Tag Archives: Shadthecat

While the cats away ……..

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While Shad is away visiting one of his many cousins, I have been  let loose on the blog, dangerous I know. Considering I don’t have the flare and wit of Shadow.

So I thought I would make it easy for myself and share with you a typical summer weekend. If I’m not shooting a wedding or event; then I will be talking to a couple about their up and coming day.

I have a simple process I like to work through with a couple once they have confirmed a date with me. They will receive a simple shot list which covers the formal photos and gives them ideas about other types of photos I can capture during the day. Weeks before the date I will plan the wedding interview where I get them to nominate a member of the wedding party who will know most of the attendees, they will help with rounding up the guests when I start taking the formal photographs. We also talk about specific requirements including the church / venue  restrictions, family photos they must have etc.

If I’m shooting an event then as most of you blog readers will know it could be for a charity, like this weekend I was asked  to photograph a local regatta for Fareham Sailing and Motor Boat Club who were playing host to their members and the local Sea Scouts. Who raced up and down Fareham Creek in dingy’s and gigs.

Looking forward to when the boy returns and he will bring you his unique take on the world… He certainly can do better job than me!!!!

Shad takes a look at beach huts

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Many of the shorelines along the south coast are lined with rows of beach huts Worthing and Bognor Regis sea fronts are no exception.  Beach huts are a quintessential characteristic of British seaside life and their beginnings can be traced back some 250 years to a time when no trip to the seaside was complete without a ‘bathing machine’.  Apparently these vehicles were like beach huts on wheels drawn by horses who pulled them towards the sea so that the bather could step directly into the water without risking their modesty.  By the 1890’s it became more acceptable to walk across the beach in a bathing costume and share the beach with members of the opposite sex and before long villages of stripy changing tents were erected on the Edwardian sands.  Eventually bathing machines lost their wheels and our modern day purpose-built huts began to appear, constructed in a similar style and painted in bright colours.

Judging by my walk along the seafront with John, there are plenty of beach hut fans out there because all but one of the beach huts we saw were well maintained.  A crowd of crows gathered on the top of their favourite hut and squawked their approval as we ambled past.  When John and I stopped to sit on a bench, we got chatting to a nice mature couple resting in deckchairs on the patio of their own beach hut, all too happy to regale us with the joys of beach hut life.  They offered us a cup of tea and a biscuit while we watched the jet skiers zooming around on the water and I gazed out to sea, wondering what kind of life lay beneath the shimmering surface.

There are some wondrous creatures in the sea like the Thornback Ray found in shallow waters all around England or the dolphin, a highly intelligent and social marine mammal located across the world.  I looked at the fishing gear sitting on the shingle close by and wondered how many of the ocean’s dolphins and sharks were caught right at that moment in discarded fishing line or huge commercial fishing nets.  These nets are often left behind by irresponsible trawlers and travel many miles across the deep, risking the lives of marine animals that become trapped in them.  John showed me a video the other day of some kindly humans relaxing in their cruise boat somewhere near the equator when they spotted a sea turtle in distress and stopped to free it from its ropey tangles.  Sea turtles are one of the earth’s most ancient creatures having been around since the time of the dinosaurs so I was pleased to see this little guy rescued to continue its legacy.  Scientists estimate that around 26 million pounds of plastic travels from land to the sea every year contributing to massive floating patches of rubbish that kill one million sea birds and 100,000 marine mammals.

The two Minute Beach Clean

As John and I stood up to take our leave and head home, we thanked our generous beach hut hosts for their hospitality and made our way back along the dried grass pathway adjacent to the beach.  John stooped down to pick up an empty plastic water bottle that someone had left on the ground and I contemplated the lovely afternoon we had enjoyed with this couple who represented a time of trust and simplicity which I liked.  I also liked them because they gave me tea and biscuits and they clearly had taste, having spent a considerable portion of time stroking my fluffy black cheeks and admiring my plucky personality!  Next time I go to the beach with John, I must remind him to pack a little picnic.

Shad remembers his trips to Bushy Park

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With all the beautiful sunshine we’ve had recently, I thought I would remind you of the wintry season we have just left behind, lest you forget to enjoy the nice weather while you can.  Do you remember the crunchy cold snow under your boots, the dark damp evenings and that morning feeling when the alarm clock screeches at you and your paw peeks bravely out from under your thick duvet as you resolve to get up?  I remember putting on my Christmas scarf and heading out into the bracing winter air with John to Bushy Park, the second largest of London’s eight Royal Parks and one of John’s favourite places to go.  It’s a picturesque mix of woods, gardens and grassland that provides a haven for some of Britain’s wonderful wildlife.

