Kitty Cat Diary | ¿ß«}¤é°O
The Kitty Cat Diary is a photo diary of my adorkable wife, and it's what happens when a photographer marries a woman who doesn't mind having a camera pointed at her during everyday life. Elena (A.K.A. Kitty Cat, because my nicknames for her all revolve around the theme of a cat.) is my favorite subject to photograph--there's just something very theraputic about grabbing a camera and capturing the person you love the most in the world, while combining that with creativity and aesthetic sensibility. This interaction has brought us a lot of joy over the years and captured a lot of precious memories. If you want to get to know Elena better, her bio is the best place to start.
Since these are spur-of-the-moment snapshots, it's best to enjoy them simply as casual fun instead of serious photography (you can find more serious photography in other areas of my site). A wide range of camera were used to shoot these photos--from professional cameras to casual compacts and smartphones. You can find out what photography gear I shoot with in the FAQ section.
2001-2003 -- 2004 -- 2005 -- 2006 -- 2007 -- 2008 -- 2009 -- 2010 -- 2011 -- 2012 -- 2013 -- 2014 -- 2015 -- 2016 -- 2017 -- 2018 -- Latest Update
2001-2003
As you can see, there are far fewer entries in the Kitty Cat Diary from 2001~2003. Back then, I was more concerned about shooting "serious" photography, so I shot very little casual stuff. I was also using the Olympus C3030Z--a consumer camera that didn't have good high ISO performance, fast lens, or other features that's essential for the type of candid/casual shooting I've been doing with the Canon professional DSLR's. This might sound strange because you'd think a consumer point & shoot would be more suitable for casual shooting, but the truth is, the highend pro DSLR bodies are much better for casual shooting. The much faster AF, high ISO performance, faster response..etc makes them far superior tools for candid/casual shooting, where fast response during subject tracking is the biggest challenge and low-light situations are the norm. You can find a lot of photos of her shot during those years in the Olympus C3030Z gallery though.
2003
This photo is from a session I shot that finally made me decide to spend the money on a professional DSLR camera. Night shoots in low-light was simply beyond the capability of a compact digital camera, and I felt so frustrated by all the things it couldn't do.
I didn't take many photos while we lived in Malaysia briefly (I was invited by Steven Stahlberg to join his studio at the time, Android Blues, as a writer/director/art director). I think this was the only photo session I shot. I was getting really fed up with the Olympus C3030Z at the time due to its limitations, and felt I was ready to upgrade to a professional DSLR camera. That disappointing in the C3030Z prevented me from taking more photos while in Malaysia, and in hindsight, I totally regret it. Life's memories are precious, and that was a lesson I learned. Since then, I started to always carry a camera with me and became much more enthusiastic about taking casual photos as a record of precious memories.
Kitty Cat turned 32, and had her photo taken to "document her growth."
2002
A couple of photos from our wedding. You can see the rest of the wedding photos here.
I designed her evening gown for our wedding reception.
Kitty Cat getting her test hair and makeup done a week before our wedding.
Kitty Cat about to go to town on one of my paws (she was just fooling around. We don't have foot fetish).
2001
During the first couple of years together, I tried to shoot photo sessions with themed concepts like "Mystical," "Killing of Thy Beloved," "Blood," etc. I soon realized I enjoyed casual/candid style of shooting a lot more, because it was simply a part of our daily life together, and I liked that natural form of expressiveness more.
Kitty Cat gnawing on one of my paws.
This was on our fifth day together. We had moved in together on the fourth date, and haven't been apart since. I woke up that morning and saw her gazing at me with that radiant smile, so I grabbed my camera and took a bunch of photos. Right from the begining, photographing her had been a part of our relationship. She was so natural in front of the camera (she was a model and actress in her teens and early 20's), and was perfectly happy being my muse.
2001-2003
2001-2003 -- 2004 -- 2005 -- 2006 -- 2007 -- 2008 -- 2009 -- 2010 -- 2011 -- 2012 -- 2013 -- 2014 -- 2015 -- 2016 -- 2017 -- 2018 -- Latest Update