Beautiful Norwegian Forest Cat

Photographed by Helmi Flick, here is a truly beautiful Norwegian Forest Cat. He has a nice name when he is not on the show stage, "G Baby" or "Guri". Of course his show cat name (I'll call it his stage name) is a lot longer: RW QGC/CH HattKatts Guri of ForestKatz. At the date of this post he is 7 years of age and he has a red classic tabby and white coat. And what a coat it is! This is a really stunning cat. So sweet, so NFC.

Beautiful Norwegian Forest Cat - "Guri"
Red classic tabby and white
Photo copyright Helmi Flick

I made a picture video a long time ago using Helmi's photographs and it has Guri in it. Guri is a stand out cat. Here is the video. You can see lots more beautiful Norwegian Forest Cats but Guri is the one that sticks in my mind.



Guri is a male breeding cat at ForestKatz. He has won many prizes and it is hoped that his offspring will do the same. They probably already have.

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Beautiful Cat Pictures

These are the most beautiful cat pictures because they are the most beautiful cats photographed by one of the world's best cat photographers, Helmi Flick. You won't get a better combination. I'll point you in the right direction if I may.

You can start on this page: Pictures of Cat Breeds - it leads to two more pages of the best cat pictures and links to lots and lots more. Enjoy.

Here is a single example:

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Ruddy and Blue Abyssinian Kittens

Ruddy and blue Abyssinian kittens are adorable and Helmi is about to photograph them all together but on the second day of the Oklahoma City Cat Show it has been busier and more complicated that expected. Ken Flick had said that we would finish at 2 pm but a we had a lot of people who requested photos late in the day and we are still going strong at 3pm. The complication is that there is a storm coming and it is scheduled to come through the area at about 4 pm.

We are going to Ponca City after the show to meet with Kathrin and Martyn Stucki of A1 Savannahs. The question is whether we are going to be inconvenienced by the storm. The journey to Ponca City is less than 2 hours from Oklahoma City. It takes about 1.5 hours to pack up so it looks like we are leaving at about 6 pm. Then we go back to our hosts (Helmi's cousin) for a clean up. This all adds up to getting to Ponca City late. Anyway we did warn Kathrin that we would be late.

We are staying overnight at the home of A1 Savannahs and leaving them Monday to get back to Bedford, Texas.

For the Flicks a good cat is one that performs well in front of the camera and some are and some decidedly aren't. The better cats are usually the ones that are experienced with being shown.......Moving forward to the next day....As I mentioned, Helmi photographed 6 Abysinnian kittens at the same time. They were bred by Pat Harbert. Here is a snap shot from a video that I am making - please excuse the color cast! It is from a video and taken in florescent lighting.

Three Blue Abyssinian Kittens on Helmi Flick's
studio table being photographed. This photo has a slight colour cast.

Two Ruddy Abyssinian Kittens. Photo copyright Helmi Flick
The person is the breeder: Pat Harbert

See more on this: Two Ruddy Abyssinian Kittens

Why are there three Abys when I spoke of 6? Well, there are three more blue Abyssinian kittens, making 6 in all, and they were all photographed together but Ken and Helmi also like to reduce the number being photographed at one time and I think you can realise why! There are always some cats that are more able to perform in front of the camera and Ken tends to pick these out and focus on them. But the photo session of these kittens covered all 6 together through to individual portraits and they were adorable. Here they are waiting to be photographed:

Three Ruddy and 3 Blue Abyssinian kittens in a cage waiting to
be photographed by Helmi Flick. The 6th is on the left

Update: We are now in Ponca City and in an hotel about to get up and get over to A1 Savannahs to see their fantastic cats and meet Kathrin and Martyn Stucki. I'll get back on that and with a video on the making of the photographs of these gorgeous ruddy and blue abyssinian kittens.

The Photos: These are stills from a camcorder. There will be a video soon.

Update: Here is a video of these gorgeous kittens:

From to Home Page

Helmi and Ken Flick

Here's a picture of Helmi and Ken Flick busy at work that I just found on my camera that I had forgotten that I had, which I like a lot. OK, technically the quality is poor because the ambient lighting was poor and the camera cheap! That's my excuse anyway.

But the picture shows the dynamic nature of Ken's cat wrangling and Helmi's focus and concentration. And the photo has a nice, almost theatrical feel about it. It's like being at the circus with Ken Flick the ringmaster! The little object on top of Helmi's camera is not a flash, it is a trigger for the flash lights above, behind and to the left and right of the cat that is diligently obeying Ken's tease.