The big attractions are the herds of roaming Red and Fallow Deer that live and breed in the grounds.  Red deer are Britain’s largest land mammal although their size varies according to their habitat and the resources they have available to them.  The big fellas at Bushy Park are obviously well provided for and their buff coloured rumps stood proud some 50 or 60 inches off the ground.  I remember one particular trip on an autumn’s day when John and I crept stealthily towards a stag with our cameras poised ready, getting closer to a magnificent male and capturing some great shots.  He had the biggest antlers I’d ever seen, may be 28 inches high with several branches coming off the main stem like a glorious crown.  We were careful not to get too close but those gosh darn incredible ears of theirs are so efficient that he picked up the sound of a twig falling to the ground near us and lifted his head, making direct eye contact with me.  I froze in wonder at this beautiful beast and he simply huffed warm air out of his moist snout and walked casually away.  Respect!

There are lots more temptations to lure you to Bushy Park like the herons, ducks and swans that inhabit the ponds.  My favourite duck is the mandarin pictured here with its red beak, handsome black and white stripes and rusty brown mane.  It’s like an aquatic version of a tiger, only smaller with fewer teeth and feet.  Alright it’s not much like a tiger, except perhaps the golden colours and debonair demeanour.   But I did see a lion at the Park which some clever person fashioned with snow and a few sticks and leaves!

If you’re a water baby and enjoy the sploshing and swishing noises made by rivers and fountains, you would have liked the flowing stream and stony waterfalls that roll through Bush Park’s grounds.  I only like water when its warm and I can splash through it because I don’t mind getting my paws wet.  But ever since I fell in the fish pond at home I’m not keen on too much of the wet stuff so I kept well away from the edge.  I recall positioning myself perfectly for a shot of the chilly water cascading under the bridge and across the rocks when a grey squirrel darted past me and put me off my stride.  My camera tilted sideways so the shot was at the wrong angle and my paw slipped on a patch of damp moss resulting in a rather undignified sidelong lurch. As I made my recovery I caught a puffed-up green parakeet sniggering at me from the branch over my head.  With a cold belly from hitting the ground during my embarrassing incident in front of the parakeet, John picked me up gently and took me back to the car so I could curl up on the backseat with my special heated cushion and dream of chasing that cheeky squirrel!

Shad takes a walk around the garden

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I’ve got ‘the wild’ right on my doorstep in the form of a rather overgrown back garden.  John says he’s let it get back to nature, but I suspect this noble sentiment is an excuse for not mowing the lawn!  Nevertheless, we both enjoy looking at the garden and all the treasures it holds which is why I like to take a stroll around it from time to time, admiring Mother Nature while I think about my work.  In the 2 ½ years that John and I have been running Shadow Photography, I’ve been involved with happy couples planning their wedding day, excited exhausted mothers eager to have pictures of their young baby for the mantelpiece, highly strung horses next to shiny horse boxes and wily creatures who shy away from the camera. You can find stories about my experiences and examples of the colourful and dynamic images I have produced during my work if you look back at https://shadthecat.wordpress.com/.

 

Weddings are great because people are always happy and the atmosphere is one of romance and optimism.  A bit like the mood created by these adorable garden birds who decided to have a splash together in the bath while I was crouching under the shrubbery with my camera.  Some of the birds in the garden (like the sparrows, blue tits and great tits featured in the photos) are so small I’m amazed they don’t get blown away by the wind.  Don’t worry, I’m not tempted to chase them, I’m far too busy analysing the light and shade in the frame, judging depth of field and generally perfecting my photography skills to be dashing around after my feathered friends.  I was really lucky to catch a glimpse of a green woodpecker as you can see from the picture and I would have taken more shots only this worker bee kept buzzing around the flowers right next to me and it really put me off!

 

I like to take pictures of the flowers because I can play with the focus and emphasise the colour to create some striking shots, like these views of the cherry blossom and bluebell-type plants in the garden.  I have produced a number of beautiful prints from these shots as well as more abstract images from the magnificent architecture that lies at the heart of history in this country.   They make a lovely gift to yourself or someone you care about so if you’re tempted, check out http://www.shadow-photography.com/.  On the website you’ll also discover the portfolio of work that John and I have developed over the last couple of years which gives you a flavour of our style.  Please remember us if you want a professional portrait at a preferential rate, or if you have a friend who plays in a band or a family member getting married and you want to capture the fun on film.  In the meantime, I’ll continue to share my thoughts and snapshots with you in this blog while I beaver away at building the business.  Shadow Photography is there for all your photographic needs and John and I only require a cup of coffee and a saucer of cat milk to keep us happy and working hard!

