When the model only gives you five seconds, there is no time to waste!
Cherry is back!
After I bribed her with a perfect spot in the sun in the conservatory and her favourite kitty treat, she granted me all of five seconds. I grabbed the camera, the one and only feather toy that actually catches her attention, and started clicking – single-handed because I had to hold the feathers in the other. Thank goodness for a background in photojournalism and the five-second rule I was trained to adhere to. Well, back then it was intended for crisis situations and to be quick on your feet. But it applies to grumpy cats just as well. Sigh. My goal is to convince her to do 10 seconds but that would be pushing it.
Some of you will ask where was Granny Lolita in all this? Snoring away in her cubby, completely oblivious to us, the sun and the camera. She actually has the makings of a much better model, but whereas Cherry is restless and impatient, with Lolita you have to be fast or else she will fall asleep again.
We often have to make split decisions as managers, parents, friends, families, writers, or photographers, that will ultimately affect the final outcome, and not all of it is in your power to control. The folly of youth is to panic and turn to someone more seasoned to handle the crisis or navigate the turbulence. Pets and children are wonderful teachers for such moments and it is easy to carry the experience over into the workplace (yes, there is an infinite number of people who will claim that they work with a bunch of childish brats rather than full-grown educated adults that they claim to be).
Experience is a good teacher and over the years (decades) we learn to handle a crisis with a bit the finesse, elegance and detachment of a cat. Well, try to…
FrogDiva Thoughts 