Portland Show January 2010

I am beginning to upload the images from the Portland show along with updating past shows with new images so keep checking back for more everyday.

Here is a little girl having her Mom take a photo of her with Phyllis's Devon Rex. This girl loved this kitty sooooo much! Notice the cat on her shirt. People visit the show with all kinds of cat outfits on, cat hats, cat print clothes, stuffed cats, cat t shirts, even a woman who was in a fancy scooter wheelcahir with a stuffed cat in the front basket.

Pamela Barrett asked me to take images of people enjoying themselves at the show. I had already been doing just that, because that is what people do when they visit cat shows, they have a great time. It is fun for all ages and walks of life. I have met diverse and interesting people from all the States I have attended cat shows at. The charm and humor of the Southerners in North Carolina, the quick wit of the folks in New Jersey, the warmth of the people in Oregon, and then there are the Washington shows, but hey, I am from there so I know to expect a playful crowd with some intellectuals, greenies, and many more types mixed up in it all.

Showing at cat shows is exhausting!

This exhausted cat owner fell asleep in his cage while petting his cats. My only concern was that he might miss the calls for his cats to the rings.

This happens, people miss their cats calls to the rings because of exhaustion.

Some of them sleep under the benching tables hidden behind the fabric that drapes down to the floor. I have done it once myself.

Elaine abd her 25 pound Maine Coon

As I wandered the show hall looking for photo ops I saw a group of 7 photographers surrounding Elaine at her bench. I walked up and said, "There are not enough photographers here, I had better join you all."

Elaine was showing off her handsome and perfectly groomed 25 pound Maine Coon, while educating the photographers on the breed.

I did the math, if you carry 2 Maine Coons to a show ring at a time, you could be carrying as much as 50 pounds to and from the rings. Going to 12 rings is 600 pounds of weight lifting, taking the cats back from the 12 rings is another 600 poun ds of weight lifting. This is not only a cat show, it's a weight lifting event!

Cat show photos

I did my first shoot using some of the lighting, backdrop, set design, and poses that are the standard for professional cat show photographers. I have been invited to be the official show photographer at a show back East and I am going to perfect the craft.

I used a canvas backdrop that has some texture and wrinkles in it. It is not the standard backdrop for pro cat show photographers.

Exotic Shorthairs are cobby, cobby legs, cobby bodies, cobby tails, have no necks, really big round heads with a flat face and small ears. Every cat breed has its own partcular standards, so they all must be photographed to accentuate these qualities while also bringing out the personality of the cat.

If Alex was a person, he would be a line backer playing football. He is just 8 months old.

Cat show photos

Here I wanted to play around with colored paper backgrounds. I felt that blue helped emphasize Alex's coat color.

This pose is not really one of the standard ones you see, but I like to innovate, and I think it shows his breed standards and personality very well.

If you saw the movie Zoolander, then you know that Alex is doing his version of blue steel.

Cat show photos

This is a standard cat pose you see a lot. It shows the tail very well, the color and quality of the coat, the shape of the body, along with the head. Notice how short an Exotic Shorthair cats neck is. With a Devon Rex, you want to show how long their neck is.
This backdrop is not one of the standard ones that pro cat show photographers use. They use a variety of solid colored paper and fabric backdrops, and let the owner pick the color. I have a vast array of backdrops that have subtle and not so subtle patterns. This one is a one of a kind red and black silk screened silk velvet backdrop made by the now retired fashion designer Darbury Stenderu. I was her fashion photographer for a decade.

Alex is one cobby boy, look at the size of his head.

Cat show photos

Here I placed him on a black fabric backdrop. I have to direct him by holding a long cat toy in one hand while holding my camera in the other hand and taking photographs. It is not easy! But the results are great. I tried having an assistant do the cat toy so I could just shoot and that makes it easier for me, but I had less control of the kind of pose I wanted from Alex.

Here is Alex looking like 007.

Cat show photos

I wanted to get a classic side pose to show off Alex's profile and body. This also shows his prowess. He may look like a chubby cat, but he is all muscle and can spring suddenly at any moment, even if he looks like he is lounging.