 

Shad does the Raystede Centre for Animal Welfare

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“Hurry up” yelled John as I feverishly flicked my litter all over the room, “Its 9.30 already and the sun is shining so the world and his dog will be on the roads”.  He knows I need to go to the bathroom before a trip in the car so I glanced curtly in his direction before trotting to the hallway mirror to check my fur.  My whiskers needed a quick lick before springing proudly outwards and I was ready for our day out at the Raystede Centre in Ringmer (East Sussex).  The Centre started caring for animals 60 years ago and provides sanctuary to a whole host of creatures including goats, horses, turkeys, ducks, geese, tortoises and terrapins.

 

I was looking forward to seeing the donkeys because of their delightfully large ears and characteristic ‘eee-awe’ which can apparently be heard up to 2 miles away.  I have a lot of respect for donkeys who have been used as working animals by humans for thousands of years, often being abused and neglected while they carry heavy loads for people across the world.  Lizzy and Dolly are 18 and 12 years old respectively and were living in a field near Brighton when their owner died and they had no one left to care for them.  The keepers told me that donkeys are bright animals and take time to assess what they are being asked to do before agreeing to it which has unfairly led to them being labelled as stubborn.  They form strong bonds with their human and equine companions and (like horses) should be kept in pairs or herds, never alone.  They are not waterproof and need adequate shelter to protect them from the elements as well a visit from the farrier on a regular basis.

 

The alpacas live in the fields with the horses during the day and are cleverly left to roam the secured sanctuary at night to protect the birds and wildlife from foxes by braying as an alarm call, kicking and even spitting at any potential predators.   They looked rather hoity-toity and wouldn’t stay still for the camera so John and I moved swiftly on to the waterfowl haven.  We knew where it was before we got there due to the great cacophony of noise that was coming from the flocks of ducks and geese honking and quacking around the lake.  As we strolled along the footpath near the water’s edge, a greylag goose walked past that was taller than me.  For some reason John thought the sight of my behind swaying as I swaggered alongside a goose waddling was quite amusing.  The cheek!

 

There were no cats visible in the cat pens even though they were occupied and I expect the moggies were not in the mood to be gawped at.  You know how particular pussy-cats can be!  But I did see a picture of a fluffy black and white called Branson with a fetching beauty spot on his nose.  He was found abandoned in a suitcase outside a shop in Eastbourne, traumatised but thankfully unharmed.  With this kind of past, it’s no surprise that cats like Branson can be a bit shy, but given a bit of time and space they blossom into little cherubs.  Unlike this little tyke in the picture, a hyperactive white terrier type schnauzer-cross called Edwina who needs a home with experienced owners to manage her high-energy outlook on life.  Bruno the chocolate Labrador was a handsome boy and much more laid back than the crazy yapper.

 

We continued around the Centre and came across the rabbit run which included a rather creative demonstration of what a garden for a rabbit should look like.  Next to each other were 2 plots.  One was a boring bare patch of grass with a small hutch at the end where a sad rabbit might live.  The other was called Home Sweet Home and was an interesting space filled with grass and earth, shrubs and leafy plants, bits of wood and a decent sized hutch

http://www.raystede.org/

Shad talks about the rugby

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This game between the Saracens and the Harlequins at Wembley Stadium was what humans call a ‘grudge match’ following a previous defeat of the Harlequins at the hands of the Saracens.  With record attendance for a club rugby match (in the region of 84,068 people) and enough testosterone-fuelled bulging biceps to give Arnold Schwarzenegger a run for his money, it was an occasion that John attended without me.  The baying crowds and mischievous language would have been too much for a respectable chap like me, plus John doesn’t like taking me to crowded places in case I get lost or squashed.

Wembley

Pixe Lott
Pixe Lott

John was so animated about the experience when he got home that I felt as though I had been there and you would have thought it was the biggest event in the history of competitive sports.  I suppose for me as a laid-back feline whose interest in physical exertion is reserved for chasing mice and running between John’s feet to beat him to the kitchen, such fierce opposition around who can catch a ball and chuck it on the floor is confusing.  But I guess its serious stuff when you’ve trained for years and been involved in contests so the rivalry between each team simmered close to the surface.

 

As the players warmed up, the crowd was treated to some music by a young pop-star called Pixie Lott who by all accounts had a very nice voice but had neglected to put on a pair of shoes.  Pixie’s chilly feet were soon forgotten once the match got underway and the spirited players started charging, grunting and head-butting their way towards victory.  There were several stops throughout the game for mopping up blood from various injuries including the occasional stray fist and the unfortunate referee was accidently floored by a Saracen player after being in the wrong place at the wrong time.  In case you’re wondering, the score was 42 to 14 to the Saracens and the poor old Harlequins went home with their tales between their legs (metaphorically speaking).

