I recently had the pleasure of photographing a very special rescue cat in her new home in La Jolla. Lyra has had a rough start at life, unfortunately – but I know it’s only going to get better from here on out! She was found in a bush (of all places?!) in Long Beach, but thankfully, she was rescued by her mom Lauren who is taking truly great care of her. Before Lyra, Lauren had a cat named Cassie, a once-in-a-lifetime cat who sadly passed away before we were able to have her photo session. So Lauren knew that when she was ready to welcome another cat into her heart, it would be important to document their life with beautiful images. Lauren told me that if there’s one thing she learned from Cassie, it’s that time is no guarantee. I couldn’t agree more and admire her for opening up her home to show Lyra what love is.

As you can see, Lyra is a gorgeous kitten with the most striking blue eyes! She did have some unexpected medical issues arise a few days before the photo session, so when I visited their home it took a while to convince her that I wasn’t another veterinarian – but we were able to create some lovely images without causing any additional undue stress. At first, she was content with hiding behind the bookshelf and probably preferred a nap instead of having her photo taken. We were able to coax her out with LOTS of goodies and she eventually warmed up to the idea of taking a few photos. The fact that she took her time was no surprise because – come on – we all know that cats will do whatever they want do to! :)

During our time together we got to hang out, relax and keep the session at Lyra’s speed. Her favorite part was playing with the laser pointer, I know that for sure. When I say she loved it, I mean she LOVED it! (And I loved seeing her prey instinct come out – she reminded me of a little lion!) We had to put it away after a few minutes of playing and she was definitely disappointed. Sorry Lyra – doctor’s orders! :) This session is a great example of how working witb a small space and non-ideal timing still doesn’t prevent us for getting amazing portraits! So without further ado, I can’t wait to share Lyra’s images with you!

This was how the photo session started, haha – for a rescue cat to go through a weekend full of invasive vet visits, she preferred to keep her distance from me at first!

But eventually she relaxed – what a gorgeous kitty.

I don’t usually share black & white portraits on a sneak peek, but oh my goodness if she isn’t the most majestic little lady!!

Lauren, thank you for inviting me to capture some beautiful images of your new baby. You two are lucky to have each other and I can’t wait to see you again soon!