Every cat has a favourite place: a sunny windowsill, a cushion on the sofa, the top of a cupboard, a patch of warm floor. The cat returns there day after day, and each time it looks a little different. That makes it one of the easiest and most rewarding subjects in the house. You do not have to chase or call it, because it is already exactly where it wants to be.
Wait, watch and stay quiet
Sit near the spot for a while, without looking directly at the cat. Cats relax when nobody is staring at them, and after a few minutes they forget that you are there. Keep the phone ready but low, and move slowly. A quiet voice and gentle movements help. If the cat gets up and leaves, do not follow. It will be back tomorrow, and the picture will be waiting for you.
Look at the light. A cat on a sunny windowsill with the light behind it can turn into a dark shape, so try to stand at the side, so that the sun falls on its face and fur. On a cloudy day the light is even and the colours of the fur look their best. Turn off the flash. It startles the cat, and its eyes will glow strangely in the picture.
Notice the details. The shape of a paw, the tip of a tail curling round, the way the whiskers catch the light, a half-open eye watching you. Close-up pictures of these things say as much as a portrait. Tap the screen on the eye so that the phone focuses there, and let the rest of the cat go softly blurred. Take a few pictures each time it moves, as cats change position almost without warning.
Take a picture of the same spot every few weeks. The light changes with the seasons, and so does the cat, and after a year you will have a small collection that tells you something about your home. Children can help: they can find the cat's newest hiding place and photograph it. And if the cat is not in the mood, photograph the empty cushion. It tells its own story.
