Photographs

Photographs. That one simple word can strike fear into the lives of a lot of rabbit breeders across the nation. If done right it can help one to positively market their animals to the right audience but if done poorly can make a perspective buyer pass on to the next site. Everyone has a desire to have nice stock and to showcase their stock in a way that really shows them off, this is my opinion on the do's and don'ts of publishing your photos! I am not a photographer but I love taking photos so I've listed some helpful information that I've learned over the last 12 years in the bunny habit.

A quality photo starts with a camera that is able to take a picture with a fast shutter speed. This is how fast the time frame is from when you push the button to when the photo is actually taken. Most cameras have an action setting and though the rabbit should not be in motion when the photo is taken time is of the essence when dealing with animals, so this setting can be an advantage to you. Pixels is an important part of a camera if you are planning on produce an image in a large size; for photos to go on a website most all cameras will have a more than sufficient amount. In short I'm not saying that you have to go out and purchase a expensive camera but I am saying that you should get to know your current camera and it's settings. A digital camera is a must for posed photos. I generally take about ten different photos of the same animal that I think by my naked eye will have a good change of producing a good shot and go through them on the computer. Only then can you sometimes see he shadow that went unnoticed before or the bit of movement that made the photo blurry.

If you are working with an animal that is used to being handled and posed then I usually take a minute to see what mood they are in that day before turning the camera on, batteries last a lot longer when they are not used! If it's an animal that has not been worked with before then you can pretty much write the camera off for the next five minutes. Sure you can rush things and get them to half show themselves off but it may not be a positive experience for the animal and next time may be a lot worse. I'll go over some posing tips that I use in a different post but the animal has to be able to sit long enough for you to back away and take the photo before you should try. If you end up getting frustrated, then put the animal away(hopefully on a good note) and try again when you're calm. If it's one emotion that rabbits don't grasp from humans it's frustration!

Crop your photos before publishing them, ie putting them on the Internet. Cropping is the simplest photo editing you can do and it really makes your photos look more professional. No one wants to see that you tried to whip your hand out of the photo before it was taken or all your dirty dishes or cages in the corners of the photo. Background, background background! Choose a location with good lighting that won't cast shadows and is not windy or a busy spot. Your background can be something as simple as a bale of hay or some trees. Don't try to take a photo of a black rabbit on a black background or vice versa, kind of makes sense if you actually want to know something is there! Do not chose a dirty location and don't take pose photos in cages. Take the time it takes to give each rabbit an honest bit of your attention remembering that your photos not only reflect the quality of your stock but also a lot of your management practices. We are governed by a professional society so let's try to be professional with our public dealings.

The most important thing is to remember that you're in this because you love your animals, have fun!! Laugh. If you feel yourself getting frustrated then stop! You never get anywhere working with an animal when you are not in a good mindset. Always end on a positive note. I always end when the animal has sat nice for a period of time and my routine is to pick them up before they break the pose, give them a kiss on the head and some cuddle time. For the guys out there the kiss may be a bit too affectionate but I kid you not that my animals always look for it! After the cuddles they get to go be a rabbit and play! This is not something that will be mastered overnight but will take time dedication and most importantly patience! Have fun trying and I'll go over some posing techniques in a different post, which will significantly help to get great photos of your stock!

Here's some of my favorite photos that I have taken.

Until next time,
Shannon