Vi that's all really brilliant stuff, like you I just LOVE taking pictures of my animals and the only advice I could offer with regards to "light" is take them outside, I photograph the majority of my adult mice outside no replacement for decent daylight 
The babies I just photograph in their nest from the top but adults I tend to hold in one hand and photograph with them other, they are quite happy to climb all over my hand on an extended arm for quite a while offering various angles
The babies I just photograph in their nest from the top but adults I tend to hold in one hand and photograph with them other, they are quite happy to climb all over my hand on an extended arm for quite a while offering various angles