To see more try these links:

Cat Photography with Ken and Helmi Flick
More on Helmi and Ken at the Waxahachie Cat Show

Helmi Flick Cat Photography
About the famous cat photographer, Helmi Flick

Helmi and Ken Flick to Home Page

Helmi Flicks Cat Show Calendar

Here is Helmi Flick Cat Show Calendar for 2009 and 2010 (2009 now archive material), for those of us who are fans of her cat photography. Ken and Helmi's professionalism is very high. If things change, I'll update the page.

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Cat Show Calendar 2009 and 2010:

Jan 16-18, 2009 Cherry Hill NJ – TICA Jersey State

[Jan 20, 2009 On Location Shoot, New Jersey]

Feb 14-15, 2009 Waco TX – TICA Heart of Texas Cat Show

Mar 28-29, 2009 Vinton LA – TICA Maine Coonfederacy

Apr 04-05, 2009 Atlanta GA – TICA Hotlanta Cool Cats Cat Show

Apr 25-26, 2009 Oklahoma City OK – TICA Thunderkatz

May 23-24, 2009 Wichita KS – TICA KansasKatz Cat Show

Jun 06-07, 2009 Fitchburg MA – TICA Mysticats Cat Show

[Jun 09, 2009 Private Salon On-Location Shoot – Gardner MA]

Jul 25-26, 2009 Pigeon Forge TN – TICA Southeast REGION
[Aug 01-02, 2009 Ken wrangles for Preston: Wichita Falls TX]

Sep 05-06, 2009 Orlando FL – TICA ANNUAL

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Jan 29-31, 2010 Edison NJ – TICA Jersey State Feline Fanciers

Feb 13-14, 2010 Waco TX – TICA Heart of Texas Cat Show

Mar 06-07, 2010 Providence RI – TICA Cats on the Beach Show

Mar 13-14, 2010 Denver CO – TICA Colorado Cats Cat Show

Mar 26-28, 2010 Houston TX – TICA Cat Rebel’s Confederacy

Apr 17-18, 2010 Mesquite TX – CFA North Texas Cat Show

Apr 24-25, 2010 Oklahoma City OK – TICA Thunderkatz

Jul 09-11, 2010 Houston TX – TICA Cat Rebel’s Confederacy

Sep 18-19, 2010 Wichita KS – TICA KansasKatz Cat Show

Oct 23-24, 2010* Atlanta GA – TICA *

Jul 23-24, 2011 Wichita Falls TX – TICA SC Regional

*Penciled in

Helmi Flick also likes to work at an international level and welcomes invitations. Ken and Helmi can be contacted at helmi [at] helmiflick.com. When you're probably the best cat photographer, the world is your work place. Ken wrote an article about their international cat photography experiences in Japan.

You can see Helmi and Ken working at the recent TICA Waxahachie Cat Show (Nov 22-23rd 2008).

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Previous years 2007 and 2008:

Cat Show Calendar 2007:

Jan 19-21, 2007 Cherry Hill NJ – TICA Jersey State

Feb 10-11, 2007 Waco TX – TICA Heart of Texas Cat Show

Mar 10-11, 2007 Phoenix AZ – CFA Superstition Cat Fanciers

Apr 07-08, 2007 New Braunfels TX – TICA Mission City

Apr 28-29, 2007 Oklahoma City OK – TICA Thunderkatz

May 12-13, 2007 Mesquite TX – CFA Nat’l Maine Coon Cat Show

Jul 07-08, 2007 Wichita Falls TX – TICA Maine Coon Connection

Jul 14-15, 2007 Raleigh NC – TICA Southeast REGIONAL

Aug 03-05, 2007 Grand Rapids MI – TICA Great Lakes REGIONAL

Aug 18-19, 2007 Waco TX – TICA South Central REGIONAL

Sep 08-09, 2007 Humble TX – CFA Stars & Stripes Cat Show

Oct 13-14, 2007 Tulsa OK – TICA T-Townkatz Cat Show

Dec 07-09, 2007 Corpus Christi TX – TICA T.I.F.S. Cat Show

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Cat Show Calendar 2008:

Jan 18-20, 2008 Cherry Hill NJ – TICA Jersey State

Feb 09-10, 2008 Waco TX – TICA Heart of Texas Cat Show

Mar 29-30, 2008 Houston TX – CFA World Cat Congress

Apr 05-06, 2008 New Braunfels TX – Mission City

Apr 26-27, 2008 Oklahoma City OK – TICA Thunderkatz

Jul 12-13, 2008 Waco TX – TICA Lone Star & NEKO Jr Achievers

[Jul 19-20, 2008 Wichita Falls TX – Ken Wrangles for Preston]

Jul 26-27, 2008 Orlando FL – TICA Southeast REGIONAL

Aug 16-17, 2008 Austin TX – TICA South Central REGIONAL

Aug 30-31, 2008 Arlington TX – TICA ANNUAL

Oct 03-05, 2008 Longview TX – TICA On Safari 2008

Nov 22-23, 2008 Waxahatchie TX – TICA Turkish Van Cat Show

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From Helmi Flick's Cat Show Calendar Helmi Flick Cat Photography

Ken and Helmi Flick's Cats

Ken and Helmi Flick's cats are great and they all very definitely have their own characters. They have 4 cats and one stray cat (Buttermilk) who does not live with Ken and Helmi but who they feed.

Here are the cats. The pictures are mine (I guess you can tell!) except, of course the one of me with Buttermilk. The photos by me were taken spontaneously, mainly in my room in Ken and Helm's home. First we have Quin. He is a large Maine Coon. Well, he might not be that large by Maine Coon standards but he is large, long limbed and quite rangy in conformation compared to the average moggie. His hair flows over his slender body. His face is strong, broad and somehow tender looking. Like his brother, Zak, he can look you straight in the eye and hold that look. That is unusual in a cat but usual for a Maine Coon.


Maine Coon cat- Quin a Black Smoke MC - He has this wonderfully piercing gaze. He is sitting at the window. He has a swirling, glamorous, black smoke coat.

Maine Coons are fairly quiet cats. Judging by Quin and Zak they rarely actually open their mouth to meow but prefer to trill with the mouth closed. The trill is very distinctive and definitely a Maine Coon voice.

Here is a picture of his brother Zak:


Maine Coon cat - Zak is a Blue and White Bicolor MC. Helmi says that he is the alpha cat in the group. He is a sweet boy. As can been seen he has long hair and he is lean; there is no fat on him. I love the long slightly disheveled coat and whiskers. In this picture he is about to jump up. When he stands on his back legs he is tall, much taller than the average cat. The picture is copyright Michael Broad and it links to a jumbo sized version on another page plus some more about ZAK.

Ken and Helmi Flick's cats include 2 British Shorthair cats, one is black and the other blue (grey/blue). They are very lovable. Sky, the blue British Shorthair cat is a past champion cat having been shown by Helmi and Ken Flick. Here is a picture of her:


British Shorthair cat - Sky a Blue BS - great open face and a very cute cat. She has just come into my room as I write this......She is now sitting by the window sill and now she is curled up on my trousers....

One defining difference between the British Shorthair and the Maine Coon is the voice. Sky has a very quiet, almost silent voice. It is very sweet indeed. She does her own thing like all cats but is very loving. Helmi chose the name "Sky" very wisely. The sound of the name is apparently easily recognized by a cat and the word sky, evoking the color blue, makes it a very apt name.

And last but not least, we have Nox. He has the most plush, silky black coat and a quiet voice like Sky. British Shorthair cats are known for the plush coats. Here he is:


British Shorthair cat - Nox - the boy with the super plush coat - it's great to touch. You could stroke him all day and he'd let you, I think.

If you'd like to read and see more about these 2 cat breeds, you might like to try these pages. They contain Helmi Flick's photographs of the best cats:

• British Shorthair cat
• Maine Coon cats

I love Ken and Helmi Flick's cats. I have never lived with a purebred cat so this is a pleasure. All Ken and Helmi Flick's cats are purebred.

And I almost forgot, here is the outdoor stray cat, Buttermilk, that Helmi and Ken feed and give some love to.


Here's Buttermilk. Oh, the person on the left is me. He's saying OK, OK, that's enough. He has that jowly look of an unneutered boy cat and he is all muscle.

From Ken and Helmi Flick's cats to Home Page

Cat photography with Ken and Helmi Flick

This is a post about cat photography with Ken and Helmi Flick at a cat show in Waxahachie, Texas on November 22-23rd 2008. Throughout these days I acted as an assistant to Ken and Helmi, helping to set up the studio and at the end of the day to dismantle it. If you would like to see more, you can see posts about preparation day and day one of the Waxahachie cat show.

