February Photo Challenge, Finale: The eyes have it

“Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst.”
― Henri Cartier-Bresson

Well, if that’s correct, I have a long way to go still. But working with my camera just about every day in February has taught me a lot. I know more about the buttons and dials and all that stuff on my camera, and I’m learning how to envision the photo I want to take, and how to adjust and evaluate the ones I actually do take. I have a long way to go still, but investing a month of more intensive time with my camera was definitely worth the effort.

“An animal’s eyes have the power to speak a great language.”― Martin Buber

 
Throughout the month many of you commented on the eyes of our pets, and I am thrilled to have a camera that captures them so well. Eyes, they say, are the window to the soul, and maybe some of this month’s pictures gave you a small sense of the souls of the nine critters who live with us. So rather than capturing something new for my last day, I did a little cropping of photos to bring you the eyes of our dogs and cats once again.

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Paris’s eyes always have a wistful look about them. He has had that look since the day we rescued him from the pound more than 10 years ago.

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Thomas is the contented one, totally comfortable., always ready for a lap, friends with all.

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Minh is our handsome kitty, and full of mischief at a moment’s notice.

“The soul, fortunately, has an interpreter – often an unconscious but still a faithful interpreter – in the eye.”
― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre

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Stripe lives life on the wary side, always on guard. She makes sure no one bothers her, sending daggers from her eyes if they even think about it.

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Annie, our little feral, also lives a watchful life, but she’s getting more comfortable as time goes by. Still, you can see the uncertainty in her eyes.

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Lily is a bit shy, but sweet. A submissive little soul who avoids conflict and danger whenever possible.

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Hiro…what can I say? If he were human, he would be the handsome but dangerous guy all the girls fall for.

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Sweetness personified, that’s Butterscotch. Total and complete sweetness. And always ready to offer a belly to rub, just in case you might need one.

 

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Gabi, our matriach. Hellion when she was young, graceful presence in her old age. A gentle soul.

“A great photograph is one that fully expresses what one feels, in the deepest sense, about what is being photographed.”
― Ansel Adams

I hope these pictures give you some sense of the love we feel for the four-leggeds who live with us. Taking the photos gave me a chance to see them in a slightly different perspective than usual, to look into their souls a little more deeply. I have never considered myself an artist. Or rather, my artistry has always been with words. But little by little, I am learning to use my eyes to see and photograph. It may take me a few more lifetimes to complete the 10,000 photographs, and move into my better work, but I’m content for now and enjoying the journey. I’m even entering two of my photographs in the Hershey Camera Club contest this week for the first time. Wish me luck!

“Always seeing something, never seeing nothing, being photographer”
― Walter De Mulder

22 thoughts on “February Photo Challenge, Finale: The eyes have it”

      1. Such a very nice compliment! Wow! So kind of you. I’m still a beginner in a so many ways. You have a great eye! And your photographs inspire me to try again to capture some portraits of my special needs kitties at Helen Krause.

      2. You must not be all that far from me. Helen Krause is about 45 minutes away. Are you the same person who I talked with ages ago about her blog on the kitties there??

      4. Very cool! Nice to be in touch again. Wait until next month when you’ll be overwhelmed with feral cat photos.

      5. Yes, we’ll have a crowd for sure. Also, the cats will be out on their porches, so the natural lighting will be so much better for photographs. The fluorescent indoor lighting is awful. 🙂

      6. Fluorescents are terrible, though I have had some success with flash in our house with more natural indoor lighting. Still, flash and eyes…bad combo. Our community cat program gets building to use in a week or so and we will be trapping like crazy this year, and there will be lots of stories to tell soon. Glad you’re still at Helen Krause. That is a wonderful place.

  6. Good luck with your entry. Your pictures have improved dramatically. All but 3 of my 10,000 pictures will be of blurred butts and ears or whiskers but I’m not giving up. As you say, when you make an effort you see more of the cat behind the eyes.

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