Welcome back to An Inky Dream. Today I won’t be doing a sugar glider care post, but one on how to photograph these adorable little creatures.
It is incredibly hard to get good photos of sugar gliders. Not only do they move fast, but they also hate light which is vital to good photos. I’ve done several photoshoots in the almost two years that I’ve owned gliders and I feel like I have enough experience (and enough failures) to offer some helpful tips.
Minimal Backdrops
When I first started photographing gliders, I wanted to have all of these elaborate backdrops. I spent forever creating them and…they failed miserably. The gliders refused to stay where I wanted them to and I was very frustrated because I wasted time for nothing.
Go minimal. Put up some fleece in the background or put the gliders on a white surface. Simple and clean looks really nice when combined with gliders.
Low Noise Area
Your gliders will already be stressed by being woken up in the middle of their night. If you’re trying to take their pictures in a noisy area, they will be even jumpier and less likely to cooperate. Limit the noise as much as possible. If there are children around, ask them to do a quiet craft or to play outside until you finish.
Turn off the TV or music or anything else that causes noise. Make sure that there are no plastic bags in the room where you could step on them. That sound freaks gliders out horribly. Make the room as quiet as possible. Talk to your gliders in a soft, soothing voice. Let them know that everything is okay and that nothing bad will happen to them.
They sense your emotions and if you stay calm and collected, they will be much calmer than if you’re stressed or frustrated.
Natrual Light
Avoid using room lights. These are very yellow and can make your photos look very dingy and dirty. Find the best light that your house has to offer. An easy way to do this is to take your camera into various rooms, snap pictures, and then compare them. Don’t use direct sunlight. Not only will this be hard on your glider’s eyes and scare them more, but it will also give you sharp, hard images.
Once you find the perfect light, set up your backdrop and keep the room lights off.
Good Camera
If you have a camera, use it! The photos will be better quality than if you use your phone. However, if it isn’t possible, do your best with what you have. You don’t have to have the fanciest equipment to get lovely and adorable photos.
Calmest Sugar Gliders
I rarely take photos of Dreamer or Yiska. They are both incredibly sweet gliders at night, but they get very panicked when they’re taken out in the day. Ink, on the other hand, is amazing. He is calm and will sit still for a short time while I take pictures. Learn your gliders. Find the ones that are least stressed out by photoshoots and focus on taking their pictures most of the time.
Keep It Short
One of the mistakes I made in my first shoots was related to time. I imagined that my gliders would be happy to stay in the bright light for photos for extended periods of time. Well, they weren’t. Most of the time, I have four minutes maximum before the gliders are completely done.
You have to be quick. Snap as many pictures as you can from as many angles as you can. Don’t be frustrated when the gliders want to go back into hiding. Remember that the light is scary to them and they were woken up out of sleep and taken into a big, scary bright world while a giant eye snapped pictures of them.
Use Treats
If you look at my photoshoots you’ll notice that in most of the photos, the gliders are eating a treat. Treats are wonderful tools. Most gliders will stand still to eat them and while they do, it is your chance to snap photos. Find their absolute favorite treats and bribe them into standing there and looking adorable. 😉
Take What You Get
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone into a photoshoot with great expectations for how it was going to go. Never once did it turn out the way that I thought it would. I’ve learned that you have to take the photos that you get. They may not be what you imagined. But hey, if they’re adorable, you did something right. Work with what you have and don’t get frustrated.
I hope that these tips were helpful! If you have any tips for photography small, sly animals, comment below! I’d love to chat.
~Hattush
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