The best book of cat photography. Ever. …

 

Penelope Kitten is marching through the house with a megaphone.

penelope kitten (squeaking):  emergency. emergency. i repeat. emergency. all paws on deck.

Marcy: What?

penelope kitten:  follow me, please.

Penelope Kitten marches over to the hall closet.

She flings open the door to find …

Cynthia crouched behind the coats with a flashlight reading “Walter Chandoha. Cats. Photographs 1942-2018”.

Cynthia screams and throws the flashlight and book up in the air.

Marcy:  Gasp. Again?!

penelope kitten:  again.

Marcy (outraged):  Cindy!

Cynthia (a little guilty, a little annoyed):  What?!

Marcy:  How can you sit there and stare at cat photographs for hours on end when you have … us? It’s so … rude.

penelope kitten (squeaking):  so rude.

Cynthia:  C’mon kitties,  these aren’t just any cat photographs, these are the ULTIMATE cat photographs taken by the ULTIMATE cat photographer, creator of the original cat meme, and … if I may say … the original and ULTIMATE, Cat Dad.

 

Cynthia:  Walter Chandoha’s photos are enchanting. Michals goes into detail about how Chandoha created such fascinating photos with such a notorious and elusive subject. Just look at some of them.

Click here for a few Walter Chandoha’s cat photographs.

Marcy: So how’d he do it?

Cynthia: Technical expertise, infinite patience, and a genuine love for cats. By positioning himself as THE cat photographer starting in the 1950’s, Chandoha not only created slinky artistic black and white photo art, he was also the main photographer for pet food bags, magazine covers, calendars, puzzles. He was a true architect of Americana pop culture. Andy Warhol was even a fan.

And, who better than to tell Chandoha’s story than the modern day cat maven herself, Susan Michals – the founder of CatCon Worldwide and Cat Art Show in Los Angeles. Much like Chandoha, Michals is also unique in having a discerning eye and knowledge of art as well as a keen sense of the modern day zeitgeist – cats and kitsch and all.

Marcy: So why am I not in a fancy photographic book? Why haven’t you taken moody and dramatic black and white art photos of me? Why am I not in fashion magazines and on the covers of all the cat food bags?

Cynthia (annoyed and speaking through gritted teeth):  Because… you never let me take photos of you. In 14 years of your existence you’ve only EVER let me get photos of you GLARING at the camera.

Cynthia:  See?

Marcy (sniffing haughtily):  Walter says you have to be patient. He’d wait forever to get photos.

Cynthia (almost apoplectic): I can’t spend my life sitting in front of you with my camera … waiting …for you to deign me with a pose.

Marcy:  Hmpf. Walter did it. 

penelope kitten:  got one! is this artistic and cute?

Cynthia:  It’s cute, P,  but clearly you just slapped a filter on a grainy Instagram pic. It’s nowhere near in the the league of Walter Chandoha.

penelope kitten:  oh. at least it’s cute.

Marcy (scoffing):  Amateurs.

Cynthia:  I’m going back to my closet now. Let me know when you two are serious about posing for photos. Here. (she tosses them her iPhone) You can practice.

Cynthia goes back to her closet with her flashlight and “Walter Chandoha. Cats. Photographs 1942-2018” by Susan Michals.

Marcy and Penelope Kitten play around with the device until the flash goes off unexpectedly and they run for cover under the sofa.

penelope kitten (squeaking):  i don’t like it.

Marcy (agreeing):  Super scary.

=^..^=

*10% of each book sold will be donated to Milos’s Sanctuary and Kitt Crusaders, two wonderful cat rescues in Los Angeles, California. Click here to order your book.