The Hypnotist

This is Spot. He’s one of the multitude of feral kittens we rescued several years ago when their mother decided to give birth in our outdoor shed.

Spot climbed into this chair in my studio for a nap last year and I very stealthily went around turning on lights to get his portrait. I managed about two shots before he decided he wasn’t interested in posing for me. I loved the intensity of his expression and the title came quickly - The Hypnotist. “Look deep into my eyes…” I can just hear him saying.

Editing-wise, there wasn’t much extreme work done. Some color grading, cropping, and tonal contrast adjustments. A bit of warping to straighten out the chair, some vignetting. I wanted to draw attention to the soft texture of his fur and bring the viewer directly into his eyes.

This is my favorite type of portrait. Simple but evocative with beautiful color harmony.