Cedar Rapids wedding photographer becomes hamster photographer

When Michael Huang’s daughter asked for a pet snake, he and his wife offered a hamster instead. It would be easy, they thought.

“Boy, were we wrong,” he said, looking back at the move a few years ago. “Once we researched it, we found out everything pet stores sell you are unhealthy or dangerous for hamsters.”

So they created an environment for their first hamsters to thrive in — large glass tanks instead of tiny wire cages, plenty of room to roam, lots of toys and lots of daily interaction outside of the tank. And in the process, they realized something: when they’re not in tiny cages, their personalities come alive.

When their personalities came to life through crazy little antics, the Cedar Rapids photographer realized how photogenic they were.

Huang’s photos of the hamsters here and there, posted to social media, quickly drew the adoration of friends and family. At first, he photographed the hamsters posing or giving action shots around what they had in the house.

But before long, their fan club grew and started sending props for them — model houses built during the pandemic, hand-me-down toys from families, even a Barbie Jeep as a Christmas gift. Emboldened by their elevated lifestyle, Huang’s current models are enjoying their time in the limelight under a camera lens bigger than their bodies.

After dozens of photos, Huang started selling calendars starring them due to popular demand.

Want a calendar?

Hamster models Larry and Kit can’t sign autographs, but their posed photographs and action shots are available in an annual calendar for $20, which covers the cost of printing, plus treats and toys for the talented subjects.

To purchase the 2023 edition, email photographer Michael Huang at michael@cukini.com.

To see Huang’s wedding photography, visit cukini.com.

Meet the models: Kit and Larry

Larry and Kit, the Huang family’s current pets, have each developed their own niche in their modeling careers. Both are great subjects for different reasons.

Kit, who is almost 2 years old with shades of short, chestnut brown hair, was adopted from Des Moines Hamily Rescue, a hamster rescue group. When Kit sees the camera, he knows what to do.

“Once he sees a camera, he always poses,” Huang said. “He stops and … looks at you with eyes really big. He’s not active.”

The quieter of the model pair, his best shots capture a stillness that has composed some of Huang’s favorite shots, including a curled-up nap in the center of lined-up billiard balls on a pool table.

“They only live for about 2 years. But if their pictures make somebody happy and get shared 5-6 years down the road and give some enjoyment, it’s almost like they’re still alive and running around somewhere.”

Larry, a 1-year-old with varying shades of whispy, blond hair, is responsible for the action shots. He was adopted by the Huang family at a Cedar Rapids Petsmart after being returned twice by families who weren’t prepared for his level of activity needs.

“People think hamsters are beginner pets for toddlers, then realize the upkeep,” Huang explained.

Hamster care

While hamsters are often thought of as beginner pets with easy care, proper care can be quite complex. Huang asks families considering hamster adoption to research the best ways to care for hamsters before adopting.

He recommends starting with research at ontariohamsters.ca.

Larry was friendly, but just too active for the ones who tried to adopt him first.

“He doesn’t really look at the camera but he’ll do silly things like sitting in the car with his arms out,” Huang said.

Some of his best shots show him driving a Barbie Jeep, exploring a cafe and selecting the right liquor for his nightcap from single-shot bottles.

Neither of the models take well to costumes, perhaps to the disappointment of Huang’s costume designer wife, Kathryn. In time, the family hopes to recruit future models who may take better to stomping the runway.

“We tried to make outfits for them, but once they wear something, their personality gets dampened,” Huang explained. “They get angry, moody, struggle to get out of it. So I can’t get good photos like that.”

How to photograph hamsters

Unlike dogs and cats, the family’s hamsters can’t be easily bribed or directed with treats to pose well for photos. Acting as their own directors, they pose on their own time, and the camera comes out when they’re in the mood to do something.

With the exception of some seasonal shots for their calendars, most photos are impromptu. Huang compares it to the work of National Geographic wildlife photographers.

“They spend months in the field to capture 10 minutes,” he said. “You have to be patient, wait for them to perform rather than forcing it.”

While they’re used to having huge cameras in front of their face, any good photographer of humans can see when they’re not feeling their best. Often, it can take about 30 photos to get one that makes the cut for Huang.

Honing his craft

Previously a hobby photographer of his pet cats, Huang got into professional photography by accident when he was messaged 10 years ago with a request for a wedding shoot.

Since then, he’s captured humans in all kinds of settings, from professional fire performances and circus acts to portraits. For fun, he takes photos of the stars in the sky.

But hamster photographer brings its own lessons to human photography that the traveling photographer continues to apply at weddings in Iowa and other states. Capturing small subjects has sharpened his macro photography, giving him more skilled detail shots at weddings.

“Having a hamster experience makes me think (about) human-sized stuff, how close we can get before we lose focus or artistic framing,” he said.

Learning how to bring out the best of one’s personality and get the most organic shots without forcing it applies well to weddings, too. He simply has to work with what he has.

“I’m just there to capture the story,” he said. “How do we make the best of it and create the best photos?”

Why he does it

There’s not much money to be had in hamster calendars, so far. But the photographer continues to capture his pets for other reasons.

With an average life span of only two to three years, photography is how Huang captures the legacy of his family’s tiniest members.

Calypso, one of the family’s first hamsters, still has photos circulating today after dying two years ago — each one bringing as much joy now to viewers as they did then.

“They only live for about two years. But if their pictures make somebody happy and get shared five, six years down the road and give some enjoyment, it’s almost like they’re still alive and running around somewhere,” Huang said.

Comments: (319) 398-8340; elijah.decious@thegazette.com