Various industries have been affected by the significant economic impact of the coronavirus and, unfortunately, photographers weren’t exempt. The Royal Photographic Society noted in a recent article that several photographers have paused production, galleries have shut down, camera sales have dropped by 64 percent, and “countless photographers” have ended up jobless.
Considering the negative impact the pandemic may have had on your career, you’re probably looking for some inspiration. Check out the following ideas for photos that feature exotic animals—the perfect subject for a pandemic.
Start your own Dubia Roach Colony.
Photo idea: shoot an exotic amphibian in its natural habitat or climbing up a person’s arm. Roaches climbing up someone’s body could also be an artistic photo of what life during the pandemic has felt like—as though this “bug” is constantly all over us.
Whether it’s to regularly feed your pet amphibians or to bribe one living in the wild for that perfect shot, investing in adult dubia roaches will give you a hefty supply of these superior insects to feed amphibians. Unlike crickets, Dubia roaches have longer life cycles (up to two years) so they’re easier to buy in bulk and they don’t grow as fast as crickets, meaning they won’t outgrow feeding size too quickly. Also, unlike crickets, Dubia roaches cannot climb or jump so they’re less likely to escape. Plus, there is less odor when a Dubia roach dies versus the odor emitted by crickets. This makes their upkeep far easier and more pleasant. You simply clean out any mess and replace the egg cartons when they start to decompose (about every two weeks).
Egg cartons are used to allow the roaches to sit and hide (the enclosure should have smooth edges with a lid that provides ventilation). Dubia roaches can eat anything, but protein isn’t recommended for feeders. Focus on fresh fruit that is less moist, like cores from apples or bananas, powdered grains, or even dried fruit. The best part of giving Dubia roaches to your pet is that they are nutritious feeders. These roaches contain more protein than crickets, are lower in fat, are high in calcium, and are easier for your pets to digest.
According to TopFlight Dubia, the only downside to Dubia roaches is that they are the “slowest” feeder insect when it comes to their ability to be quick breeders. These experts on breeding these roaches recommend keeping your Dubia roach colony at temps between 76-79 degrees and keeping your adult female to male ratio at three adult females for every one adult male (too many males will fight). By using the larger adult females (and other appropriately sized roaches) as feeders, and replacing the breeders every eight months or so, you can keep your Dubia roach colony going strong.
Buy a used car at auction.
Photo idea: get a shot of an exotic animal crawling across the hood of your car.
Of course, you won’t want to put an exotic animal on a brand new car, but it might actually not be worthwhile to buy a new car in any case. Between the fact that a brand-new car’s value depreciates 20 percent every year after the purchase, the higher monthly payments, the higher insurance rate, the higher tax cost, and more, a new car is almost never worth the investment. By looking for a car for sale in Nigeria you can save money while finding the car you want. Instead of going to dealerships and spending too much, skip the car dealers altogether and buy a used car at auction through the Auto Auction Mall.
Once you know what kind of car you want, based on key features such as fuel economy, mileage, reliability, and the like you can search by the specific make and model. For example, you might want a Toyota Camry or a Honda Accord. Whether it’s a used Honda Accord or a pickup truck, you’ll find popular brands like Toyota, Honda, Mercedes, Lexus, International, and more to choose from. Once you’ve found the car (or cars) you want, you will make a deposit and set up an auction.
Not familiar with the auction process? No need to worry, Auto Auction Mall is known for hospitality. One of their auction specialists will be in touch with you to help you through the process. Once you win a car at auction, you will have two business days to complete the payment. You will then be guided through the shipping process, and soon after you can be taking photos of a gecko on your new-used car.
Models wearing eyelash extensions.
Photo idea: let’s be honest, every close-up shot of a model should include some long lashes (regardless of gender).
Your best bet for camera-ready lashes is going to be mink lashes. These mink lashes are not only lightweight, but they’re also reusable so they can be worn on a regular basis (up to 40 times), which gives you more bang for your buck. These magnetic lashes are easily applied using the Glamnetic liquid eyeliner to the lash line. If it’s your first time using magnetic lashes, you should consider getting a Glamnetic kit where you’ll get multiple sets of lightweight magnetic lashes, magnetic liner, tweezers, scissors, and a tool to curl the lashes. This way, you can get the lashes to different sizes to perfectly fit different eye sizes or shapes. To take the magnetic lashes off, simply pull off gently and use an oil-based makeup remover to clean.
Do a plague doctor theme.
Photo idea: there’s no better time than a worldwide pandemic to shoot the macabre. Get a model to dress up like a plague doctor or use plague doctor themed décor to set the scene. Then use a fitting exotic animal to do a creepy photoshoot.
An article published in The Atlantic reported that the “plague doctor look” began trending in 2019 and, unsurprisingly, once the pandemic hit the U.S., it “blew up.” By the end of 2020, the plague doctor had made Tumblr’s list of “biggest memes.” Take advantage of this trend while you can.
