HOW-TO: Photographing Your Pet Indoors February 2004 by Lauren E. Darcey My name is Null, and I'm a little black rabbit. My pet Laurie likes to take pictures of me, which is actually surprisingly difficult given my glossy dark fur and dark eyes. However, I am so cute, she just can't help but try. Another difficulty is that I am not allowed to go outside in the big, bad world because I might get scared by something and run off into the forest, not realizing that doing so would not be in my best interest (there are no treats there!). Recently, Laurie and I tried several photo shoots in order to overcome my indoor/glossy fur problems and to capture my timeless charm. Here are the results. We wanted to avoid using the camera flash, since it just bounces off my fur. Since laying by the window is one of my favourite places anyway, we hung out there for a while just chatting, and then Laurie took some pictures of me lounging in the natural light. The sunlight was both flattering and warm. No worries of red-eye as no flash was needed. Many a bunny picture is taken in a field of fake green grass. I wanted to be photographed in my real place of residence - my cage. I really like my multi-story abode, and since I spend a lot of time there, and run back home at the slightest sign of danger, I figured, in the spirit of reality TV, we should catalog our "real lives". Here's a picture that Laurie took to illustrate this one day when my girlfriend Stack refused to come out and play. Continuing with our reality TV theme, I figured Laurie should watch me do my routine and shatter some misconceptions about rabbits. Fear of water was a big one. Personally, I love taking showers and I get really upset with anyone in the house takes one without including me. Therefore, it was only fitting that Laurie snap a couple of shots of me in the shower (completely tasteful, of course). Another important time to take pictures of me is on holidays and at parties. I am a very social creature, and I like to come down and hang out with people during parties - especially at Christmas and Easter. These festive occasions often find me rummaging through a huge box of ribbon and wrapping paper, which I love to shred, and is a great opportunity for some candid shots. However, that horrifying picture Laurie took of me with those fake reindeer antlers just had to go, sorry but my self-esteem won't permit it to be printed here. Lastly, I felt Laurie should also capture the end of day meetings of the family on the bed, when we get treats and are petted until we're sick of it and want to go back to our cages. I instructed Laurie to include several of my family in the picture, to capture the intimacy of our evening gatherings. For more information, check out Null's website.

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