Obligatory Guest Cat Post
Posted on February 13, 2013 Posted by Kate Baker 57 Comments
As you are probably aware by now, John is away from the intarweebs. The last I heard, he battled a rather large, fire-breathing dragon in the foothills of some foreign land with nothing more than a piece of crispy bacon, a tub of frosting and a rubber chicken.*
In his absence aside from gleefully wielding the mallet with tender rage, I figured you would appreciate this rather lovely picture of Chloe that I took right after Christmas. By no means is Chloe trying to usurp the hold on your heart that the animals of the Scalzi compound currently enjoy. I just happened to be trying out my new 35mm lens on my Nikon D3100. The lens is one of the least expensive out there and does a fantastic job. Although, Chloe does not look as impressed as I was with the new toy. Also, look! It’s a cat picture! We need those!
*Unconfirmed and conflicting reports. Some accounts say Krissy defeated the dragon with her bare hands, while John ate the bacon, the tub of frosting and the rubber chicken. What happens in the foothills, stays in the foothills, people.
That is a pretty kitty, but I don’t think she likes having her photo taken.
She is exceedingly pretty.
She looks like she plotting your death. Cats do that. Well, mine do anyway. They have come close to succeeding on occasion.
Part of me now really wants to see a painting of the Scalzi/dragon battle done in the style of the Unicorn Pegasus Kitten.
Which lens? I have a Nikon 51OO D (Xmas pressie) and am getting lenses for it soon.
That is an impressively unimpressed looking cat.
Amazing photo of an amazing cat. And thank you, Kate, for womanning the barricades with such flair…
She does look underimpressed
Oh, what a lovely cat! Thanks for sharing :-)
@PixelFish
It’s this one: http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-35mm-1-8G-Digital-Cameras/dp/B001S2PPT0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1360790881&sr=8-1&keywords=nikor+35mm
Nice bokeh.
Which lens?
never mind
Now you have to tape bacon to it…
Chloe there has the “dismissive of and unimpressed by the hairless monkey” expression down pat.
She’d be a fine mallet wielder; of course, that’s beneath her.
Hi kitty! Hi kitty! I’m the slave to one of your fellow feline overlords! His name is Ozymandias and he is the same grey and black color you are! I don’t let him type on the computer, though. He might throw up on it.
Welcome. A kitty pic is an excellent choice for your first visiting host post. Pretty kitty too.
Look on my hairball, ye human, and despair!
No, I think the cat is thinking:
“Really?
Are you really going to take my picture because if you do, you know I will have to start plotting how to wake you up at about 3:30 in in the morning on the coldest night, and when you are really snugly warm under those blankets.
Maybe I shall walk on you and then purr in your face, and do that weird kneading thing.
Then as you walk to the door, I shall take your place in the bed!”
Do you still want to take my picture?”
Oh, wait, that is what my cat thinks.
How fast is the lens (what’s the lowest f-stop it can be used at)?
I know Alex Lindsay, former host of This Week in Photography, used to talk about using a “fast 50” (50mm lens at 1.8f or 1.4f), which he swore by for taking pictures. Of course, that’s mainly useful if you’re taking portraits or still lifes – it looks to me like some of the foreground is a wee bit out of focus, so I’m wondering if you needed something that will give you a bit more depth of field….
But I like the fact that only the eyes are in focus. It’s certainly a beautiful cat, but the picture is extraordinary because of those eyes.
oh,oh,oh…. I can see your reflection in her pupils!! weird but wonderful
On a DX sensor Nikon, with the 16x24mm sensors, the 35mm f1.8 is the equivalent of a 50mm f1.8 normal lens for the 24x36mm FX sensor or 35mm film. Shooting close and wide open gives you that very selective focus. You rarely see this done with a normal lens because people don’t get close. For people, you’d use a portrait lens. (50mm or 85mm for DX, 85mm or 105mm for FX)
Dr. Phil
Cat owners are weird
Interesting focus on the cat’s eyes.
–
Best is posted photo did not contain any info that I could immediately find
with 500 year old programs. Either obsolete of me or good for you.
Look deep into my eyes…… :) Lovely cat.
Perhaps Chloe would like to meet the famous Henri, le Chat Noir. Chloe has a look of doleful intellectuality that allies her to Henrie. I think his website is henrilechatnoir.com.
So, omg you guys! Guys, I love kitties so so much! They are so soft and sweet and kind! Did you know, in Egypt, when kitties died, that their human families would shave off their eyebrows in mourning? Isn’t that fantastic?
[This post has been kittened – KEB]
Nice use of the limited depth of field.
Excellent kittening, Kate Baker. Nice to start the day with a laugh. If I were in your shoes I would spend the entire day writing kittenings and hoping for the opportunity to use them.
A very adorable cat. I find the subtle differences in cats’ faces to be fascinating. Chloe’s eyes seem to be asking for something.
I like her little chin whiskers.
That cat is peering into my soul.
