Captivating Campbell's (Sam's Hams Official Thread)

[Poptart]

They are gorgeous! Stunning photos! Little Falkens face is just sooo cute!! I love Adrians coloring, his eyes seem to just seem to go so well with his coat! The BEA girls are beautiful and Zuko's very handsome!

[obscura]

Originally Posted by msalisoncarroll

i want to come and ham nap them all esp adrian, he's just stole my heart xxx

Haha, thank you! Actually, Adrien is my favorite as well

Originally Posted by Kirsty1987

They are all stunning love the video of all the babies trying to climb on your hand so cute

Thank you very much! The video actually belongs to Kaanli Hamstery, as that was a litter she produced awhile back. Just an example of how tame they are. I have obtained all of my hams from her, and have been learning through her and from online sources/other breeders/forums about breeding Campbell's.

Originally Posted by StuCil

They're really gorgeous, nice pics! I love the way you photographed them x

Thanks, it's so hard to get the lighting just right! It's easier with natural lighting near the window, but I only have time to photograph them in the evening after work. My weekends have been super busy lately!

Originally Posted by lisab

Fancy sending some BEA's over hear :P. I would really like to produce chocs one day. I have my fingers crossed that it pops up in my opal line one day (as it has for the siblings with their breeder)
Keep the pretty photos coming

Hehe, they are some stunning BEA's, right? I can't take credit for producing them. They are from Kaanli Hamstery. I am currently breeding Isis and Freyja with the opal male. Hoping to produce some chocolates in the near future as well!!! But for now, my mentor suggests that I solidify the BEA gene because it may be hard to come by in the future... Honestly, I don't even know of any other Campbell's breeders in the US other than AAA and Holmden.

Originally Posted by essentiallysue

What gorgeous hamsters! So healthy and happy looking! Prize winning pictures. Thank you for sharing them.

Thanks, I sure hope they are I'll definitely have more pictures soon!

Originally Posted by amie

Stunning photos. Really enjoyed looking at them.

Thank you.

Originally Posted by Poptart

They are gorgeous! Stunning photos! Little Falkens face is just sooo cute!! I love Adrians coloring, his eyes seem to just seem to go so well with his coat! The BEA girls are beautiful and Zuko's very handsome!

Falken is a stunning little man. He's nuts, but I love him! He and Adrien are such great boys together. I don't think Adrien cares for Zuko, but Zuko is busy with his ladies right now. Hopefully I will be able to introduce all three boys well. If it doesn't work out, I can try to put him with some of his sons from Isis' litter (which will hopefully come along soon).

[HammieandMerlin]

I looooooooove your opals, they are so so beautiful! Your photos are all stunning, you should be very proud

[Cupcake]

Wow Falken and Zuko are absolutely gorgeous!! all of your hams are but they have definitely caught my eye!!! <3 Very nice hamily you have I wants me some dwarfs now!
I have a few technical questions: 1. what camera do you use? 2. what lens do you use? 3. do you photograph using Time value?

[obscura]

Originally Posted by HammieandMerlin

I looooooooove your opals, they are so so beautiful! Your photos are all stunning, you should be very proud

Thanks! Only Zuko is opal. I am definitely proud of these hams. I speak very highly of the breeder who produced them.

Originally Posted by Cupcake

Wow Falken and Zuko are absolutely gorgeous!! all of your hams are but they have definitely caught my eye!!! <3 Very nice hamily you have I wants me some dwarfs now!
I have a few technical questions: 1. what camera do you use? 2. what lens do you use? 3. do you photograph using Time value?

Haha, thanks, I don't think there's a soul out there who doesn't like Falken! Zuko has an AWESOME disposition. He's really fantastic.

To answer your questions, I use a Nikon D90 with a 200mm Nikkor zoom lens, and no I do not use time value - I either use Automatic or Manual settings. I rarely use the "in between" settings like the shutter priority (time value). If I'm going to make personal adjustments, I go fully manual and adjust the settings accordingly... I'd like to get a lens better suited for this type of photography. The lens I'm using now is really not good for it, but I make due with what I have.

[Cupcake]

Thank you Obscura! Well hard not to love Falken to be honest haha. I read a few articles on wildlife photography and the photographer that wrote it mentioned using shutter priority to shoot because sometimes there is movement but it's so small that we don't see it until we transfer the photos. I did however try that on Cupcake but didn't work to my advantage and so I wondered how you went about getting great photos of your hammies. Also now that you mentioned a proper lens for this type of photography I was wondering what sort of lens are you considering?
Hope I'm not bugging you much but I'm quite curious as photography became my main hobby a few months back with my first SLR. Thank youuu!!

[obscura]

Originally Posted by Cupcake

Thank you Obscura! Well hard not to love Falken to be honest haha. I read a few articles on wildlife photography and the photographer that wrote it mentioned using shutter priority to shoot because sometimes there is movement but it's so small that we don't see it until we transfer the photos. I did however try that on Cupcake but didn't work to my advantage and so I wondered how you went about getting great photos of your hammies. Also now that you mentioned a proper lens for this type of photography I was wondering what sort of lens are you considering?
Hope I'm not bugging you much but I'm quite curious as photography became my main hobby a few months back with my first SLR. Thank youuu!!

You're not bugging me at all! I love to talk about photography.

Shutter priority is very helpful for those small movements. You also have to be quick to catch it. It can take multiple tries before a photographer gets the shot he or she is satisfied with. Out of HUNDREDS of shots, these are the ones I select. The ones I approve of. It helps if you have a fast lens. My lens is fast, but not fast enough. Basically what I mean is you have to have the right shutter speed and f/stop to get the right amount of light in.

Pictures become blurry when these settings are not set right. One problem I run into commonly is having the aperture open too long. When the aperture opens, it can be a small opening or a wide opening. Light pours in through the opening and lands on a sensor, which is how you capture a photo. If you shoot too quickly and don't let in enough light, the picture is dark. If you shoot too slow and let in a lot of light, the picture can be washed out and because the hamster was not sitting still, it is also likely to be blurry!

Am I making sense? xD

Basically with the right settings, you let in the right amount of light for the right amount of time to get the perfect shot. But it takes several tries, even for a professional photographer.

Shutter priority, I believe, is where you set the shutter speed and the camera will set everything else for you. I use manual because I'm able to set ALL of the settings accordingly. The shutter speed, the f/stop, etc.

Distance also plays a role in how you're able to capture a photograph. It can get kind of technical!

My advice is to photograph in a well lit area. That way you can shoot faster and get a sharper image (as opposed to shooting slower and getting a blurry image). If you take photos in a well lit area, the aperture will not have to stay open very long in order for the right amount of light to hit the sensor. The longer it takes for the right amount of light to hit the sensor, the blurrier the image will be.

A micro lens is more suitable. You can get in closer to the object, and shoot quicker.

[strawberrysmom]

You are next to me in Virginia - I'm in Maryland and I am from the Outer Banks so I cross through to "go home" to visit my family all the time. If you are still raising litters in another year I hope that I can get my hammys from you!! Seeing these pictures make me want some now but of course I have more than enough at this time! I'm excited someone nearby will be breeding. I don't want to get hamsters from petstores ever again.

[Biscotti]

Wow, you have such breathtakingly beautiful hams! It's very hard for me to pick a favorite since I love them all, but I have to say Adrien's ruby eyes are really stunning.

[RachK]

OMG! How have I missed this thread. What stunning Campbell's you have. I can't pick a favourite as they are all so beautiful & cute! Thanks for sharing these.