Shad goes to see the USS Theodore Roosevelt

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The sky is a clear blue, the candyfloss clouds wispy, the silvery sea ripples gently away from the flat shingle beach.  This is Stokes Bay, a slightly sloping shelf of pebbles in the Solent just south of Gosport (Hampshire) that offers a great view of the Isle of Wight and supports a wide range of community recreational activities on the large expanse of grass adjacent to its beach.  The area is often used by large warships such as American supercarriers to anchor as Portsmouth Harbour is not deep enough to berth them, and this was the reason for our visit, to check-out the 1,092 feet long aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt.

 

Stokes Bay

Stokes Bay

The ship loomed across the horizon and John took some photos while I stared in awe at the enormity and grandeur of this battleship.  It is designed to support and operate aircraft that engage in attacks on targets which threaten the free use of the seas and it’s a Nimitz class warship named after the 26th President of the United States, Mr Theodore Roosevelt.  It also provides a credible presence for the military and a conventional deterrent in peacetime.  Along the flight deck were the turrets for air traffic control and the radar housing placements for navigating the ship as well as 80 or so combat aircraft ready to be launched forward into the wind.  The aircraft are recovered using three two-inch diameter arresting cables on deck which can bring an airplane going 150 miles per hour to a stop in less than 400 feet.  That must be the strongest two-inch wire in the world!

 

I shut my eyes and wondered how a cat would feel on a ship like that.  It would be quite an adventure, patrolling the corridors and scenting all those pieces of equipment, meowing at the galley staff for titbits and sneaking in to the captain’s quarters for a nap.  If I was ship’s cat, I’d sit in the bridge at the front with the officers reigning over the seas, and I imagine there’d be loads of scraps left over from the 18,150 meals served each day to the 6,000 navy personnel available to tickle my chin.  This $4.5 billion ship towers 20 stories above the waterline and boasts a 4.5 acre flight deck.  Its engines power 4 bronze propellers each 21 feet across and steering is accomplished by 2 enormous rudders.  Much as I enjoyed imagining myself in a garrison’s cap and gold sleeve stripes commanding a naval war ship, the reality is that I prefer my simple life at home.  So I’ll forgo the prestige and responsibility that goes with being a fleet admiral and settle happily for my snake toy, extra plump cushion bed, chicken treats and John for company.

Shad pays homage to ginger cats

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John and I recently bought a book called ‘Tigger – Memoirs of a Cosmopolitan Cat’ written by Tigger himself, an old chum of mine.  The book depicts the story of Tigger’s life and the adventurous years he spent in the forests and fields of America and Australia before coming to live in England’s green and pleasant land.  Tigger the tomcat was bold and brave, kind and funny, and he tells a great tale about his exploits like the day he met the kangaroos and the first time he saw snow.  Sadly Tigger is no longer with us, but his spirit lives on in the hearts of those who knew him and in the book he wrote.  Tigger was optimistic and unstoppable despite his shaky start in life and his mum describes him as clever and resourceful, a much loved member of the family.  He had a bright orange coat with a white face, chest and paws and remembering him has inspired me to talk to you about ginger cats.

 

Tigger

Tigger

Today I have decided that ginger cats rule and I have included a selection of pictures to demonstrate this!  Most ginger cats are male but not all of them are, like one of my old Cat Protection foster cat buddies who got picked up as a stray and named Garfield because she was ginger.  Everyone assumed she was a boy until a visit to the vet proved otherwise and she had a quick name change to Fluffy before being re-homed to a nice family.   Amongst the pictures are several of the ginger cats that have come through the adoption process like little princess Ellie, and 2 tiny kittens called Neelix and Marmelade who arrived to the fosterer full of worms and covered in fleas.  They were obviously given treatment and lots of love once in the care of the fosterer and have hopefully grown up to be happy healthy cats.  I only knew Mustard for a few days before she was taken to a different fosterer after she had an argument with her sister.  The fluffy one with his chest puffed out is Harry who lived in the pen last year for a few weeks before being re-homed with his brother Bertie.  Louis came into care with his sister Tilly and they were both re-homed last week to a lovely lady who has since informed Cat Protection that the cats are settling in well and getting spoilt every day.

