German photography magazine Fotomagazin
features Squeaky in article on cat cams

The monthly magazine, which covers the world of imaging and has a circulation of 87,000, published a 4-page feature on the cat photography phenomenon in their "trends" section of the September 2007 issue. Thanks to Anja Martin for including Squeaky in her story.

view PDF of layout (German)

The article was translated into English by friend Christian Bogisch:

Animal adventures with the CatCam
by Anja Martin

(introduction)
Can cats take photographs? Sure! Ask Mr. Lee, the Eggleston among the furry animals and superstar of the new CatCam-photography

(body)
As a purring indoor tiger the cat belongs to the family. You know her favourite places and meals, you can predict her flight from the vacuum cleaner as well as her hunt for the plate with the meat balls. But it's a mystery to us what the pussy does, when she starts to tour. Does she meet other cats? Maybe a tete-a-tete with the her or his sweetheart? A binge with the buddies? Cats might be curious, but the by far most curious species is man and in so far as a researcher's mind is concerned he doesn't take second place to the "velvet paws".

Juergen Perthold works as a developing engineer and wants to know it alone from his profession. In his free time he rebuilt a mini-cam to a CatCam which now his tomcat Mr. Lee strolls around with. Every minute the camera takes a picture from the cat's point of view—sometimes impressively framed by chin and whiskers. That's how illustrated tour-diaries are created in Petzold's recent adopted country of South Carolina telling stories of the outdoor-adventures of that Confederate cat. A world of bushes, trees, fences, canals, backyards and garages is revealed. There are alluring birdhouses and scary snakes which sometimes emerge as hose-pipes. Friendly companions appear just like antagonists. The scene likes to meet beneath cars and exercises sit-ins in garages. "He brings between 500 and 1000 pictures per tour" Perthold says. "Obviously many are faded, because the cat moves and the light situation is bad. About 20 percent are usable." It's still up to the owner's fantasy—a little like reading a comic strip in which the artist hasn't drawn the most important, but just any situations.

The trigger is operated by a micro-controller that Perthold has soldered on the camera's blank. A finger exercise for the electro engineer. It was by far more difficult to find a fitting camera at all. It should be small, light, cheap and suitable at the same time. Small and light so that the little darling wouldn't suffer. Cheap to make it no big katzenjammer in case the equipment gets lost. Perthold was lucky and found a key ring camera in a US supermarket [Wal-Mart]: A little more than one ounce, as small as a credit card for 20 dollars. What was left as an essential developmental problem was to protect the camera against the cat. The CatCam must buffer hits on impracticable grounds, it must take it to be dragged over concrete and sometimes to be dipped into puddles and ponds. A small plastic case glued together with hot-melt adhesive now serves as a outdoor housing.

Three days after Mr. Lee's adventures could be watched on the Internet Juergen Perthold already recorded 300,000 clicks to his website. "I've more or less toppled down backwards. Nights have been pretty short since then." He received lots of requests from cat lovers, the media and companies, even from pet requirement chains. The photographer offspring can now present its pictures of the "Catwalk" at a gallery on Mr. Lee's homepage. For example Brit-cat Jacquie, a 100% investigative journalist, has shot her owner with the bathroom-door standing wide open and made it public that garbage bags are piled up behind the house. If enough snapshots were collected, an illustrated book could be the result—the first publishing companies have already shown interest.

Meanwhile the pictures have already learned to walk in Los Angeles. The Talk of Town there is Squeaky who shot his debut with a Nanny-Cam like Americans call these little spy-cams. Its pictures are transferred live to a recorder. But the transmitting power only reaches to the property line. So Squeaky's documented adventures are limited to the house and garden right now.

Things are pretty much the same in Bielefeld. For about three months Stefan Bieletzke can watch it live on TV how his "Katzy" looks at the world, as long as she's near the house. The Micro-Cam (Visortech) on her necklace is only one inch small. " I had never archived any of the recordings. Just when I read about Mr. Lee and Squeaky, I thought I could have done that earlier before." Indeed more and more cats are making great progress in becoming artists. On the Internet portal YouTube there's a clip styled like a silent-film with piano soundtrack and interlaced with flashes of statements like "Lasagna?" or "It is dark and cold outside."

But back to LA where Squeaky and his directors Julie and Sean are in the starting blocks for a new film that shall leave the documentary genre behind and shall dare to enter the world of staging. Instead of authentic prey like mice Squeaky will then meet a giant of the kids' room, the dinosaur and toy robot "Pleo." No matter how the career goes on, one thing is clear for Squeaky: The place behind the camera is definitely the better one. Otherwise you end up just as a purring extra on Blofeld's knees.

(box on page 19)
Pioneer and superstar: Mr. Lee:
"Originally my owner wanted to call me Miss Lisa. Fortunately the vet recognized the little difference. Never mind! Anyway my owner made me pretty famous with this camera and I receive mail from all over the world. By all means I'm known all over the place in my neighborhood."

(box on top of page 20)
Jacquie: The British "eco-activist"
"Did I hear anything of painting it all black and white? Shut up! Never judge the inside by the outside, you know it! Anyway you should already remember my name. Working on some good stories. It's hair-raising what goes on remote from the famous English lawns. Watch that garbage bag (first picture, second row!) Investigative work means to me that I follow my owner to the bathroom from time to time (second picture, first row left)."

(box at bottom of page 20)
Squeaky: Purrfect pictures made in Hollywood "Guess I have some of a great career waiting for me. You don't just live in LA for any special reason—more red carpets than green meadows. Anyway my entry in the Internet Movie Database is already very extensive. Oh yes: "Dogma 95" that was yesterday. Now it is "Catma 07" with a nice wiggly neck-camera instead of a hand-camera."

About Fotomagazin:
Launched in 1949, FotoMagazin is one of Germany’s most important photo magazines. Its content covers the whole world of imaging; modern, contemporary photography, as well as practical and technical advice, along with features, reports, tests, interviews, book reviews, readers’ gallery, contests, question- and-answer features, portfolios and industry dates. It’s aimed at both amateur and professional photographers, as well as designers and art directors.

http://www.eisa-awards.eu/2007/node/11