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With a little help
With a little help
snaffles


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: How to Change a Light Bulb (Expert Editing)
Camera: Nikon D7100
Date: Feb 22, 2015
Date Uploaded: Feb 24, 2015

 Wow, always glad to get a TT in an Expert challenge :-)

Pretty much knew what I wanted from the start, a ridiculous scenario involving a cat. Galena is especially good with lights, flashes and being held/manipulated, so long as she is rewarded with treats and playtime afterwards :-)

Setup was pretty simple. Put the tripod, with the extension, atop my kitchen table and shot down through the fan blades. Guess I should've cleaned the fan first! Had an umbrella set up to the left which I shot through to enhance existing ambient light, coming in through the window to the right.

Then placed the chair, stuck my slippers so they're poking out the back, knelt on them and lifted my hands as though holding a cat. As my ceiling is only 8' high and I'm 5'10 I couldn't just be standing there from that angle trying to make myself look shorter, so the kneeling-on-a-chair thingy worked well.

Now the fun part, getting a good face and body from Miss G. At first I tried hanging one of her toys from the fan in the hopes that she would try to bat at it herself, but didn't work. So plan B: Put her on a low stool, camera's timer set to shoot 5 frames with a 3 second interval while I held her up and tried to wave her forelegs around. At some point she did the tongue thing and that was priceless, so I used that for the face shot.

And the lightbulb is being suction-cupped by a couple of toy arrows from a dollar-store archery kit :-)

I know the bands on the paws are the weak spot here; they were the last element to create (everything else was actually shot and 'chopped up) so I didn't put much effort into them. Ah well.

pp: shot RAW, crop, brightness/contrast, NIK, etc etc.

Statistics
Place: 10 out of 30
Avg (all users): 6.1074
Avg (commenters): 7.8462
Avg (participants): 5.6667
Avg (non-participants): 6.2000
Views since voting: 1094
Views during voting: 292
Votes: 121
Comments: 21
Favorites: 1 (view)

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AuthorThread
Canon EOS-300D Rebel
Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6
 03/12/2015 09:46:52 AM
This was one of my favorites, just loved the look on the cats face. Congratulations on your top 10 image.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-5D Mark II
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0 L IS
 03/05/2015 09:03:33 PM
this made me LOL in real life
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-80D
Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0 L USM
 03/05/2015 12:14:02 PM
That is a funny cat, for sure- in a world of funny cats, no less.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-1D X
Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM
 03/04/2015 06:03:47 PM
Haha, so funny Susan :) What a great idea. Also, I know that shooting cats can be a nightmare, especially when you want them to take a specific position... So my deepest congratulations for this accomplishment!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-70D
Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM
 03/04/2015 02:31:16 AM
The cross eyed cat with the tongue out in concentration is just too funny for words! Very creative and interesting image, nice job on this one!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7
Panasonic Lumix G 14mm F2.5 ASPH
03/04/2015 12:32:36 AM
I love the campy style and the cat's expression is hilarious. Satire at it's best.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
Pentax K50
Pentax DA 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF
 03/03/2015 10:14:22 PM
I love it
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Nikon D750
Nikon AF Micro-Nikkor 60mm f2.8D
 03/03/2015 02:59:43 PM
:-) Great idea. Love the cats expression and the little suction cups.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS R5
Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM
 03/03/2015 10:46:05 AM
Very cute - made me laugh. Car looks just a tad over stretched, but still nicely done.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Nikon Z7II
Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED
 03/02/2015 07:15:47 PM
too fabulous !!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Nikon D90
Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED VR
 03/02/2015 01:40:29 PM
rolling over on the floor holding my sides and trying not to let them split!!! You know what is SO good about this expert edit???? it looks real life, like a snap shot... Seriously when I saw it in thumb nail I thought well how did she get the camera to shoot that high when I see no release in her hands ... Honesty in Expert!!! my ONLY itty bitty critique is you might have turned down the sat on the blue bands and perhaps used a teeny drop shadow or just drawn a low sat black line to set them into the fur... but that isn't stopping me from a 10 because I love expert that looks like real life it makes it all the more silly!!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-40D
Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM
 03/01/2015 05:40:20 PM
i'm giving you extra points because your cat didn't kill you for taking this shot.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Nikon D300s
Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II
 03/01/2015 08:22:46 AM
lol the suction cups!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-5D Mark III
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0 L IS II USM Lens
 02/28/2015 08:57:57 PM
Great idea, but the fan blade is distracting and the bands on the cats paws don't really work.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-6D
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 L Macro IS USM
 02/27/2015 09:31:53 PM
hahahahaha! 8 Not because it's technically wonderful... but because it's funny and passably believable. I love that cat's "concentration tongue"! LOL!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-5D Mark IV
Canon EF 200mm f/2.8 USM
 02/27/2015 05:51:12 PM
Oh Gosh! THAT is CUTE! I love the mad photoshop skills!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/27/2015 01:46:21 PM
Nice work!!! Should be proud of the effects on this!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Apple iPhone 15 Pro
 02/27/2015 11:33:56 AM
Ha Ha love this.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Nikon D800
Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6G
 02/26/2015 05:51:14 PM
excellent !
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-5D Mark II
Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM
 02/26/2015 12:18:30 AM
Made me laugh, cool set up.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Sony DSLR-A550
Sony DT 18-70mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspherical ED
 02/25/2015 02:26:41 AM
well done the cat looks bemused
  Photographer found comment helpful.
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