I kept going back to the assignment sheet for this project, and the line that stuck out the most was “Find a subject that interests you, something that you will enjoy returning to time and again. Shoot lots, the more you shoot the more you get to know your subject and the better the images will be”
And even as we joke in class about my love of cats and my teetered status as a “crazy cat lady” it seemed fitting that I chose the furry little felines that I share my home, my life and and heart with.
My choice in topic is not political, its not going to find the cure for cancer or ask you to answer any of life’s mysteries. I chose a topic that I love and that I am certain that I will continue with and continue to love.
I see photographing cats and animals as something I will grow with, something that I can learn to get better at and something that I will continue to enjoy. I see this project expanding into other photo stories, most likely in some way shape or form cat related!
And I think that this is in the true essence of a successful photo story, a choice the artist makes to share a sliver or glimpse into something they hold dear.
(This is my one assignment this semester that features my cats. haha!)
HERDING CATS
Its an old saying that expresses how difficult it is to handle a group of people who all want to do something different. Generally this saying means that something is difficult, and perhaps a bit chaotic.
Life is simply that, difficult and perhaps a bit chaotic. The therapeutic and calming benefits to pets has been extensively documented. And I can attest with much authority to the same.
Marty, Minou and Manny give me hours joy. They know when they are needed, they know when to be near.
They have free reign of my house (barring being allowed up on the counters in the kitchen), so often its funny to see the places their day takes them. A boring pile of laundry is a haven when a beam of warm sun streams in from the window. A small crevasse between two pieces of furniture become a tunnel of exploration. A blanket transforms into the ultimate fort hide-a-way.
With the chaotic schedule and demands of school, trying to balance that work with my job, my marriage and my household it is taking its toll on me.
I take solace in those things that calm my stress, help me sleep, and make it all worth while getting up the next day and doing it all over again.
The soft melodic mur-murs of a cats purr is beautiful white noise! Petting a soft appreciative cat is soothing (not only to the cat!)
I enjoy the simple pleasure of photographing my cats. I photograph them, not for school projects, not for money, but for myself and my enjoyment. Below are some of my favourite images of my cats.
Thank you,
Joey DeCaire
