I've meant to publish another stocker interview for this series for quite a while, and the time has finally arrived! This purpose of these articles is to help artists get to know the stock photographers behind the stock that you use in your art.

I was fortunate enough to get an interview with Pierre from =Cat-in-the-Stock this time!



Pierre has been providing stock photos at deviantART since November of 2006. As one can tell from even the slightest glimpse of his gallery, this stocker is producing his work in the gorgeous backdrop of France.

This French student of American Literature has published stock-related news articles that enourage readers to get inspired by illustrating famous books, such as Paradise Lost by John Milton and Edgar Allan Poe's The Oval Portait. He is an active member of the deviantART community in stock-related forums and chat rooms. He also contributes to the art community with his own artworks at *Cat-in-the-mist.

When I asked Pierre for this interview, he replied with a friendly and personable attitude. His appreciation for the art that is created with his stock was another really fun and endearing thing about this stocker. Read on to learn more about the Cat in the Stock...

1. I Usually start out with this question: What got you interested in offering stock to begin with?

=Cat-in-the-Stock: I have always loved to take pictures, even more so since I got a digital camera. When I started manipping other person’s stock pictures I realised that I had huge amounts of unused pics on my computer which would be nice stock. I opened the account, got a few stock used and decided that it was a viable project, and I kept on shooting

2. Your art gallery at *Cat-in-the-mist shows that you produce photo manipulation, photography, fractal art, and lit. Which of these do you most enjoy creating?

=Cat-in-the-Stock: I think I enjoy all of these equally. I do less literature because I am not yet really confident in my writing and imaginative style. As for photography, it mostly happens unexpected: I have my camera, I see something and think « It could be a cool photograph » and shoot it. Photomanip and fractal are my current focus. Photomanip is a long but rewarding process when I manage to create something I like and that is meaningful to me. Fractals are much less easy to tame. I usually start by playing around, then something comes up, and I refine it to my liking.

3. In what ways has your own personal artwork inspired and influenced your stock?

=Cat-in-the-Stock: I think the stock follows the art. When I started manipping, I mainly used the « usual » stuff: gothic monuments and cemetary, so this is what I started shooting for stock. When I started incorporating smaller objects in my manips, I took stock pics of objects that seemed to me insignificant before. Lately, I have learnt to use textures in my manip, and you can notice an increasing number of textures in my stock gallery. And of course I would never have been able to provide fractal resources if I had not started fractals on my art account.

4. What are some examples of *Cat-in-the-mist photo manipulation that were created with stock that you produced specifically for your own work?

=Cat-in-the-Stock: I do not really have any I did shoot a few things to use in my own work, but then I found something better on dA, and ended up not using the pic I took neither uploading it.

5. You are from France. What are some of your favorite things to photograph in the land of romance?

=Cat-in-the-Stock: The Land of Romance Well, unfortunately, I live in a newly built area with very few interresting buildings and/or old places left, but I am not too far from Paris. I like that typically Parisian atmosphere you can find in some place such as:


I find it amazing how you can walk in a street and find such amazing things by just peeping between two buildings.


The long history of royalty in France makes it amazing for people who are into castle and chateaux. We have everything from 11th century ruins to 19th century imperial estates. It once was very properly maintained, but today less and less money goes into these buildings, and most of them are sold to private trusts which use them for film making, etc... closing them to visitors.


This city has got to be one of the awesomest sights I have even seen. It is built in three levels on different heights right on a cliff. Plus I took it during a vacation with my best friends, so I guess I am emotionally attached to it

6. When you aren't shooting stock, what do you do with your spare time away from deviantART?

=Cat-in-the-Stock: « Time away from dA » is something I don’t have much! Otherwise I have a pretty normal life: I read an awful lot, watch a good deal of TV series, and study for my master’s degree in American Literature. Other than that, I started taking drama classes at the beginning of the year which provides me with a great deal of amusement And I am a netfreak. If not on dA, you can find me on MySpace, Facebook, LastFM, many french-speaking forums and web communities... And I cook a lot (and then make people eat the thing I made )!

7. What are some of your favorite things to do with your time at dA; what are you usually up to while logged in?

=Cat-in-the-Stock: I am really methodical. I log on to the stock account, check the DDs, then my notes if I have any, then the comments, favs and journals to answer to them if it is needed, then the deviations in my watchbox. And then I join the chatrooms, #ARSTOCK and #Resources. Then I check the stock forum and news. After all this is done, I log out and check my art account and come back to the stock since it is the place where I get more comments to answer. Did I mention browsing an awful lot?

8. Most stockers have policies and rules to govern the use of their stock images. With regard to using your stock photos, what rules are important to you?

=Cat-in-the-Stock: I think the credit/notify/link rule is the holy trinity for most stockers. There is work involved in making stock, and these three rules are only a fair way to get our work recognized.

The « no pornographic/hate work » is a way to make certain that my work and name are not associated with anything I would not want to. I do not hate any category of person, and I would not want people to think so because my stock has been used in a belittling way.

And finally the « no official dA contest » one. Many stockers have added this rule when they realised that some contests were only open for instance to citizens of North America. I joined the bandwagon: equal chances to everyone !

Other than that, I am pretty lenient: on site/off site use, prints, mugs, t-shirts, underwears printed with works using my stock are all fine to me

9. It happens from time to time; people don't always read or follow stockers' rules. How do you feel when you encounter your stock used without reagrd to your policies, and how do you handle it?

