“Patience Is What You Need to Take Cat Pictures”

“Patience And Fortitude”; Count Basie and his Orchestra; Jimmy Rushing; Warren; Moore, Jr.; 1946

“Patience And Fortitude”; BENNY CARTER and his ORCHESTRA; Benny Carter and Bixie Harris; Warren & Moore; Walter Fuller; 1946

PM, July 13, 1941, pp. 48-49 (photos by Thurman Rotan, Torkel Korling, Ruth Bernhard, and R.L. Doty, etc.)

PATIENCE Is What You Need to Take Cat Pictures

by Ralph Steiner

Cats are like children in that most people like them. Many people photograph them. They both are easy to photograph: they aren’t camera shy, and they assume an infinity of expressions and positions. There should be a wealth of good pictures of cats and children, yet there isn’t. It has taken a long time and a lot of searching to assemble the few good cat pictures you see here.

To make good photographs of cats the photographer does not have to be a great mind, a deep thinker, or a super-sensitive artist. He just has to be patient enough to wait until his subject is most expressive of some cat quality that appeals to him. Cats can be wise, foolish, elegant, awkward, playful, serious, tame, wild, social, independent, active and passive. They can react like humans to a situation, and some of their expressions can resemble ours.

Cat photographers should use their own observation to add to this catalog of cat facets. They should then use it as a guide to more interesting and more cat-like pictures.

PM Weekly, July 13, 1941, pp. 48-49 (photos by Thurman Rotan, Torkel Korling, Ruth Bernhard, and R.L. Doty, etc.)

“Patience and Fortitude”; Andrews Sisters; Vic Schoen and His Orchestra; Billy Moore, Jr.; Blackie Warren; 1945

PM, July 13, 1941, pp. 48-49 (photos by Thurman Rotan, Torkel Korling, Ruth Bernhard, and R.L. Doty, etc.)

Entirely irrelevant, a few songs released today, July 13, 1942:

“Swing Out To Victory”; “Fats” Waller and his Rhythm; Ed Kirkeby; Thos. “Fats” Waller; “Fats” Waller; July 13, 1942.

“Up Jumped You with Love”; “Fats” Waller and his Rhythm; “Fats” Waller; Ed Kirkeby; Thos. “Fats” Waller; July 13, 1942.