warm

One of our favorite ways to get festive during the holiday season is with winter-themed chinchilla photo shoots! This guide will go through my process with photographing LY Chinchillas on my own with no strobes or flash (basically, nothing fancy)! Be sure to have a fast camera (I use the Fujifilm X-T10 Camera because of the super-fast continuous shooting mode) and light sources ready to go! Koko Warm Posing Xmas The very first thing to check prior to starting the shoot is the chin-proof factor. Admittedly, the actual time on set is very short – and the rest of the time is spent coaxing your little one back on set or sending them back to their cage to nap off a hard 10 seconds of work! In those off-set moments, you’ll need to make sure that everything is completely chin-proofed to prevent any accidents, fur loss, or injury. Muff Sideways Holidays The next thing you’ll want to check are your ambient light sources – that means your natural light, ceiling lights, desk lights, lamps, floor lamps, whatever other illuminating tools you may have in the shooting area. This will help capture your chinchilla by allowing you to have a faster shutter speed due to more available light. Normally, I prefer a clean white light, but for the holidays, there’s nothing wrong with a warmer glow that comes standard in most home lighting.
Grab a portable spotlight if your natural lighting is low – ideally, this will be somehow diffused. You can do this by using a strong flashlight or adjustable desk lamp covered and tied down with a very sheer scarf. This will make sure that your light is not too harsh and capture your chinchillas in all their softness. Set design holidays 2016 The third step is to create your set: start out with a fun, safe idea and execute! Fleece is always great, but other textures can be visually pleasing too. For my holiday shoot this year, I went with simple silver and white tree decorations, along with a chunky knit sweater. It’s important to note that these decorations are obviously not safe for consumption, so I would not suggest this for anyone who is starting out with shoots; managing the talent on set is a huge part of the multitasking these types of productions require! Lulu Munching Warm Holidays The final step is to shoot away! I like to set up the scene, get the lights on, take a few test shots, and then plop them in one by one to see how they react. Normally, my chins are very confused at the new environment, so they’ll take 10 seconds to look around before dashing off. Those 10 seconds are crucial! With a fast continuous shooting mode, you can grab up to 8 images per second – more than enough to finalize at least one adorable final shot. Mitty Holidays Knowing your chinchillas, staying very patient, and setting realistic expectations is key: after shooting for years with them, I know that Fifi will be tough to contain (she has a strong dislike for unfamiliar environments) – so during this year’s shoot, she slipped out of the roster by her own sheer determination. Remember, it’s your own selfish cute-loving self who happens to be encouraging them to pose for adorable photos, so never get frustrated if things aren’t working out. If someone is being a diva, simply save the shoot for another day. Or, if you know a shoot is coming up, hold off on safe chews and treats for the week prior and let them munch on set. If difficulties arise, the rule is: better safe than sorry, always! It’s not worth straining your relationship with your beloved chin over some images. Muff Holiday Warm Eating Don’t be apprehensive to reinvent the concept if needed. Sometimes, simple is better. A fleece backdrop and a chew stick can yield incredibly cute shots, too! Staying basic is an awesome way to start learning how your chins will behave in front of the lights and camera. It’s always truly just a buildup of trust, anyhow. We all wish you a very warm and happy holidays with tons of bonding and photography, sweet friends! Koko Cute Head Warm Holidays

LY Chinchillas Treat Donation

Donate healthy, delicious treats to LY Chinchillas to help keep our content going!

$5.00

On the other side of winter, at last! The flowers are bursting into full bloom, the wind spins with a warmer embrace, and the sun basks our relieved faces. Yes, this is the start of the warmer season: spring, into summer, and eventually, autumn. This time of year spurs great activity, fun times, and for chinchilla owners, the annual realization that your electricity bill is about to jump! Yes, air conditioning is the only way to ensure your chinchillas will be enjoying a safe and healthy environment, and it’s a cost that simply cannot be discounted.

Muff Windowsill

Excerpt from Chinchilla Basics 101: “Temperature: chinchillas can overheat at temperatures over 75°F, as they do not have sweat glands. Chinchillas have 50-100 hairs per follicle, as compared to a human’s 1 to 1 ratio. They are built for high altitude, cold environments with very low humidity. Owners are responsible for recreating that environment – it’s suggested to keep your chin’s living space between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit (still comfortable for owners, safe for chinchillas). Red ears are a sure sign of overheating: if your chinchilla is too hot, be sure to place him/her in a cool environment with a cool slab of granite and closely monitor his or her water and food consumption. Be sure to always have a 24-hour exotic vet’s contact information on hand, in case of emergency.“

Mitty Slab Granite

For those living in a temperate environment, here are a few basic pointers that can help with your chinchilla care regime during spring, summer, and hot autumn months. For those living in warm environments year-round, these tips can serve to help you maintain your chinchilla’s health.