=Cat-in-the-Stock: I think I found that only 3 times in more than a year. Two of them were manips in which I was credited but I had not been noted. I told the artists they forgot to tell me and that was it. The third one was a collage with photographies from France. The credits were there too, but it was uploaded in the « photography » section, and other works used in the collage were photographies, not stock. I had it removed by the artist.

10. You have a special folder in your Favorites: "Works using my stock." How does it make you feel that so many people find your stock so useful?

=Cat-in-the-Stock: I just love it . This was the very reason I started stock, and I am still as pleased when I see a work that uses my stock that I was a year ago.

11. What are some examples of artworks that other people have made with your stock which inspired emotion in you?

=Cat-in-the-Stock:

by *cades2k4
This was one of the first stock uses I got for my model stock. It creeps me out, but at the same time, I cannot take my eyes off it. It is distrubing and yet fascinating.

by ~Aphariel
Another piece of dark art I loved right away. The composition and the apparent decay of this piece appeared to me as a powerful vector of pessimism, almost like a warning against self destruction.

by *D-e-v-i
This piece just spoke to me because, as many people do I presume, I tend to hide an awful lot of things within me. I do not talk much, and keep everything to myself, no matter if they are sad or happy.

by =shutupandwhisper
When I saw that painting made from my stock I just said « I want to be there ». And believe, for someone as attached to city life as I am, this is no little achievement!

by *Mollinda
This just makes me happy. I cannot explain why

12. As an artist that uses stock, what do you want in the stock you use?

=Cat-in-the-Stock: I had different criterions depending on the type of stock I need.


(Respectively by ~Reconstruction-Stock and =lindowyn-stock)
Both examples of nice fullbody shots, with a clear and easily removable background. Apart from the costume, one of the most interresting points about those is the motion they suggest: in both cases, you do not feel like the models are just standing motionless.


(Respectively by *Ahrum-Stock and *petronieska-stock)
Two very nice portraits, with well thought of costumes and props, with a good view of the upper body, so you can use it all or just keep the face.


(Respectively by ~Gwathiell and =rml-stock)
Now it comes to « backgrounds » (places, and nature). In both of these shots, you have an interresting perspective and good empty areas to fit whatever you want to fit in (more architectural elements, models...)

13. How much do you feel that using stock in your own artwork helps you to produce the stock in your gallery; how much does it help you better understand what other artists need?

=Cat-in-the-Stock: It's very basic. Sometimes you just try and use a stock pic and think « Oh, it would be cool without this branch in the way » or « The perspective on this one was cool, I need to try it ».

14. Up to the point at which this article was published, which stock photo in your gallery has been used the most?

=Cat-in-the-Stock: I think it is:



Amazing works have been made with it such as:

by *ThornErose
by *Oxana-lee
by *Funerium

15. Did you expect this image would be so useful when you uploaded it to deviantART?

=Cat-in-the-Stock: I knew that classical architectural stock was on high demand, but I really did not expected such a lot of manips. I guess it came when this picture started to get featured by fellow stockers

16. Who are some deviantART stockers that have inspired your stock photography?

=Cat-in-the-Stock: Well, first and foremost, since I am mostly a « background » stocker, I have to mention =CausticStock who is probably the best architectural stocker around, along with *Mehrunnisa-stock which I also admire.

I cannot even begin to name model stockers I admire because there are loads of them! My latest favs are *Deathrockstock who has a wicked gallery full of inventive and disturbing shots. I also have to mention the wonderlicious ^Hanratty-Stock and =lindowyn-stock who, both in different ways, have outstanding galleries: a variety of poses, costumes and characters!

And I’ll finish my tour with the great resourcers `exchanged-stock, `tExTuReMaTtIc and `pendlestock. I’d print their texture for the sole purpose of remaking my bedroom’s wallpaper if ink cartridges were less expensive

17. I love to ask this question to stockers that I encounter; I'm always curious to know... If you could go anywhere, and if money were no object, what place, animal, person, or thing would you most love to photograph for your stock gallery?

=Cat-in-the-Stock: Oh god, there are so many possibilities The Grand Canyon would definitely be one of my first choices. It is a just a breathtaking natural spot. As for architectural, the famous site of Petra in Jordan has always fascinated me, with its building facades carved in desert stone. Finally, I would choose the volcanic landscapes of Iceland because they are so beautifully eerie.

18. Of all your stock photos, which one do you think is the best?

=Cat-in-the-Stock: Oooh, that’s a tough one! I think my best must be one of this pack:


They are really classical, but I was quite pleased of the way I managed to get various perspectives. As my equipment is limited, I was happy to manage such a nice result. Having no tripod, I had to stick my elbows on a small wall which allowed me to have nice pictures. Plus I was able to use the only fancy feature of my camera which is the exposure control. It is a great tool to avoid the grain in high/low light situation. Funny, it never got used... maybe the preview doesn’t do it justice

And a side note to places stockers: go shoot in the morning, you are less likely to encounter visiting tourists

19. Let's say that I am an inexperienced stocker, and I am just starting out at deviantART. What advice do you have for me?

=Cat-in-the-Stock: First one would be to get yourself a nice and simple set of rules, and to try and avoid changing them on the way, it could easily get confusing. And the second and last one would be to get involved: forums, news articles, chatrooms and watching other stockers. This is the best way to get the best advice from more experienced stockers!

20. Thank you very much for your time!! Did I leave anything out; is there anything else you'd like people to know about the man behind =Cat-in-the-Stock?

=Cat-in-the-Stock: Well, what can I add? My favourite food is chocolate, my favourite colour is blue and blahblahblah... Seriously, if people have questions I’d be happy to answer them but I cannot think of anything myself.

_{Previous Stocker Interviews by *FantasyStock}