What do you do when you get a D1 Air Kit for Christmas? Peter Kemmer, who describes himself as an “avid photographer, gamer, programmer, and wannabe artist,” broke it open and got right to it, with an adorably quirky portrait of his pet rat, Cheryl. Read below how he got the shot, what he loves about the D1 Air, and his thoughts on rat stereotypes.

I’m on an ongoing mission to rectify rats’ terrible PR. I’ve kept pet rats on and off since I was a teenager working at a pet store, and of all the small domesticated animals, I feel they are by far the most intelligent, loving, playful, quiet, and clean. Rats are beautiful creatures, and move with the grace of a cat with hands. I try to capture their charm in photography to fight the greasy, chittering, Hollywood stereotype… to show rats for what they are, without all the makeup and foley! As an avid hobbyist and would-be artist, they have been a frequent and beloved subject of mine. (more…)

©Matthew Seed

Matthew Seed’s website is simply called Horse Photographer. Not only does that describe what Matthew does, it also says something about his humble approach and the respect he shows for the animals he photographs.

It was for this very reason that Matthew avoided using flash for many years.

“I started out not using flash at all,” says Matthew. “I thought the horses wouldn’t like it. But I soon got bored of doing that, and my personal view on photography is that it’s all about controlling light. I know the landscape guys would say different, but for me the thrill is having that control and painting with it.”

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