Helmi Sigrid Kivisto Flick

Having spent all of her working life until recently in administrative office positions in computers, medicine and law, Helmi Flick came to her new career by the route most people only dream of: by turning something she loved to do -- photographing cats -- into a new profession.

After years of photographing her own cats and those of friends as a hobby, Helmi was encouraged by a good friend, to take her talent to the show hall and try her hand as a cat show photographer. And, on her friend’s recommendation, Helmi got her first assignment from the Thunderkatz Cat Club as the show photographer for their May, 2000 T.I.C.A. show in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S.A. On the basis of her work at that show, the Thunderkatz club asked Helmi to be their "Official Show Photographer in Perpetuity." An auspicious debut for a "newbie," but only the beginning of a reputation for extraordinary work that continues to grow with every customer and every show. By March of 2001, Helmi had managed to secure the Show Photographer assignment at 12 shows. And with each new show, her cat portraits win the admiration of new customers.

While Helmi is still trying to figure out how to make her new career produce a reasonable income, she says, "Aside from the shaky economics of it, this is a dream job. I love the cats and the people, plus the challenge of getting good shots at the show."

Helmi shoots with a digital camera and wouldn’t have it any other way. "Shooting digital images has been a lifesaver for me because cats are not the most cooperative subjects and there are always more throwaway shots than good ones. And because I’m not wasting film, I can afford to shoot far more images of a customer’s cat to get more keepers. Additionally, the "instant" nature of digital photography, enables my customers to immediately review the shots I’ve taken and select the ones they like best to be printed. This review process is a tremendous tool for someone like me who is still learning this craft, since I’m able to discover the kinds of shots that owners of different breeds prefer. I guarantee that my customers will be satisfied with their photos and the digital approach is a great asset there, too, because if a customer does not see photos he/she likes in our post-shoot review, I can reshoot their cat on the spot."

But getting good shots at the show is only the beginning of delivering great images to her customers. Again, because Helmi shoots digital images, she has the capability to color correct, crop, retouch and otherwise enhance every photo on her computer back home. "I can’t ignore that capability because I want every shot to be the best image it can be, so I end up spending far more time at my PC screen than behind the camera. All this "pixel pushing" is extremely labor-intensive and not very cost-effective, but the end results are so rewarding to me.

"Additionally, when I do the graphic design work on business cards, posters and CD-ROM covers, I get an opportunity to draw upon my schooling in commercial art and I enjoy that immensely. In fact, some of the most delightful aspects of this business are, unfortunately, the least profitable. I guess that means I’m doomed to be the "starving artist" type." But financial rewards aside, I get a huge fulfillment out of being able to please my customers, many of whom have become dear friends."

Helmi lives in Bedford, Texas, a Dallas/Fort Worth suburb, with her husband, Ken, a free lance writer who also does the lighting and cat wrangling for her, plus Nox and Sky, two mellow British Shorthairs, and Bwana Bushwah, an F1 Chausie, pictured with her above.

Catz Incorporated thanks Helmi for her tremendous contribution to our promotional efforts and congratulates her on being named as our first Honorary member. Helmi's membership number is #100.