Cat photography with Ken and Helmi Flick is exacting. There is a considerable amount of planning, organization and work that needs to take place in order to capture the kind of high-quality images created by Helmi and Ken Flick.

Ken's role is a vital ingredient in the process. Ken has built a studio table that can be dismantled, on which the cats are photographed. There are 4 flashlights. The main light is at the front (see below) suspended by a horizontal beam which is supported by two tripods at either side of the room. This allows Helmi free movement in front of the table, when photographing. This light is diffused and soft. There is a diffused light to the right-hand side as well. There is also a directional light behind and to the left, which provides a modeling edge to the cat and which picks out the body from the background. Finally, there is a small flashlight behind and below the cat which illuminates the background forming a pool of light to provide a central focus; the light falling away at the edges.

Cats are placed on a raised walkway about 12 inches or so wide. This helps to keep the cat in a confined area and positions the cat in terms of distance from the camera allowing for more precise focus and also allowing the small light referred to above, to illuminate the background. The picture below illustrates this:



The picture below shows the table in use. Helmi is photographing while Ken teases the pose out of this Bengal cat. This picture also shows the modeling light to the left and behind


Cat photography with Ken and Helmi Flick - Helmi Flick photographing a Bengal show cat at the Waxahachie cat show. The soft frontal light can be seen above Helmi's head.

On day two of the show there were some great show cats to photograph. Each cat dealt with the photographic session is their own way and some were better than others. In general, adult cats who are at their first show are understandably prone to be less sure of themselves and they can present challenges to Ken to get them in an attractive position for the photograph. Ken also says that the Burmese and the contemporary or modern Siamese, for example, can be more difficult to wrangle. While in general, Maine Coon cats, amongst others, are more amenable to being photographed.

Although some of the more experienced cats can strike a momentary pose for the camera, most of the photography is concerned with capturing fleeting moments amongst fairly dynamic movement. This has been teased out of the cat by Ken. It requires split second timing from Helmi to capture the moment, which is frozen with the flashlights. The Helmi and Ken team is a well oiled machine so there is a sort of predictability about the outcome, which makes timing easier but still very critical.

However, understandably, sometimes cats will be uncooperative in the studio. This is their right, of course. On occasion, progress can be made and a good image captured if the cat is left to her/his own devices. Rarely it is not practical to capture the desired photograph because the cat cannot be wrangled into a good position. Naturally, the cat's rights are always respected under these circumstances.

Here are two examples of how cat photography with Ken and Helmi Flick produces the desired result.


Cat photography with Ken and Helmi Flick - Ken wrangling a Bombay cat and Helmi capturing the image. Immediately after this moment the following photograph was captured:


Bombay cat - VINDOURO KALIENTE OF KATSNKLAMMS. The owner is Wendy Klamm. The photograph is copyright Helmi Flick.

The picture below show Ken actively teasing a Bengal cat into position. This was just before another great picture was captured by Helmi.



Photo above: Cat photography with Ken and Helmi Flick - Ken wrangling a Bengal cat and Helmi capturing the image. The picture below is the photograph that came out of this little session:



Photo above: Bengal cat - DGC KOSIKATZ THOTZI INDUNA INGWE - Breeder: Sherry Ellis, Owner: Jan Harrell. Photograph copyright Helmi Flick

It was fascinating and a privilege to see Helmi and Ken working. To those concerned with the technical aspects of photography, I hope you like this post and find it interesting.

From Cat photography with Ken and Helmi Flick to Helmi Flick cat photography

Helmi and Ken Flick at a cat show

Well, I'm here with Helmi and Ken Flick at a cat show in Waxahachie, Texas, which is about 50 minutes drive from Ken and Helmi's home in Bedford, Texas.

Having spent about 4 hours yesterday setting up the equipment this picture shows it in use:


Ken Flick is teasing the desired activity from a gorgeous cat, while Maranda Hull, the agent to the cat breeder, looks on and assists (when Ken needs it). The lighting for this picture is from the modeling lights on the flash lights. So this is not the lighting used for the actual photograph. The light looks brighter than it actually is. There has to be sufficient light for Helmi to see clearly to compose and time the shot but not so much that it has an impact on the photograph.

Here is the finished photograph:


Pixie-bob cat - Ansonroad Assam T - photograph copyright Helmi Flick. The agent to the breeder is Maranda Hull of Red River Bobis. The breeder/owner is Gertrud Keazor of Anson Road Cats a UK breeder based in London. Assam was 6 months old at the time this photograph was taken and is a brown spotted tabby.

