An animal obsessed photographer is looking to eliminate the stereotype of the 'crazy cat lady' by taking portraits of his male friends and their felines - proving that the agile pets are also man's best friend.
David Williams, who lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his own cat, has been photographing his male subjects and their felines since 2009 as part of his project Men & Cats.
"I found the way society genderizes animal ownership very compelling, as a portrait photographer I was interested in capturing the relationships of my male friends and their feline friends."
"It was also a good excuse to hang out with a bunch of cats", said Williams.
Williams explained that the subjects of his ongoing project are either his friends, or friends of friends.
Each thought-provoking portrait in the series features a man posing with one or more of his cats.
Although many of the shots were captured inside homes or apartments, there are images that show some men walking their cats on a leash or cuddling their feline companions outside.
"People have always responded well to the images and the idea," said Williams.
"Sometimes shooting personal work takes a very long time to pay off, so it’s also important to photograph something that you are interested in."
"I had the pleasure of photographing cinematographer, Ronen Schechner, with his cat Isabell while I was in Vermont. I never thought this project would take off like this, so thanks for all the love. Hope you enjoy this new "Men & Cats" photo, he captioned the picture.
The unique series is more than just a hobby, it's a way for Williams to showcase his work.
"I feel like shooting personal work is very important for a photographer, it gives me an opportunity to show photo editors, and art buyers what I am capable of doing when I have complete creative control. If I’m not shooting commissioned work, I am either shooting something personal, or working on ways for me to stand out as a photographer”, he said.
Man's best friend: Grant and his cat Tux posed on a green couch next to a portrait of another feline as a part of photographer David Williams's photo project Men & Cats.
Short leash: Williams, who lives in Brooklyn, New York, captured Brian while he took his cat R2-D2 on a daytime stroll through the city.
Model felines:Williams photographed Eric and his cats Pup and Bean for this bedroom portrait.
Strike a pose: Earlier this week, Williams shot this portrait of cinematographer Ronen Schechner and his cat Isabell.
Into the wild: Brent cuddled with his feline companion Sammy for this unique outdoors shot.
Soft coats: Williams photographed Ross standing on his fluffy rug while holding his equally furry cat Jabsco.
Rock star kitty: Michael had his portrait shot in a room filled with guitars and records while his cat Sadie sat perched on his lap.
Modern art: Matt showed off his tan and white cat Trixie along with his tattooed arm.
Eclectic decor: Williams captured Josh relaxing with his cat Lucero inside his apartment.
Christmas kitties: Kent and his cats, Jessie and Micky sit next to holiday decorations in his home featuring leather couches and a leopard print rug.
Minimalist design: Williams captured Corey's cat Tess, as she sat narrowly perched on the corner of a side table.
Furry chef: Chad's cat Newton was comfortably sprawled on the kitchen counter in this feline friendly photo shoot.
Unique scarf: Matt let his cat Pam curl around his neck as he posed in front of his kitchen.
Black cat: Bird grinned from ear-to-ear as he and his feline Gertrude sat on his patio furniture.
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