Air Conditioner: The most basic of all the warmer weather needs for your chinchilla: the air conditioner! Yes, the costly coolness machine. I’ve encountered far too many chinchilla owners on social media that are simply unaware of how imperative this element is. No, fans will not work: moving warm air around will not decrease the air temperature. Fans only work on animals that can sweat, slicking away sweat from skin – chinchillas do not have sweat glands, and will experience absolutely no benefit from a fan’s moving air. If you are still living with your parents, it’s necessary that you communicate how dangerous it is to neglect this element of a chinchilla’s care, and offer your handy dandy chore services to make up for their A/C costs. If you are unable to give your chinchillas one of their most fundamental needs, then perhaps it is time to reevaluate your chinchilla’s living situation.
Keep Your Chinchillas Away from Direct Sunlight: Chinchillas should not be exposed to direct sunlight without supervision, and should not experience direct sunlight for an extended period of time (I will allow my chinchillas to be photographed by the window for no more than 5-10 minutes on a partly cloudy day). Chins are prone to overheating, and a sunny day could lead to deadly consequences. It’s best to keep your chinchilla in a cool area with air conditioning, ventilation, and low humidity.
Thermometer: A must for all chin owners! This is a simple and inexpensive tool that can help alert you of rising temperatures. Sure, 75°F may feel perfect for us humans, but it’s important to try to keep your chinchilla’s living space as cool and dry as possible. One eye on the thermometer for several months will give you a great sense of what the temperature is in your chin’s room, and prompt you to make any needed adjustments as quickly as possible.
Blackout Curtains: These types of curtains are great! In the winter, they keep heat in – but in the summer, the keep heat out. Of course, blackout curtains alone will not be enough for your chinchilla. This type of curtain will serve to help keep your energy costs down, acting in a synergistic way with your existing air conditioning unit.
Dehumidifier: If you’re living in an area with chronic humidity, a dehumidifier goes hand-in-hand with a great air conditioner. Removing the humidity from the air will make your chinchilla’s living situation much more safe. Heat and humidity work together in a negative way, compounding both elements into an extremely uncomfortable situation. Heat alone can be harmful and humidity alone can be harmful, but heat and humidity together can create an unbearable situation for your chinchilla.
Cool Stone Slabs: Granite or marble cooling slabs direct from the fridge serve to chill out your chinchilla briefly. These will only be effective at lower temps, and only for a certain amount of time. Chins will transfer their heat into the slabs, and render them ineffective after the heat transfer has evened out. At higher temperatures, these slabs won’t stay cool for long, and the environment will serve to bring an equilibrium to the cool tiles.
Ice Pack with Fleece Cover: In a more dire heat situation, an ice pack (or several pieces of ice in a plastic bag) with a secure fleece cover will provide a longer lasting coolness to your chinchilla without the fear of them biting into the plastic. This cooling method will only last as long as the ice does, and buy some time for owners to be able to bring the overall temperature down by the time the ice melts.
Maintain a Dusting Routine: Dusting has many long-term benefits for chinchillas: by dusting to achieve clean fur, they also stay dry and prevent a buildup of dirt and grime that could serve to aid in overheating. Dusting more frequently during summer months or months of higher humidity is a common practice and a simple way of doing a little bit every day to ensure your chin’s overall health and happiness.
Minimize Activity: Putting a hiatus on out-of-cage activity or removing your chin’s wheel will help prevent overheating. The hope is that your powerful, functioning air conditioner will allow them to continue their usual activities through the warmer months, but in situations of power outages or extenuating circumstances, this is a helpful step to keeping your chins safe.
Air Conditioner: Twice on the list, because air conditioning is the point of this post. You gotta keep your chinchillas cool, and the bottom line is: A/C. All the tips between Air Conditioner and Air Conditioner on this list are only little helpful pointers that will help aid the effectiveness of your A/C or provide a respite for your chinchilla while you’re fixing your broken air conditioner or out purchasing a new one. 🙂 Happy Air Conditioning, chinchilla lovers!