# Photo tips-reducing stress



## Kingnoel (Apr 23, 2011)

I was wondering if anyone might have tips on photo shoots with their mice. I've noticed mine can get awfully stressed and shut down very quickly when I attempt to photograph them outside their cages. At the last shoot one actually urped up her breakfast and that was within a couple of minutes. 

Many of you post beautiful natural looking shots, what ARE your tricks? I'd love to know!


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## Rhasputin (Feb 21, 2010)

I think mice are supposed to be incapable of vomiting?


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## Kingnoel (Apr 23, 2011)

Hmmm, this was definitely greenish/yellowish matter with what looked like an undigested seed. I hadn't heard that about mice.


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## love2read (Aug 30, 2011)

I usually put my mice on a wine glass and just relax for a few minutes while they calm down. Once they've calmed down enough to stop moving for more then .5 seconds I start snapping pics. I don't stop til I've gotten at least 2 good shots(side and face). Sometimes it can take 10 minutes per mouse. It's one of the reasons I decided to stop selling mice because it's not worth the trouble of taking pics. :lol:


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## SarahY (Nov 6, 2008)

Just do it often. My mice have their pictures taken all the time and it doesn't bother them at all


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## Stina (Sep 24, 2010)

I've never heard of, nor seen a mouse vomit before.....and like casey, I was under the impression that their anatomy makes it physically impossible for them to do so... its really odd that your mice would be SOOO freaked out by having photos of them taken.......I rarely have any trouble getting photos of any of my mice...a camera with a good macro setting makes a huge difference...and not using flash if it can be avoided. I use either a little "studio" setup with lamps or I take them outside so they don't have flashing lights to deal with. The bright light can make them a little squinty on occasion, but usually they don't mind too much and settle down from the excitement of being taken out of their cage pretty quickly.


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## Laigaie (Mar 7, 2011)

I have little plastic bins they go into for taking photos, and take groups out in one bin, with an extra bin. The mice get to settle down in the bin for a few minutes, adjusting to the light while I set up whatever they're getting photographed on. Once I'm ready and they're not freaking out about OMG SUNLIGHT, each mouse gets pulled out of the bin, photographed a few dozen times, and popped into the second bin. The two-bin thing makes a huge difference if you have a lot of mice to photograph at once, or if you have a lot of mice that are almost identical. In the latter case, make sure to take a picture of something else between photos of identical mice, so you know which is which.

Handling them every day, letting them chill out on your photo setup, and generally letting them get used to the process makes a huge difference.


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## Kingnoel (Apr 23, 2011)

Thanks everyone, I do try to handle everyday, maybe not for long enough! I'll try the bins, L, sounds like a good technique.


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## DeepBlueC (Feb 9, 2012)

I find if I handle my mouse for 5 minutes she calms down once she has a good sniff around me, this seems to make her more at ease.


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## Kingnoel (Apr 23, 2011)

Good idea DeepBlue, love your avatar by the way. Is that a real shot? Not photoshop? Too cute


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## Autumn2005 (Apr 21, 2010)

Kingnoel said:


> Good idea DeepBlue, love your avatar by the way. Is that a real shot? Not photoshop? Too cute


I have no idea, but my mom just brought home a print of that for me to hang in my mousery!


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## MoonfallTheFox (Nov 12, 2011)

That is a real shot, it is of a rat who was trained to hold objects, I believe. There are quite a few photos of that rat around the internet holding all sorts of things. It's very cute.


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