I found the following post on rec.pets.ferrets. Below the post is my
response.
 
[Moderator's note: Normally forwarded posts require permission.  I take
this to be a general announcement and will let it through.  BIG]
 
       ----------
 
Greetings - my name is Eric Ilasenko, and I am a professional photographer
that specializes in pet photography for publications including BIRD TALK,
CAT FANCY, and many others.  This summer, we have been photographing a
series of pet care books for a major publisher, and have just been assigned
to illustrate a book on pet Ferrets.
 
We are currently looking for owners of Ferrets who can come to our Longwood,
Florida photo studio at thier convenience for a photo session to help
illustrate this book project.  In exchange for allowing us to photograph
your pet and reproduce those images, we will proowners with a selection of
top quality prints that they may keep.  There is NO CHARGE of any kind for
folks who help with this special project, and we had great luck finding
good "models" on the web for the other pet books we shot this summer.  All
photos will be taken in October and November, and sittings will be
scheduled in advance at owners convenience.
 
If you are in the Central Florida area or know anyone else who may be
interested in having a totally free photo session ( you will get a
selection of prints FREE ) and the chance for your pet to become a "star"
in print, please contact our studio as directly via phone at 407-331-5461
or email to: [log in to unmask]
 
Photos not submitted to the book will also be sent to various pet
magazines, and may even appear on a screen saver next year.  Your help is
greatly appreciated, and please forward this email to any other pet owners
you know who may be interested.  THANKS!
 
Eric Ilasenko, Photographer
[log in to unmask]
http://www.screenpics.com
 
      -----------
 
Mr. Ilasenko,
I saw your posting on rec.pets.ferrets looking for photo subjects for a new
book on ferrets and ferret care.
 
As a ferret enthusiast and ferret shelter operator, I am glad to see an
increase in the number of books on ferret care. Better education for the
public and for ferret owners makes my job easier.
 
But I wanted to warn you of a potential pitfall I hope you and your
publishers will avoid.  A new book on ferret care was recently published.
It included a photograph of a ferret on a leash, straining to investigate a
chicken.  Unfortunately, the leash and harness were airbrushed out, and the
altered photo, together with the caption, gave the erroneous impression
that domestic ferrets were skilled hunters who could provide a significant
danger to wildlife and livestock.
 
This photo has the potential to cause harm to the ferret community,
especially in those places were ferrets are still illegal to own.  In
California, that state's Fish and Game department is known to use such
unscientific information to bolster its case that ferrets should remain
banned.  After much effort by ferret activists, the publisher agreed to
removed this picture from future editions of the book.  Unfortunately, the
photographer refused to provide a copy of the unretouched photo to those
working for the legalization of ferrets in California.
 
I hope you and your publisher will work hard to insure that the information
you provide will be accurate and not misleading.  You may want to consider
having some members of the national ferret community read the proofs of the
book to provide you with feedback.  I can provide you with a list of
suggested readers, if you like.
 
I wish you good luck in your project.
 
Linda Iroff
The Raisin Retreat
North Coast Ferret Shelter West
Oberlin, OH
http://www.oberlin.edu/~liroff/ncfs.html
[Posted in FML issue 2441]