Pamela Barrett told me at my first cat show that this breed can be lazy and get soft so I exercise him by running lengths in my studio with a cat toy. We do this over and over until I can't breath and my legs get sore. Free exercise class for me!

Here is Alex showing off his stride.

In the hotel room with cats at a show

There are way to many bodies in the bathroom.

In the hotel room with cats at a show

There is always someone in the litter box.

In the hotel room with cats at a show

There is always someone using your makeup.

In the hotel room with cats at a show the beds are always full

Elegance

This Oriental Shorthair is posing like a super model.

A Persian in a cowboy hat talking to its brush

There is a lot of humor at the shows, especially the ones Team Temple Parlor go to. There are a few cat showers that are very competitive on the East coast which was a new experience for me. One of them yelled at me at the Raleigh show and then body slammed me at the New Jersey show. I had to laugh, she probably thought she could knock me down easily because she was twice my size and I was wearing high heeled shoes and a dress. But she underestimated me. I didn't loose my balance, stride, or humor.

Proud Maine Coon Owner

She was always smiling and was happy to be showing her Maine Coon. Proud mama! I encountered this Maine Coon and his owner at both the Raleigh and the New Jersey shows. It was great to meet the east coast TICA community.

Analytical judging style

A judge in Raleigh explains to the audience the breed standards and how this Ragdoll meets them. I have learned a lot from the judges that educate their audiences.

Spiritual judging style

In Raleigh this judge seemed to be in an ecstatic state when she judged Aphrodite.

Meeting people and cats from all over the world

Here is the gorgeous Abyssinian breeder from Mexico at the Raleigh show. She has her maid take care of her cats when she travels to shows around the world.

Delta Breeze lounging at ring

Renata's Persian Delta Breeze is in the fifth spot internationally in the purebred kitten class.

Queenie loves to show!

Here she is with Alexi at the Raleigh show.

Two redheads

One of our Raleigh bench neighbors

Alexi judges Queenie

Alexi is a Russian Judge who was at the Raleigh show.

Rene

This is a judge from the Raleigh show who also benched with us. She has her hair died partially pink for a friend of hers that has breast cancer.

Bench Neighbors

Best of the Best at Raleigh! This cat was rescued from a crack house by this couple and lovingly brought back to health and not only shows but was one of the top winners at the Raleigh show. This is just one of the many heartwarming stories you hear from people who show in the pet division.

One of my favorites activities at a cat show is hanging out with my bench neighbors. I call them "my comrades in the trenches", other times I call them "my neighbors". These are two of "my neighbors" at the Raleigh show. They not only had 9 cats they were showing, some of them were white and had long hair. For any cat person in the know, this is a sign of someone who takes grooming seriously and possibly has OCD. One of the things that impressed me about this lovely couple was that they were also groomed impeccably every day. I decided that they would be my grooming guru's and studied them. My makeup and hair improved each day from my studies with them. I found out later that he is also a TICA judge.

How to raise a show cat

Show cats get early training. They practice standing in place, being handled in the way judges do, along with getting socialized by going out often to galleries, workplaces, and other public events. They get to eat raw food diets made specially for them, go to high end medical specialists, travel the world, and learn how to handle celebrity. They love it!

Elaine Weitz

Elaine Weitz judges Queenie in Portland.

The TICA Hollywood Lights

Beyonce under the TICA show lights in Portland. I photographed her on my grooming table.

Never get in the way of a girl and her bling!

Blossom gets her show bling in Puyallup WA and takes it very, very seriously.

It's about the love for many of us

This is one of of our bench neighbors from the Puyallup show. We were really lucky to get such a fine selection of ladies to bench with. I had met her at the Richland Canada show and it was great to see her again.

The Exotic's

Four Exotic Shorthair kittens waiting to be judged in Puyallup. From the left is Queenie, her brother Alex, Blossom, and Beauregard who is Queenie and Alex's cousin. They all won ribbons at the show.

On the way back from the rings

I enjoy watching people carry their cats to and from the rings. Everyone has their own technique and style. Some carry two fisted, some hold the cats outstretched, elegantly long, others carry them like newborn babies cuddled safely in their arms. I tried to create a signature style for how I carried Alex to the ring. So I carried him in pinky the basket, because he likes it so much. His hair does get disheveled though.