 

Mustard
Harry & Bertie
Marmelade
Mustard
Louis & Tilly
Harry
Ellie
Garfield
Neelix

Blacks ones, blue ones, silver ones and white ones, tabby, solid, smoke or point, we cats come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours.   Tabbies can have narrow stripes that run parallel down their sides (called mackerel tabby) or a classic tabby pattern that has big blotches or swirls of colour.  Single colour cats are generally the result of a recessive gene that suppresses the tabby markings but sometimes you might see indistinct shadows of tabby patterns even on a solid black cat like me whose coat tends to ‘rust’ in the sunlight and turn a lighter brownish shade.  Then you’ve got the ‘black and whites’ like my mate Basil who is a bi-colour (half black and half white), while a mitted cat has just white paws and a cat with a white spot on its chest has a locket.

 

Basil
Shadow
Winnie
Bandit
Millie
Monty

Contrary to popular belief, the colour of a cat’s coat is not linked to their personality traits and the perpetuation of this misconception has led to concern that feline ‘stereotyping’ is affecting adoption rates at animal shelters.  Research has shown that ginger moggies are the favourites, being perceived as friendly and loveable.  Some of my ginger mates are super affectionate like Rusty Lee who is my latest Cat Protection foster buddy (and is currently available for adoption).  On the other hand, my old chum Ginger is independent and aloof and prefers a dignified chat in the garden to rolling around on the floor gathering dust and rubbing cheeks.  Black cats are apparently still seen as mysterious and unlucky but I’m a black cat and I think I’m really rather lovely.  I’m sure John would agree although he might not have done this morning when I tried to steal his fried egg sandwich after he left it unattended!

 

NCC
RustyLee
RustyLee
Ginger
Ginger
Ginger
Ginger

Shad hangs out with the red squirrels

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Red squirrel numbers have been dwindling for many years in this country since the introduction of the grey squirrels that are more adaptable and carry more body fat so they can survive longer winters.  That must be why I have a little round tummy, it’s in my genes!  Anyway, the greys were introduced from North America in 1876 apparently and they carry a virus which has also contributed to the red squirrels’ decline.  There are a few projects underway in the UK to support the growth of the red squirrel population and you can find out more about this on the Red Squirrel Survival Trust website.  How cute is that?  They’ve got a website!  They’ve even got royalty supporting them.  And I’m not talking about Alan Titchmarsh!  Although some might say he is a gardening supremo and he certainly does his bit to support British wildlife.

 

The reds in these pictures live at the British Wildlife Centre in Surrey and were so adorable that I had to write about them.  As I went through the double gates after John, they must have all been hiding because the enclosure was lacking in squirrels, apparently they don’t like the wet and the cold.  I saw a few chaffinches in the branches of the leafy green oak trees and some little Muntjac deer rummaging around in the undergrowth.  Suddenly my feline hearing picked up the scraping of tiny feet and one by one, red squirrels started to appear on the grass.  Several of them climbed up to the fence to get a good look at me, their little pink noses twitching with curiosity as they fixed me with their beady black eyes.  They seemed to use their tufty ears to express how they were feeling, just like I do, and they dedicated a large amount of their time burying the food that the keeper was giving them.  I watched them scurry along to a well-chosen spot, look around, then pretend to bury their nuts before scurrying off to another patch of ground to bury their grub for real.  This clever little strategy is a good way to put the competition off the scent and stop the others stealing their supplies.  Let’s hope they remember where the nuts are buried!

 

 

Shad does the British Wildlife Centre

 

Shad does the London Indoor Games

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The very definition of lean mean fighting machine, these young men and women are as you can see at the pinnacle of their fitness.  Meanwhile, John and I continue desperately trying to achieve our recommended 10,000 steps a day on the pedometer!  These guys make The Green Goddess and Mr Motivator look like couch-potatoes, so you can imagine how John and I felt!  For those of you under 40 (you lucky things), Diana Moran (nicknamed The Green Goddess) and Derrick Evans (better known as Mr Motivator) are TV fitness icons from the 1980’s.  Although I was impressed by the stamina and physiques of these young people, I was a little troubled by the grunting noises and musky odours!

 

Anyway, I digress.  These pictures were taken when John took me with him for an athletics photography course a few days ago at the Lee Valley stadium in London.  The athletes were of different ages and had clearly been preparing a very long time, judging by the heights they achieved in the pole vault and the speeds they reached in the 200 metre dash.   I wonder how many years of their lives they have spent practising their sports while their peers were out gallivanting.  Watching those long legs leaping over the hurdles made me wince each time because they came so close to knocking the obstacles over, I feared for their safety.  Then again, I’m sure these dedicated contestants have all experienced more than their fair share of twisted ankles and grazed knees.  The long jump and triple jump were particularly impressive, given that they could leap even further than me and I’m a cat.