Helmi and Ken use flashlight which is synchronized by light sensors. There are 4 lights in all. In the photograph 2 can be seen, one above and one to the left. There is one behind the cat to create a soft pool of light on the background and one to the right.

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See a lot more detail about how the Flicks do the photography, which was added after day 2.

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We had a steady stream of clients at this show. Watching Helmi and Ken Flick at a cat show in instructional. The level of professionalism is high. Sometimes almost every cat wrangling move by Ken produces the desired result and the cat completes his or her movement with the perfect pose and positioning, which Helmi captures. The last cat photographed was probably the best, a young and very pretty Ragdoll. The camera loved her just like, for example, the camera loved Audrey Hepburn. She was a starlet. Mind you all of them were great looking cats.

Sometimes, of course, cats are not so cooperative but always the desired result is achieved. The less cooperative cats are usually adults that are new to the cat show scene. Kittens are nearly always highly cooperative, however. Once the session is finished the photos are uploaded into a laptop computer for the client to view them in large format and then burnt onto a disc to take away. At the beginning of the session the client can see the first photographs from the camera screen.

Today we are back to Waxahachie, TX for the second day of the show. More pics and diary to come of Helmi and Ken Flick at a cat show. Update: See the diary and pictures from day 2 of the cat show.....more cat photography with Ken and Helmi Flick, which shows the photography taking place and the finished article.


British Shorthair cat - Sky - Blue grey coat and a lovely Brit SH face. She lives with Ken and Helmi and she is sitting next to me at this moment.

This morning, when I woke up, Helmi brought in a cup of tea for me. She also brought Sky, her champion purebred British Shorthair cat who looks fantastic and who has a lovely temperament. Sky is sitting on my clothes close by as I type this. It can't get better than that..................Wait Nox just walked in. He's a black Brit SH; a lovable cat and to stroke his dense and plush coat is a special experience.

Helmi and Ken Flick at cat show to home page

Cat show with Helmi and Ken Flick

Ken Flick setting up the lighting making sure that it is at the correct angle.

I'm doing a cat show with Ken and Helmi Flick today. It's being held in a town about 44 miles from Bedford near Dallas. We spent part of the day yesterday setting up. The set up is very elaborate because the tables etc. have to be transportable and then assembled. Ken manufactured part of the table and set up equipment upon which the cats are photographed. He did a great job.

The lighting is sophisticated and everything about the process is well thought out and designed to produce the highest quality photographs that please the cat breeder and also show off the cats to best advantage.

Here are some more photographs of setting up for cat show with Helmi and Ken Flick:


Helmi and Ken setting up for the show tomorrow.


Ken Flick setting up the lighting having set up the table that can be seen behind him. Different backgrounds cover the table to suite each individual cat.

I'm in a rush because I am about to go with Ken and Helmi to the show today to get those photographs.....(see link below). Doing a cat show with Helmi and Ken Flick has been very enlightening. The standard is very high.

Update, the next day: Click on this link to see the making of a picture of Pixie-bob cat and some more on the Waxahachie show: Day 2 of a Cat Show with Helmi and Ken Flick.

Cat show with Helmi and Ken Flick to home page

Visiting Ken and Helmi Flick

Today I am travelling from London, England and visiting Ken and Helmi Flick in Dallas, USA. I have been to Dallas before in the summer and it was hot. I hadn't realized how hot Texas can be.

I am going over to thank Helmi for her contribution to the Pictures of Cats.org website. Her agreement early on to allow me to publish her photographs has made all the difference to the website which this morning has an Alexa ranking of about 109,000. This means that there are 108,000 sites in the world with more traffic but considering that there are about 200m or more sites that is good.

I also hope to meet some people and generally cement the United States connection. I would like to see if some rescue centers in America would like to use the Pictures of Cats.org website to promote their organizations by using a sub-domain of my website. There are other ideas that I have and we'll see where it all goes.

And, yes, I'll have some fun too. I am looking forward to meeting Nox and Sky, Ken and Helmi's British Shorthair cats (see photo above). Sky is blue/grey and Nox is black. Helmi is going to photograph me with them, which will be great. Visiting Ken and Helmi Flick is going to be a big thing for me.

Visiting Ken and Helmi Flick to Home page

Photo: of Nox and Sky copyright Helmi Flick