We all know that gerbils are cute – so here I have made a cute gerbil collection.
Gerbils come in all sorts of colours and have the loveliest inquisitive nature, that it is always wise to keep your camera to hand for some great snaps of your own…
But how do you get your cute gerbils to STAY STILL?
Gerbils aren’t know for their sitting-still-ness – so catching your best shots isn’t something that comes easily. I would say in general – without planning – you get one good shot per 20 or more attempts.
You just need to catch them at the right moment – easier said that done I know – many a picture of my gerbils looks like these:
There is hope for everyone though – just look at the vast range of cute gerbil photos already online.
There are a few tricks that can help you to get better shots and they include:
Wear your gerbils out first – try not to start snapping straight away – wait for them to have had a good look and a sniff around – then they are more likely to settle.
Use good old-fashioned bribery – once your gerbils are settled stick a favourite treat in front of them. One of the only things that can keep a gerbil still for more than two seconds. Mealworms or raisins work a treat.
Choose the right place – choose a place if you can where your gerbil feel secure and perhaps has less places to run and investigate – like on a platform. Gerbils will always pause at the edges – great for you.
Put your camera on a tripod – getting your camera to stay still is just as difficult as getting the gerbil to stay still. If you only aim your camera at one ‘ideal’ spot – then wait for the gerbil to come to you.
Get a friend to help – watching gerbils through the lens and with your own eyes can be very difficult – so having someone to help guide you or the gerbils to places for those great shots will really pay off.
Create a mini-photo booth – by buying or creating a well lit booth – not only will you get better pictures, but you know your gerbils are in the best place for that shot – not down the back of the sofa or behind that bendy bridge.
Good luck and feel free to attach any of your own cute gerbil images to the comments section below…