[Moderator's note: The first part of this post appeared in yesterday's
FML (issue 3000).  Here is the conclusion.  BIG]
 
Direct flashes contribute to harsh contrasts with very pronounced dark
shadows.  To help lower the contrast and lessen shadows use a diffuser in
front of the flash, or bounce the flash off of a white ceiling, wall, or
even a white piece of cardboard.
 
Most flashes come with a plastic diffuser that can be attached in front.
One or more thin layers of tissue paper can also be used effectively.  Open
the aperture one half a stop (that's 1/2 an f-stop number lower) for each
layer of diffuser material you use.
 
To bounce off of a ceiling or wall, you need a flash that allows you to
pivot the flash head up or sideways by 45 degrees.  Make sure the surface
you are bouncing off of is white or the colored surface will affect the
color of the photograph.  Open the aperture about two full stops (that's 2
f-stop numbers lower) for this technique.
 
You can buy or easily build a bounce card that attaches to your flash,
which will give a more consistent result than bouncing off part of the
room.  I have good luck with this technique by opening the aperture one
and a half stops.
 
If a flash catches your ferrets eye just right you'll get an effect known
as "red eye" (the eye may appear bright green or white as well).  You can
use several techniques to avoid this problem:
 
+ Do not photograph your ferret looking straight at the camera.
 
+ Hold the flash out away from the camera (you need a flash cable
  for this).
 
+ Use a diffuser (not always effective).
 
+ Buy a special pen available in most photo stores to ink out the
  red eye effect from the print itself. For scanned in photos most
  photo processing software have tools for removing "red eye."
 
For outdoor photos in bright sun light you can get enhanced colors by
pushing the film one stop.  For 200 ASA speed film set your camera to 400
ASA and photograph as you would normally.  You must do this for the ENTIRE
roll of film!  When the film is developed make sure the processing lab
knows how you pushed the film ("pushed to 400" in this example) so they
can correctly process it.  It usually costs a few dollars more per roll
to process, but for photos taken in sunlight the colors are frequently
more vibrant and lifelike, although shadows may seem darker, and some
detail in the shade or shadows may be lost.
 
For outdoor or other brightly lit shots where part of your ferret is in a
shadow use your flash to "fill in" the shaded areas and reduce harsh
contrasts.
 
By holding the flash away from the camera (with a flash cable) pointing to
the subject at a different angle you can achieve very pleasant lighting
affects, which can bring out detail or facial expressions that might
otherwise be lost.
 
The Photo Shoot
 
Candid shots make up the bulk of most photographs we take of our ferrets,
but you can achieve even better results if you take the time to plan out a
photo shoot.  Make sure the area has lots of room for the photographer, an
assistant, props, and any other equipment you made need (extra lighting,
backdrop, duct tape for holding the critter still long enough for the photo
- okay, just kidding, etc.).  Avoid extra distractions, like other ferrets
(or animals) playing, the television or radio, potted plants, or anything
else that will make your ferret want to go explore elsewhere.  Ideally you
should leave the setup in place for a day or two so you and your ferrets
won't feel rushed and each session remains fun.
 
Two people work better than one: one person positions or distracts the
ferret and the other takes the photographs.
 
Have everything you need on hand, such as props and treats, and be
completely setup for the next shot so you can put the ferret in place
and shoot.
 
Use a squeaky or rattle toy or your ferret's favorite treat to get the
animal to look in the desired direction.  Make sure you don't actually
give your ferret more than a taste of the treat or you'll wind up with a
a lot of tongue shots.
 
Keep the sessions with each ferret relatively brief: they have short
attention spans and will get restless if you force them to stay put for
any length of time.
 
Choose a time when your ferrets are not already active: a napping ferret
makes a lot of cute poses as it wakes up and moves relatively slow compared
to an alert ferret.  This works especially well for shots with multiple
ferrets.
 
Keeping ferrets close together in multiple ferret shots can be a real
challenge.  Try rubbing a scent onto one of the ferrets to ensure the
others stay close (a touch of vanilla extract on the shoulder, for
example).  Avoid using Linatone or Nutri-stat unless you want photos of
ferrets cleaning one another.  You can place your ferrets on the bedding
from another pet (dog, cat, another group of ferrets, etc.), or anything
else that catches their attention and keeps them in place together for
longer than a microsecond.
 
Before bringing the ferret over determine the type of poses or staging
you're trying to achieve and practice framing the shot in the camera's
view finder.
 
Photos with subjects interacting with something can be more interesting
than just a portrait.  You can make sets and props just for the photography
session or just use items from around the house.
 
+ A basket or box filled with toys, blankets, paper, leaves or
  whatever else is available and interesting to your ferret.
 
+ A basin filled with water, snow or shaved ice.
 
+ A pot with lose potting soil and a plastic plant or sacrificial
  real plant.
 
+ Ping-Pong balls. Lots and lots of Ping-Pong balls.
 
+ Stuffed animals.
 
Candid shots can also be staged by placing the ferret in or with something
unfamiliar but potentially fun.  New smells will also lead to interesting
behavior -- keep the camera in your hand with the flash and focus set and
ready to go.
 
Try not to crop the ferret or the props unless you're after a special
effect (like a close up of the ferret's face).  You can always crop a shot
in the dark room, on the computer or with a pair of scissors, but you can't
add back what you cut off with the camera.
 
If you've setup a single staging area for all of your photos then mounting
your camera on a tripod will save you lots of time and fatigue.
 
Take lots of photographs of each pose or scene.  You'll need to take lots
of photos to obtain the few that are just perfect.  Take notes of each
session stating the film speed, how you used the flash, and what tricks
worked or didn't work for getting your ferrets to perform.  By keeping
notes and reviewing them with the results you can dramatically increase
your chance of taking great photos with fewer attempts.
 
Use up a roll of film as quickly as possible and take it into the lab
for processing as soon as possible.  Keep unused film in the refrigerator
until you're ready to use it.
 
In the Can.
 
Once you get the photographs back from the lab you should go through them
and label the back of each with the date it was taken, who is in the
photograph, and why the photograph was taken.  If you have notes from the
photo shoot then use them to supplement the information on the back of each
picture.  Use a permanent felt tip marker, like a Sharpie, and wait for the
ink to dry before stacking your the photos.  Do not use a ball point pen,
which will damage the prints.  You should also label the envelop or box in
which you store the pictures so you can tell at a glance what's within.
If you keep notes of your photo shoot go back through them and mark what
worked well and what didn't and add ideas for new things to try next time.
 
Using photo touchup tools available for nearly any home computer you can
create special effects or correct small errors, such as red eye.  If you
didn't use a digital camera, you must first scan your prints or slides into
digital images.  Entire books have been written on how to digitally modify
photographs, and you should thoroughly read the user's guide for your photo
touchup package for instructions and hints on how to achieve the best
results for the affects you're after.
 
The more you photograph your ferrets the better you'll become at it and the
more you'll want to photograph your ferrets.  The photos are indispensable
in creating a journal for each ferret and will come in handy when you want
to show off your ferret kids to the rest of the world.
[Posted in FML issue 3001]