Without Ellie, this would be a nice still-life composition with the two wine glasses in the front and the two planters in the back forming a gentle curve. But, interrupted in the middle by a yowling cat in warm afternoon light, it takes on life and action.

I know Ellie well enough to know I had only a moment before she jumped down to get up close with her caretaker, and one of the reasons I love this shot, aside from the composition, the warmth, and the yowl, is that I got my cell phone out fast enough to get a shot this good.

(When Ellie’s mouth is closed, that black spot looks like a fang; just a little piece of it peeks out. She is endlessly cute.)

April 21, 2025. OnePlus 12 cell phone, 6.06mm focal length (35mm equivalent: 47mm), f/1.6, 1/175, ISO 50.