I wrote an article on photographing ferrets a while back for the Oregon
Ferret Association's ( http://www.oregon-ferret.org ) newsletter, The
Ferret Folio.  There have been a number of requests recently on the FML
for tips on taking pictures of ferrets, so it seems to make sense to post
the article here as well.
 
The article is fairly long, and so I've divided it into 6 sections
(including this one).
 
Leonard Bottleman              [log in to unmask]
http://www.cascade-ferret.org  http://www.teleport.com/~leonard
 
[Moderator's note: Leonard sent this in 6 parts.  I'm posting the first
three parts (combined into one) today and will post the final three parts
(also combined into one) tomorrow.  By the way, Leonard is a charter
member of the FML -- he was there for issue one, back in 1987, as was
Sukie.  Thanks, Leonard!  BIG]
 
 
Photographing Ferrets
 
Humans are visually oriented beings and images, be they moving or still,
are the best way to trigger our memories of personalities and events that
have enriched our lives.  We can capture images of our beloved ferrets to
record significant events in their lives, chart changes in health, and to
provide everlasting memories of their sweet (or not so sweet) and playful
nature.  Whether the pictures you take of your ferret are from quick
snapshots or a well planned photo shoot, you can improve your results with
practice and a little knowledge of how cameras and film work and how to
apply that knowledge when photographing the elusive house weasel in its
native habitat -- your living room.
 
Lights, Camera, Film...
 
The only equipment you really need to take good photographs of your ferret
is a functional camera and some film (or not if you have a digital camera).
The next important piece of equipment is a flash, which will allow you to
easily photograph your ferret indoors.  A tripod is extremely useful when
setting up for a formal photo shoot, but won't help much for those candid
shots that typically make up the bulk of pictures.  Make sure you know how
to use your camera and flash and understand the settings you can change,
such as the focus, the shutter speed and the f-stop.
 
The focus determines at what distance from the lens that subject to be
photographed (your ferret) is sharp and not blurry.  There is actually a
range of distances for any focus setting in which items will be in focus --
this in focus range of distances is called the depth of field.  The size of
the depth of field is determined by the f-stop.  Avoid auto-focusers for
all but close-up shots of ferrets -- a ferret is too small for the sensor
to correctly pick up on.
 
The f-stop is the ratio of the focal length of your camera's lens over
the diameter of the lens: the larger the f-stop number, the smaller the
diameter of the lens.  In many cameras the effective diameter of the lens
can be changed by a diaphragm, and the adjustment is marked with values
such as 1.8, 3.5, 5.8, 8, 11 and so on.  The f-stop determines how much
light will be projected through the lens onto the film.  The depth of field
for a lens is increased with an increase in the f-stop.  Most 35mm cameras
have a built in light meter that you use to find the proper f-stop value.
Typically automatic cameras allow you to set the shutter speed while they
use the light meter to set the f-stop, which you may wish to disable (if
possible) for some of the tips listed below.
 
The shutter speed sets the exposure time for a photograph in fractions of a
second.  Film continues to gather light as long as it is exposed to it (the
human eye does this as well, but only for a few seconds), and the shutter
speed determines how long light will be projected through the lens onto the
film.
 
The speed of the film determines how much light must be projected onto the
film and for how long for the image to be properly exposed.  Faster films
(high ASA values) require less light, but yield grainier pictures than
slower speed films (low ASA values), which require more light.  Unlike the
focus, f-stop and shutter speed you can't change the film ASA value without
changing the film.
 
Both the shutter speed and f-stop determine the total amount of light
projected onto the film, and the values for film speed, shutter speed, and
f-stop are all related: a single change in shutter speed is equivalent to
a single change of the f-stop or a single change in film speed (100 to 200
ASA, for example).
 
A flash not only provides needed light in the dark, but can also simplify
which the settings for your camera.  Most flash units require that you set
the camera's shutter speed and f-stop to specific settings and the flash
takes care of the exposure.
 
Disposable cameras, old Instamatics and new fully automatic cameras have no
settings at all and often contain built in flashes that can't be disabled.
You won't be able to override the settings to take advantage of some of the
tricks mentioned below, but you'll be able to shoot pictures more rapidly
than with a manual camera, which is a big advantage in capturing candid
photos.  Be aware that for some of these cameras the minimum focus distance
is 4 feet or more, which means no close up shots.
 
..Ferrets!
 
Photographing ferrets is a balancing act of film selection and camera
settings, and nothing beats experience for obtaining good results.
Fortunately ferrets have specific attributes that mercifully narrow down
these choices.  The best rule of thumb for ferret photography is to have
film in your camera and charged batteries in your flash and keep close at
hand!  Take a lot of photographs and expect a lot of poor to fair pictures.
Keep notes of what you've done so you can learn from each roll of film.
 
Ferrets are small animals, and unless you use a zoom or macro lens for a
close-up shot, the actual image of your ferret will occupy a small portion
of each frame, and you may need to enlarge the image to get more detail so
use a fairly fine grained film, such as a 100 or 200 ASA speed film.
 
A zoom lens can provide a lot of options that can be quickly achieved
(including macro settings for close ups).
 
Ferrets move fast and can be hard to keep in focus.  You can increase the
region that's in-focus (the "depth of field") by using a higher f-stop,
which usually means a slower shutter speed or a flash.
 
For wider shots of your ferret in its environment, you may wish to decrease
the depth of field so the uninteresting back ground is out of focus while
your ferret and whatever it's interacting with are in focus.  This effect
also works well to generate a softer image that can add visual depth to the
photograph as well.
 
To achieve a blurred action look use a slow shutter speed.  You may want to
mount the camera on a tripod so the objects around your ferret remain in
focus while only the ferret is blurred.
 
Pre focus on the spot or prop where the ferret will be placed so you'll be
ready to snap off a shot quickly.
 
Preset the f-stop to the desired value as well as the flash and shutter
speed.
 
If possible use a backdrop that's a primary color (red, green, blue) or
neutral (various shades of light brown, grey or black).  White backdrops
usually lead to harsh contrasts in photographs.  Make sure your backdrop is
expansive enough to fill the frame no matter where your ferret wanders on
the set (large bath towels, blankets or sheets work well).  If you don't
have a large enough backdrop for an entire frame you can use a shorter
depth of field to blur the background.  If you plan to digitally remove the
background when you post process the photograph, use a very bright shade of
blue or green, and pour plenty of light on it from either side or even from
behind (you want to minimize shadows cast on the backdrop).
[Posted in FML issue 3000]