, etc
brands.  When I have my telephoto lens on the camera, I really appreciate
the smaller, LIGHTER, size.

I would also look into a couple of lights for your purposes, Jo, as you
have lots of little babies to take pictures of ...8^}.  I'm working on
getting my own lights so I don't have to use the attached flash anymore...
although, I really liked the flourescent turquoise that Sam's and Nick's
eyes turned when I photographed them...

    re: camera - I too recommend the Olympus.  I have an OM77-AF with
    a manual override.  Unfortunately, Manual overrides have shutter
    priority-meaning that you can't adjust the aperture.  I also have
    an old Minolta SRT-101 which is a totally manual camera and takes
    FABULOUS pictures.  I've never really gotten along with the fancy
    computerized bounce flash I have to go with it and blew a whole
    roll of film when we first got Dundee.  That's when I got frustrated
    and bought the Olympus.  
      How do you like that - spent $400 just to take pix of the cats!
    (that includes a lifetime service contract from Underground &
    the 35-70mm zoom lens)
      The advantage of the Minolta, tho is that I can do things like
    take pix of fireworks!  
    
      My best picture of Isis (all black) is one taken outside in bright
    sunlight against the green background of the grass.  The picture
    was enhanced by the fact that her pupils were constricted giving
    her vivid gold eyes!
      Nancy DC
    

    I have a Pentax MX which is totally manual.  I'm not really
    sure if you can buy them anymore, as most today are automatic
    with manual override.  I like Pentax very much, and have gotten
    very good pictures with the camera, although my friends complain
    it takes me forever to take a picture ;-).
    
    With the lighting, you might try a flash with a movable head,
    so you can bounce the light off the ceiling or other flat, white,
    non-reflective surface.  This will help prevent "demon eyes" in
    blue-eyed cats.  If the flash isn't movable, avoid having the
    cat look directly at the camera.  A linen cloth draped over
    the flash and secured with an elastic cuts the glare, but doesn't
    eliminate it entirely.
    
    Mary-Michael

    Re. a few back
    
    E.T. -
    
         Just received the article.  What gorgeous cats!  Paskenka looks
    somewhat like my orange tabby, Loki!  Wait'll I show him that tonight!
    
                                        - Andrea

    My cameras are all Pentax K-1000s. Fully manual, small, light, and
    built so solid you can hammer nails with them. And cheap, ~$100 for
    the body only.
    
    There are lots of bodies out there with fabulous bells and whistles,
    but I've never heard anyone say a bad word about these cameras. They
    are a very good value.
    
    Pentax SMCT optics are also very highly touted.
    
    Edd

    	Another vote for the Olympus line.  I have an OM-10 which I
    purchased in '81, still takes great pictures.  Aperture preferred,
    with a manual override setting.  Decent machine for the price (around
    $350 back then, including UV filter, hot-seat flash unit, leather
    case).
    
    	McQ
    

    
    I just recieved the article. Your cats are beauties. Good luck in your
    plans to become a breeder.
    
               Thank-you
                 Crys
    
    P.S.    If anyone in Maine wants one of these articles, please let me 
            know.           E-Mail  DNEAST::ESTES_CRYS
    
    

    re: cameras - the problem with the manual cameras - and the reason
    why I bought the AF to go with my Minolta, is that by the time I
    get the picture set up the cats are long gone!  I needed something
    quicker.  Of course the best is our Camcorder!  I have tapes of
    Dundee as a kitten playing in the shredded newspaper that my ceramic
    pieces had been packed in.  :-)

    
    
    re:  not cameras
    
    Thanks folks!  glad you enjoyed the article!!
    
    E.T.