I've considered starting a small business doing in-home pet portraits. This was my first attempt with my own little darling. The set-up is simply some black cloth and a hooded light aimed at a down angle to the cat. I used a slow shutter speed but I didn't have a tripod at the time. I do now, so I could probably get a much sharper image in the future if I wanted to. I don't know if the body fade-out works FOR me or AGAINST me here. Probably in the future I wouldn't have her tilt her head QUITE so high. However, I'd like to know what other people think about it. PS-converted upped contrast and sharpened. Please feel free to critique fully...from position of the animal to lighting...anything.
This is a beautiful portrait. After studying it and reading all the comments, yours included, There's not mich I would change about it. The lighting is very dramatic, the fade out is great and I think adds to the impact. I blocked out different crop possibilities but don't think any added to the dynamics of it, I like the dark negative space in it's entirity. Gorgious cat and great pose, one of my all time favorite cat portraits. i don't even find the sharpness, or lack of it, distracting to any degree. Good luck with you plans, this is a super start.
Having owned 3 cats in my lifetime, I am completely surprised your cat held its position as well as it appears. My cats could have cared less about what I needed them to do.
On to your photo...The thumbnail does not do it justice. I agree that your use of a tripod will improve your future efforts. The jaw appears a bit blurred here. But the position of the subject, the tilt of the head, the fade to the back, and the catchlights are, I think, top notch. Have you considered a crop variation? I'm not sure what way to go with it, the negative space you have now is very dramatic; but it could lend a different look to the end product.
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