The UK-based photographer had to act quickly to capture his mini-moggy’s perfect pose – but is it enough to make Pearly Whiskers famous?
John Angerson was working late one night when the family kitten hopped on to his desk. “She was only about three or four months old; I think we got her a little bit early,” he says. “This was the first time she’d made her way into my office. As she sat in my in-tray, I reached for my phone to take a quick photo – the yawn was just good luck.”
Angerson’s daughter Daisy, who was four at the time, named the tabby Pearly Whiskers. Angerson admits that she hasn’t grown into the most affectionate of cats. “She usually only appears at breakfast and tea – she’s very independent. She still wanders into the office sometimes, but usually just to nibble on my wires until I give her food,” he says. “She does like to hang out in Daisy’s bedroom, though. When I told her about this, she asked: ‘Is Pearly Whiskers going to be famous?’”
The family recently got a second pet, a cavalier King Charles spaniel called Piper. The cat has no interest. “Piper wants to be her friend, but she just ignores her,” Angerson says.
In his capacity as a professional photographer, Angerson doesn’t use his iPhone much, instead preferring his secondhand Leica M240 rangefinder. “I probably would have been a bit more considered had I been using my Leica. Perhaps I’d have pulled back about 20cm to get more of the paperwork and desk in the frame, and made her a bit more central. This was more of a grab than a considered shot. But sometimes the best photos are the most responsive ones – a gut reaction to something in front of you.”
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