Hello again, dear Hive photography community!
I’m excited to share my latest entry for both the #Qurator's Photo Quest – Babies and the #photofeed - Portrait competition. This one is especially close to my heart because it features the newest, tiniest additions to our family—our rescued cat’s four adorable kittens.
Original photo
Cubist-style
Pastel style
Like many of you, I’ve seen countless heart-melting family portraits of baby animals floating around social media. You know the ones: perfectly posed, dreamy lighting, and kittens cuddled up as if they’ve been professionally trained. So, when our sweet rescue cat gave birth to four healthy and beautiful babies, I thought to myself, "Piece of cake! I’ll be filling up my feed with cute family portraits in no time." Oh, how wrong I was.
Sleep
Play
Repeat
As it turns out, photographing a lively litter of kittens is not for the faint of heart. For starters, kittens grow quickly and have two primary modes: sleep and chaos. When they’re not curled up in a nap pile, they're zooming around like tiny fur-covered tornadoes—chasing tails, chewing everything, climbing anything, and wrestling each other like they’re in a mini martial arts tournament.
Play
Sleep
Then play some more
Every attempt at a “family portrait” ended with blurry tails, toppled props, or a kitten launching itself off the set mid-shot. It became a lesson in patience and timing. I quickly realized that the only real chance I had was right after feeding time. Their incredible mother, attentive and loving, would nurse them and lull them into a post-meal calm that lasted just long enough for a brief window of opportunity.
So, one day, after they’d been fed and seemed somewhat settled, I gently placed them together on the sofa—my makeshift photo studio.
For a fleeting moment, they all sat there, looking as innocent as angels. Just as I began to line up the shot, two of them decided it was the perfect moment to start a playful scuffle.
I held my breath, waited for the exact second they paused—and click!—I captured the portrait I had been dreaming of.
A moment later, they were off again, tumbling, pouncing, and causing kitten mayhem.
But that one image—four tiny faces, bright eyes, soft fur, and just a hint of mischief—was worth every bit of effort. It’s a snapshot of their early days, of the joyful chaos they brought into our lives, and of the quiet magic that exists between all the playful moments.
I hope this family portrait brings a smile to your face as it does to mine. Thank you so much for stopping by, for supporting my work, and for sharing your own beautiful moments here in this incredible community.
Wishing you all a wonderful day!
All the photos were taken by myself with Samsung N20 ultra