Temple Parlor's Alexander the Great

Here is my boy Alex in Puyallup being judged lovingly by Pamela Barrett. Alex is Queenie's brother and is a fine, fine young man, and occasionally wins his sister Queenie.

Pamela Barrett and her Team at the Portland Show 2009

Who would any of us be without the help and support of others? This is Pamela Barrett and her team of supporters who put on the Portland TICA show in 2009.

Not all cats want to show

Coco Channel made it very clear on the grooming table that she was not fond of showing. After a few rings we put her back in her cage and ended her career. She is now a non professional cat seeking joy and enlightenment.

Some cats have mustaches

This Oriental Shorthair has a mustache and makes his person wear purple because it shows off his green eyes.

About Bengals, CFA, and TICA

CFA (Cat Fanciers Association) does not except Bengals as a breed. TICA (The International Cat Association) does. Bengals are the most popular breed of cat in the world.

This is a Bengal from Majestic Bay Bengals that I photographed at the Portland show.

The Temple Parlor International Cat Association

We at Team Temple Parlor entertain ourselves in many ways. One was to invent our own cat association called TTICA (The Temple Parlor Cat Association). In our association color matters a lot, as does a sense of humor, and a spiritual path. We are praying that Jesus will be a judge for our cats. He can make water out of wine and I am fond of wine. As I have discovered many other cat show folks are fond of wine too.

This Bengal is from Kanpur Bengals.

The Beautiful Beyonce

I decided since cat show photographers sign their name on their photographs, I would do it for my cat blog photos to keep with the Tica theme. In the rest of the professional photography business, we use a copyright symbol and our name. But I think this looks better for these images.

The Beyonce Carpet

I used Beyonce's head to make this carpet. She is such a lovely lassie.

The east end of my studio in Seattle

I work out of two studio's in Seattle. This is my studio on Capital Hill. A mile away is the studio at The Photographic Center Northwest where I am on the faculty and teach advanced lighting classes. I use the schools studio too. They both have their pluses. Alexander the Great is sitting by the left window (he is Queenie's brother) and Luna the Pomeranian is on the floor to the left.

Why are we always the last to leave?

Richmond Canada 2009. Team Temple Parlor has evolved a lot since our first team effort at the Tukwila Tica show where we were nicknamed by one clerk "The Zot Pack". Why is it that we are always the last ones to leave the show on the last day?

The Zot Pack

We have so much fun as a team working together at the shows. Especially the ones where we stay in the hotel and have a kitty/person sleep over together. From the left is David holding Aphrodite, Kitty holding Queenie, me, and Ben holding Alex in Richmond Canada.

Triumphant!

The mighty Roma returns from the rings triumphant!

Hail Kitty!

One of many cat lovers showing off their babies at the Puyallup show 2009.

Raleigh was a Show of the Heart

Hambone gets much love at the Best of the Best awards. The awards were honoring people and cats that had touched the lives of the Raleigh Tica world. Some of us had tears in our eyes during the awards ceremony. The Raleigh show was one of my favorite shows.

More Loving in Raleigh

Alexy Shchukin gives an award to one of our bench neighbors Maine Coons.

Learn how to pose for your winning portrait

This is one of our lovely bench neighbors and her Siberian after winning a ribbon standing with the judge. She told me when we were sitting at our benches that she did not like photographs of herself, so I had taught her how to pose for a portrait. We didn't know it would come in handy later that day. If you ever need help with posing for your portraits at ringside I can help.

Even more loving in Raleigh

Renata and her Persian kitten Delta Breeze. I met Renata the weekend before at the Raleigh Show. She came all the way from Germany. We spent a lot of time together at both shows since Queenie and Delta were kittens and were in many final rings together. What a delight it was to spend both weekends with her.

Judges have their own unique styles

Ed Manning is judging a Chartreux in New Jersey 2010.

I spend a lot of time watching and photographing how the different judges handle and relate to the cats. Some are like lovers, others like mothers. There are the clinicians, the magicians, and a bevy of other styles. I am trying to capture each of their style in photographs.

The hero journey

Anthony on the way to the rings in New Jersey! How proud he and his cats are as they stride to the rings to show.