Smile! It’s Time to Choose your Sitter Photos

When building your cat sitter profile, it’s important to select great pictures to represent yourself and your bond with cats! You don’t want a bad picture to be the reason a cat parent passes you over for a reservation.

Each Meowtel listing features a profile picture and a gallery of kitty photos. When it comes to a profile picture, it’s best to choose a professional headshot. No worries if you don’t have one, though! In the next section, we'll give you step-by-step instructions for snapping a purrfect photo from scratch, making it simple to create a captivating sitter profile.

Capturing the Ideal Shot: A Step-by-Step Guide

Let's dive into how you can capture your profile photo with ease. Follow these simple steps to ensure your photos stand out and appeal to every cat parent:

1. Tidy Up the Scene 🧹

Before you snap that photo, take a moment to look around. Ensure the area is clean and clutter-free. A tidy background not only looks more professional but also ensures that the focus remains on you and your cat. Remember, this is your first impression, so make it count!

2. Shoot at Eye Level 👁️

Position the camera at eye level to capture a straightforward and welcoming photo. Avoid high or low angles that can distort your appearance. Stay centered to ensure you're the focal point of the image.

3. Locate the Light Source 🌞

Good lighting is key to a great photo. Find your light source and position it behind the camera, ensuring it illuminates your face and your cat without causing shadows or glare. Natural light works best, so aim for a spot near a window.

4. Find the Right Zoom 🔍

Getting the framing right is crucial. Too far, and you lose the personal touch; too close, and it might cut off important elements. Find the right zoom level that captures you and your cat, fitting comfortably within the frame without too much empty space around.

5. Get a Cat! 😻

Last but certainly not least, include your kitty in the photo! Holding your cat or having them sit beside you not only shows off your bond but also instantly makes your profile more attractive to cat parents. Remember, the goal is to showcase your love for cats, so let that shine through.

Putting It All Together

With these tips in hand, you're well on your way to creating a sitter profile that not only looks professional but also radiates warmth and genuine love for cats. Remember, your profile photo and gallery are the first steps towards building trust and rapport with potential clients. Make every shot count!

Things to Include

• Your smiling face!
• Your cat(s)
• A pose or backdrop that shows off your purrsonality

Remember, this picture is how cat parents will recognize you at the first Meet and Greet, so it’s important your whole face can be seen and you are recognizable. Make sure the picture isn’t too far away and you’re not wearing a mask or sunglasses. Also, avoid using filters or screenshots, and stay away from group photos and illustrations, too. If you want your kitty to share the spotlight with you, great! But just make sure they aren’t obstructing your face in any way.

Things to Avoid

Yes, we are a little purr-ticular when it comes to the pictures, but for good reason. Photos are one of the top factors for clients when choosing their sitter. Having a friendly-looking, well-groomed, tidy picture will go a long way for your business. Remember, Meowtel reserves the right to remove any pictures that don’t follow our guidelines. If you’re not sure if the picture is right, it’s probably a sign to choose another one. Now, here is a list of things to avoid:

• Blurry or pixelated photos
• Screenshots
• A messy background
• Selfies in a mirror, in the bathroom or in your car
• Photos with text overlay or watermarks
• Photos lying down in bed or sleeping
• Trademarked photos that don’t belong to you
• Pictures with a partner, your kids, or any other group photo
• Pictures more than 10 years old
• Pictures with part of your face cut out
• Pictures where you are not centered
• Pictures that are too dark or too light, or with any shadow on your face
• Pictures with any animal that is not a cat
• Pictures with someone cropped out (we can usually still see them!)
• Pictures in a bikini, underwear, or other inappropriate clothing

The Gallery Photos

For your gallery, feel free to get a little creative. These must be cat-centric photos (no dogs or other animals) and they can feature your furry friends solo or with you, outside on a leash, lounging in the sun, playing with their friends, or whatever best represents you and your kitty. A square photo is best for this, so the dimensions should be 1:1 (e.g. 1080 x 1080 px). If you post a vertical photo or landscape photo, it’s likely the image will be awkwardly cropped, and if it’s too small it will get pixelated and blurry when enlarged to fit the frame.

Say Cheese!

Given the state of technology, the tools to make great photos are more accessible than ever. Whatever camera you’re using, from a smartphone to high-end DSLR, the basic techniques to get the most out of your photos are the same. The most important thing to consider is the light! Bright, well-exposed images work best for your profile and gallery photos. 

Outside of setting up studio lights, the best way to get those kinds of images is to take the photos in a well-lit place, like outside on a sunny day or near a window indoors. It is also important to think about the placement of the subject in relation to the main source of light. A good rule to follow is that you want the light to be behind the camera aiming toward the subject. That way the subject is the most brightly lit part of the image and stands out from the background. If the light is behind the subject pointing at the camera, you get a dark, underexposed subject with a bright, overexposed background. So, for example, if you’re taking a selfie with your phone to use as a profile photo, face towards the sun and hold your camera out in front of you, aiming back with the sun behind it. Give a big smile and CLICK! - purrfect profile photo!

Photos by Axel B. and Matt C.