Love the kittening – very apt! (Especially having read the original post…)
Completely off-topic… But it’s Important. A facebook acquaintance has noticed that ~17 year old Wesley Crusher has a startling and unfortunate resemblance to ~17 year old Justin Bieber.
http://media.lunch.com/d/d7/300900.jpg
https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcREKC25u-T_2h1mtXau02jF-9e8GZM4NblPE7ntAGykwrBMs_WJSw
I’m pretty sure that dragon story is bunk. I saw that thing on the news about how there’s a cruise ship full of vomit being towed to Alabama (and I bet their internet isn’t working either) so that totally explains his absence.
I’m picturing Scalzi and Krissy wearing pirate hats, standing on the cruise ship buffet table, defending their dwindling supplies of bacon and pie from the ravening hordes of angry cruise-ship passengers with churrascaria swords. HAVE AT YOU!
@Mike:
That is Ozy’s standard declaration (sans the human part) right before he tries to claw my dog’s eyes out. Ozy is very jealous of my affections and won’t countenance my speaking to or petting any other creature in the house except himself. Funnily enough, but unrelated to this, my dog’s name is Sirius Black. We keep him away from curtains.
I just stop by here to see if some moron gets kittened. As noted by Tim H, it’s a great way to start the day.
Welcome to the ‘tube Chloe! Glad to have you.
Came here to say I enjoyed the dragon bacon / tub of frosting bit.
I dunno. If a post gets kittened, I think the original poster’s name should stay attached to it. But I’m a cruel, heartless bastard, so there you go.
Lovely cat. If she is a pure breed, what breed is she?
@Greg: The name was as tasteless as the comment and not suitable for consumption.
@LAJ: I have no idea if she’s a pure breed. About nine years ago, and after the recent death of my 19 year old tabby, I was walking into a Walmart, and some kids had her in a box. Riddled with fleas, I scooped her up, said I’d take her and she’s been ours ever since. She rode home, calm as can be, looking out the window and then curling up on my lap to sleep. I knew we’d be fast friends. If I had to guess, I’d say she’s got American Short-hair and Maine Coon qualities. She looks like a wild animal with her markings.
Also this:
https://twitter.com/Kate_Baker/status/280507755763224577
Pics of bacon taped to the dragon or it didn’t happen.
Chloe is a gorgeous cat! She does look like she’s about to stage an intervention. Could Intervention Cat become the next new meme?
Someone.
Got.
Kittened on the cat post.
Awesome.
Needed a cat pic, Thanks!
How can a cat look so indifferent without worrying that she might alienate her human enough to cause a noms famine? This is surely one of the universe’s puzzles.
I pictured Chloe doing the kittening process this time. With a deep sigh.
@huey: “Cruise Ship Full of Vomit” is probably someone’s new band name. A band I wouldn’t listen to.
@KLB, regarding the Twitter pic — isn’t that the best feeling ever? I’ve had a snuggly purry blob on my lap today too, and the house is full of happy.
@Lurkertype: a friend of mine is in the movie business, and he suggested earlier that, if this was a movie, the cruise ship would sink in Mobile harbor just as the last passenger got off.
And he’s right, y’know. That’s what years of hollywood experience will get you.
I think the movie should be called “River of Puke”, though.
I wuv kitties sooooo much. This one time, I dreamt I had a kittie and we played all day underneaf a rainbow of falling marshemeows. I wus sad when I woke up.
You know what else?!? I hearty heart heart princesses, too! Did you know that when Cindarella was first told, the fairy godmother was a cat?!?! I know, right? MAGIC kitties are soo awesum!
[This comment has been kittened – KEB]
@alsohuey — if you want the TRUE Hollywood ending, wouldn’t it have to explode before it sank?
RE: Post 2/15, 1:41 am. Aren’t you just so cute! It’s adorable how you love kitties so much. I’m sure that the kitties love you too! Squeee! (You can take this down, Kate, if it doesn’t fit what you decide to do with the post.)
The nikkor 35mm dx is a fine piece of kit. The only real weaknesses are lack of hard stops and distance scale which make night shooting tricky, but a decent live view and a bright star compensate for that.
Here are a couple of example of what you can get if you have a tripod and a willingness to get cold:
http://www.spectral3d.co.uk/misc/night/tre_cime1.jpg
http://www.spectral3d.co.uk/misc/night/monte_cristallo.jpg
Kate: The name was as tasteless as the comment
Well, there would be that.
I much prefer the second kittening to the original post, having seen that earlier this morning. As a forum admin, I found myself wishing for edit and ban buttons around then..
Thanks for actually making a note when a post has been kittened. I read right past the first one without realizing anything odd was happening.
That was a fine, fine kittening. As a moderator off and on, here and there, I too twitched for a button I don’t have here. But I took a deep breath, said, “Kate will kitten it in the morning” and continued my previous conversation.
I must admit that picturing Cinderella’s fairy godmother as a fairy godkitty caused me to squee just a little bit. I mean, how cute would that be?!
Great poise. Cheekbones to die for.