A Place Beside

About this piece

A tabby cat turns toward the camera beside a pair of weathered hiking boots, its striped coat echoing their textured surfaces. Grass and tiny purple flowers soften the stone paving, while the cat’s bright green eyes hold the composition’s focus.

The story

I noticed the boots first, their creases and dusty seams sitting among the small flowers. Then the cat turned its head, and everything else became a frame for that look. I kept the camera low, leaving the grass and worn stone in view. What held me was the contrast: objects made for walking, and an animal entirely content to stay beside them. For a moment, there was nowhere else the picture needed to go.