The story behind Cameron the Capitol Cat: A Portrait in Light, Stone, and Fur began with a single photograph at the Nebraska State Capitol. What followed was an unexpected journey through photography, publishing, and the remarkable connection people feel with one unforgettable Capitol cat.
When I first photographed Cameron, I had no idea I was beginning a book.
At the time, I thought I was simply documenting something remarkable—a cat who had quietly become part of the Nebraska State Capitol’s living story. Cameron wasn’t just wandering the grounds. Senators knew him. Staff knew him. Visitors stopped in their tracks when they saw him padding across the limestone steps as if he owned the place.
And in many ways, he did.
I met Cameron on November 19, 2024. Like many people who encounter him for the first time, I immediately realized there was something unusual about him. Not just that he was friendly, but that he carried himself with a kind of quiet authority. He moved through the Capitol grounds with the calm confidence of a creature that had long ago decided the building—and the people in it—were simply part of his world.
That first day I raised my camera and made the photograph that would eventually become known as “Catzilla.”
In the image, Cameron stands large in the foreground while the Nebraska State Capitol rises behind him. It’s playful and a little mythic—almost as if he were a tiny guardian of the building. At the time I simply thought it was a fun photograph. What I didn’t expect was what would happen next.
When One Photograph Took Off
After making that photograph, I began producing greeting cards featuring Cameron and started selling them on my own. They quickly became popular. People loved the image, and many already had their own Cameron stories to tell.
Before long, I was approached by the Nebraska State Capitol Gift Shop about carrying the cards there.
They sold out almost immediately.
The gift shop reordered them, and those sold out as well. It quickly became clear that Cameron had become much more than just a familiar sight around the Capitol. People felt a genuine connection to him.
Along with the cards and prints, I even created my own John Shaw Photography shirts with the Cameron image printed on the back. Those sold through as well, which only reinforced how much affection people had for this Capitol cat.
That enthusiasm encouraged me to keep returning to the Capitol with my camera. The more time I spent photographing Cameron and watching the way people reacted to him, the more an idea began to take shape.
What if this became a book?
The Story Behind Cameron
At first the idea was simple: document Cameron’s presence at the Nebraska State Capitol.
But the more time I spent around him, the more I realized there was a deeper story. Cameron wasn’t just a cat who happened to live near the Capitol. He had become part of the building’s daily rhythm and part of the lives of the people who worked there and visited it.
To understand that story properly, I wanted to learn as much as I could about Cameron’s life.
After researching what I could on my own, the Capitol Gift Shop helped connect me with Cameron’s guardian, Diana McGinnis.
Diana could not have been more gracious. She agreed to an interview and patiently answered all of my questions, sharing personal insights into Cameron’s life—how he came to the Capitol, his personality, and the many ways he had become part of the community surrounding the building.
Those conversations gave me a much deeper understanding of Cameron and helped shape the narrative of the book in ways I could never have done alone. Diana was also generous enough to attend the book signings, which meant a great deal to everyone who came to meet her.
A Paw Print for the Book
One of the most memorable parts of the project came from an idea my daughter Riley had.
Both of my daughters, Riley and Kirsten volunteered to help with the book signings, and Riley suggested something that immediately felt perfect: we should try to get Cameron’s genuine paw print to include with the book.
Of course, that depended entirely on Cameron being there, and being in the right mood.
We were fortunate enough to find him one evening when he not only seemed agreeable, but excited at first. After a little patience we managed to attempt the paw prints. Cameron tolerated exactly three tries before deciding he had absolutely had enough of the whole situation.
Thankfully, the third attempt worked perfectly. That paw print became a small but meaningful part of the project—a literal mark from Cameron himself.
Learning the Publishing Side
Producing a book introduced me to an entirely new side of the creative process. Beyond writing and photography, I spent a great deal of time learning about the practical side of publishing—obtaining an ISBN number, generating retail barcodes so the book could be sold in stores, and sending copies to the Library of Congress.
Each step helped transform the project from an idea into something tangible that people could hold in their hands.
The First Book Signings
When the book was finally printed, the Nebraska State Capitol Gift Shop offered to host the first signing.
The response was tremendous.
In fact, the first printing sold out within the first week, and I quickly had to place a much larger order just to keep up with demand. Because of the enthusiasm from readers, the gift shop decided to host two additional signings as well.
At the same time, the book was also selling very successfully through my website, allowing people outside Lincoln to discover Cameron’s story.
But the most meaningful part of the signings wasn’t the sales.
It was the people.
The Stories People Shared
One of the things that touched me most during the signings was how often people would ask me to sign the book to their cats.
They would tell me their cats’ names and ask if I could personalize the inscription for them. Many also showed me photos of their own cats on their phones, or pictures they had taken of Cameron over the years.
People shared stories about encountering him at the Capitol and how much joy he had brought to them or their families. Hearing those stories was incredibly moving.
As someone who shares my home with two cats, I understood exactly the kind of connection they were describing. Seeing how strongly people felt about Cameron—and how much the photographs meant to them—was one of the most rewarding parts of the entire experience.
Giving Something Back
Throughout the project, it felt important to me that Cameron’s story also give something back.
A portion of the proceeds from Cameron the Capitol Cat: A Portrait in Light, Stone, and Fur goes toward Cameron’s care and feeding, along with support for other feline-related causes. I have also donated copies of the book to various animal-related organizations and initiatives as a small way of contributing to the work they do.
Animals bring an extraordinary amount of joy into people’s lives. Cameron certainly has done that for many of us, and supporting the well-being of animals felt like the right way to honor that connection.
Looking Back
What began as a single photograph eventually became greeting cards, prints, shirts, and ultimately a book.
Along the way it led to interviews with the Lincoln Journal Star and the Omaha World Herald, along with conversations on local and statewide radio networks that helped share Cameron’s story with even more people.
But the most rewarding part of the experience has been witnessing how deeply people feel connected to Cameron.
A cat wandering the limestone steps of the Nebraska State Capitol might seem like a small thing, yet for many people he represents something larger—a reminder to pause, smile, and enjoy an unexpected moment.
Sometimes the best stories begin quietly.
In this case, it began with a photograph.
And it led to Cameron.
Cameron the Capitol Cat: A Portrait in Light, Stone, and Fur is available through my website and select Nebraska and national retailers, including the Nebraska State Capitol Gift Shop.