My cat photography timeline tip actually fixed my lighting problem

So I was flipping through this old coffee table book called "Whiskers at Dawn" that I picked up from a garage sale in Portland. The cat portraits were all taken at different times of day and you can see how the lighting changes everything. I started paying attention to the golden hour shots around 6:30 PM versus the harsh noon ones. After about 3 weeks of trying to match that soft light for my own cat pics, I realized the book had a whole section on how they staged indoor shots with cheap reflectors. Has anyone else tried using car windshield shades as reflectors? They work surprisingly well for getting that warm glow without spending money on fancy gear.

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beth5592mo ago

Oh yeah windshield shades are basically giant DIY softboxes. Total game changer for cat pics.

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shane_perry292mo ago

@beth559 is out here giving free photography lessons and we're all just taking notes. I tried it with my orange cat yesterday and he looked like a fluffy movie star. Softbox vibes for real.

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