Voodoo in the Studio

So, this was a first for me – ferret photography instead of dog photography! Voodoo is a beautiful long haired ferret who joined me in the studio earlier this year, and I had so much fun with him. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect to be honest, but he was the sweetest little thing, not to mention ridiculously handsome. I’ve been lucky enough to source some amazing props from Viva la Frida, a fantastic little vintage shop in Swansea (you should definitely check them out if you’re into your vintage/retro stuff). So, armed with vintage scales, a retro cat bed and an amazing basket we started our quest for ferret portraits.

Ferrets aren’t as obedient as dogs, but they do work for treats (or at least Voodoo does). His human had brought fish oil along to use as his bribery to stay in one place, and it worked incredibly well. That, coupled with elevating him up on props so he couldn’t wander away easily, resulted in some gorgeous photos of him that I’m super proud of. I especially love the shot of him poking his head out of the basket. This shot actually helped me place in the Top 100 in the Open category of this year’s International Pet Photographer of the Year Awards.

I won’t lie, he did make me work hard for these shots as his attention was rarely on me for long, so getting images where he’s engaged directly with the camera did take some doing, plus his movements are a lot more erratic than a dog’s so I did have quite a few shots just missing that crucial focus on his eyes. But, that being said, I’m over the moon with how well the final images turned out.

If you’re contemplating your own ferret photography session, or any other pet for that matter, then give me a shout. I’m always up for a challenge!