A Cat Among the Pigeons Photograph

The photograph was taken in early 1987, early morning and in the Highfields area of Leicester. The pre-dawn visit (around 4.30 am) was timed to catch the rising sun’s reflections in the glass panel skylights in the distant factory buildings. Unsurprising the streets were deserted and after a prolonged and chilly wait, the light was right, the early reflections captured and the kit waiting to be packed away. With camera still in hand, I heard a sudden clatter and turning to look up, I saw a horde of startled pigeons flying at me. I aimed the camera vaguely upwards, pressed the shutter caught this fluke of a shot, slightly tilted but later corrected in the enlarger. Interestingly, at the point of shooting, I hadn’t even seen the cat and never did until I processed the film!

Being a chancer, I waited and lobbed a lens case into the trees in the hope I might get another more studied action shot. However when later comparing the negatives, it became clear that the absent cat took away much of the shot’s appeal.

Location: Highfields, Leicester

Date: Around February 1987

For the more technically inclined:

Image Info.

Camera: An old Pentax SP1 – Spotmatic 35mm SLR camera (50mm lens) and film was Ilford FP4. 125 ASA

Print Size:

The image was scanned and then printed digitally on A3* (297mm x 420mm) paper, with a 1cm white border, signed by the photographer and showing the relevant Edition number.

*This image is also available as an unframed A4 print (210mm x 297mm). Please contact me for more details.

Edition Info.

This image is one of a limited edition of 150

Purchase info.

This print is sold unframed and mailed to your address in a sturdy, sealed cardboard tube.

*Paper size:

420mm x 297 mm (A3)

Paper Manufacturer:

The image is printed on Fotospeed MATTULTRA240 (240gsm) Matt paper.

This heavyweight paper is certified by Artsure, of the Fine Art Trade Guild to be light fast when printed using pigment inks.

(https://www.fineart.co.uk/artsure-for-the-trade.aspx)

Printer:

Printing was carried out on an Epson Surecolor P600 inkjet printer which carries nine cartridges. These include four Blacks / Greys to ensure fine reproduction of Black and White images.

Ink: The ink used is Epson’s own Epson UltraChrome™ pigment ink