This is pretty simple, just like any other animal photography.  The main thing is a good background.  I don't usually like the pictures of the rats behind wire mesh or in front of a cement wall.  Whoopee, that's not too interesting.  Sure, there are some cases where it works, but they're few and far between.  However, a rat poking it's head out between flowers is cute!  So is a rat burrowing under vines, so is a rat leaping through the grass, or a rat asleep on a pillow!  You can't force a rat in to a good position, it just doesn't work.  The rat will have that "plopped down" look to it in the picture.  Flash doesn't work very good either, the rat will have a bewildered look on their face from the light.  Outdoors works best so that the lighting is good, and the rat is usually genuinely interested in their surroundings.  However, be careful with how you bring your rats outside.  If the rat wants to explore, I put it on a leash first.  These are very easy to make, just like a harness leash you would buy for a ferret.  Just don't make it too loose, or the rat will escape the first time you tell it "no"!  If the rat is in a potted plant or on a railing and there is little danger that it will run away, then the leash can come off, but always think this out before you let it loose; look for holes, look for a crack under the house, look for a potential climbing tree.  Those rats are REALLY fast when they want to be!  Anyway, back to the subject.  "Action shots" rarely work, it gets blurry.  Sleeping rats are easiest, of course.  Twilight and Summit are perfect for photography, they freeze every few seconds!  Shine sleeps a lot, so she gets a lot of shots like that.  Streak is awful, though, because she has to come up and see what I'm doing!  Nibbles moved very slowly, so she was also good, and Sage was so absorbed in exploring that she didn't ever notice.  So, each rat seems to be different.  Basically what it comes down to is...good luck! Back Back to Main Page Like my page?  Got questions or comments?  Email me at ratlovr@hotmail.com