You love cute cat photos, right?
Yep, same here.
So, if you’re looking for more cat pics to get crazy over, you need to check out Erica Danger because she likes cats! She’ll keep you in adorable cat pictures for days and beyond…
But just who is this maven of feline photography? Based in Oakland, CA, Erica is a cat lover from childhood with a creative streak a mile wide. She got into cat portraiture after she’d been a few years into professional photography, but “I kept joking that I wish I could just pet cats for a living because I’m super good at it, and people would surely hire me if they knew how good I was.”
Erica recalled, “A friend of mine suggested I combine my photography and my passion for cats and be a cat photographer, and the rest is history!!”
And as fans, we’re so grateful for her friend’s suggestion. By now, Erica has photographed more than a thousand cats, including her own senior cat sweetie, Miss Mou, or as she’s officially known, Mouth. Her partner, Adam, the Catman of West Oakland, also has a little herd of cats too, plus the couple fosters cats, so as Erica puts it, “it’s a bit crazy here sometimes!”
Erica isn’t just good with a lens and shutter. She certainly knows her way around needle and thread, too, sewing masks, cat toys, and “ridiculous stuff for you and your cat.” You can find Erica and Adam’s designs at The Catnip Dispensary. And know, every month, Erica makes sure some of their earnings to go to rescues and fosters in need.
The Photography Magic
For those interested in learning how she produces such great photos of cats, here are a few of Ms. Danger’s tips. For the camera, she’s a Canon fan, shooting now with a Canon 5D. To achieve the even lighting you see in her indoor photos, Erica prefers to rain light down upon her subjects by using “an external flash for most photoshoots, bounced off the wall and ceiling behind me.”
She also shared, “Sometimes you can see me in the reflection of the cats’ eyes if you zoom in!”
Erica also advises taking advantage of bright, but indirect natural light for crisp photos, even when using the camera on your phone. She recommends utilizing catnip, toys, and treats too. Sometimes, you have to bribe the kitties to get that purrfect shot!
Catch Erica Danger and her fantastic cat photography on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
Feature Image: @ericalikescats/Instagram