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

Irish Shortear cat

The Irish Shortear cat is a cross between the Burmilla and Scottish Fold only the ears are short and not flat or folded.

Hey, wait a minute this is more fiction, part of the fiction of the Painted cats series that caused quite a stir about a year or more ago.

There is no such cat and there is nobody painting cats either, thankfully. The Irish Shortear, if it existed, would have short ears, a relaxed nature and large eyes. The guys who made this up also created a fictional piece of genetics, referring to the "macro-retinal" gene. Nice one guys. I guess they were teasing the cat breeders and the fact their lives revolve around genetics.

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Savannah cat banned from Alaska

In a twist to the story about Australian government's ban on the importation of the Savannah cat into Australia a story has emerged from Alaska in which the Alaskan authorities have confirmed their ban on the Savannah cat there and ordered that a Savannah cat that escaped from the owner's home and roamed freed for 6 months be shipped out of the State of Alaska.

The cat concerned, Simon, lived with Sharon Gratrix who is not a cat breeder. Simon was found by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game who on returning the cat demanded that Simon was deported (to use a term for humans).

Sharon had no idea that Simon was an illegal immigrant. The spokesperson for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Rick Sinnott was not sure initially (on incorrect advice it seems) if a Savannah cat was illegal. Was this why Sharon was allowed to bring Simon into the country? Not sure how that happened. Anyway, the initial confusion was on the interpretation of the terms of the legislation in respect of game animals "found or introduced". Bringing a Savannah cat into Alaska is within the ambit of the legislation under the term "introduced".

As hybrids of game animals kept as pets and introduced into Alaska are prohibited and banned, Simon had to pack his bags. Game animals are defined as non domestic mammals. This was understandably very distressing for Simon and Sharon. He has gone to live with Sharon's daughter.

This story probably pleases the Australian authorities. But I don't think it sets a precedent. The circumstances are different. The Australian person with plans to breed Savannah cats in Australia is a cat breeder who had made careful security arrangements to keep the cats. This is an important difference. People living in houses with pets will rarely have any carefully thought through arrangements to keep the cat in at all costs.

Savannah cat banned from Alaska to Home page