December 29, 2021
I had the sudden impulse to photograph Juneau as he lounged on Kara's hanging crochet basket. Juneau is perhaps the most conventionally photogenic cat I've ever encountered. Apart from that though, I haven't shared enough time with him to confidently speak on his personality, although I get the impression from Ted that he's a bit of a rascal and that he maintains some level of awareness about his good looks.
Everyone is first naturally drawn to his marble blue eyes and then to his smokey fur which contrasts beautifully with the former. The surface of his face is streaked with dark lines, and his overall facial structure denotes a lineage of feline ancestors from the early ages of the earth. Inevitably, there's a bit of insecurity on Ted and Kara's part that his looks overshadow his siblings', particularly Nellie who is the more traditional cat in appearance. Of course, that insecurity almost inverts the dynamic, and one might become more invested in interacting with Nellie, thinking her to be neglected in the shadow of her brother. Unfortunately, this can feel like an obligation more than a genuine interest, especially after swooning over Juneau. Winston is notably left out entirely from this back-and-forth because of his seniority and his very distinctive attitude resulting from a long life, something that Juneau and Nellie are still growing into. In addition, Winston has already received years of exclusive attention even when he lived with Ellie, being much more well-mannered than his sister.
Of course, Nellie herself is no less sophisticated or beautiful. Her fur is warm and rustic like fine wood and her eyes bear hints of green. She is very much of the earth and in a way more comforting than Juneau whom I would describe as urban and chique. As is with Juneau though, my time with Nellie has been limited so I can't speak of her on anything more than a surface level observation.
You will notice that Juneau represents the majority of the album and Nellie only a small portion. In that particular moment, I was enamored with Juneau as he was lit against the window, but he was very aloof as all cats are. This aloofness works to perpetuate him as a vogue cat. I spent several minutes in vain trying to position his basket so the light would properly highlight his face, only slightly though so as not to disturb his nap. Nellie on the other hand, sat patiently in her cat bowl, and curiously watched me as I photographed her. She occupied a darker corner of the house, which dissuaded me from incessantly shooting her. They were both very cooperative cats. They were both also napping in the moody winter afternoon, and therefore less inclined to decline or even care.
