Red Squirrel Close-up

[Nicks Pics]

I finally got the notion to try a low POV for wildlife, like most of the better photographers would in this sort of situation, and I like it for 2 or 3 reasons: 1: It gives a preferable background, (since it is blurred since it is farther away) 2: It gives a less ordinary perspective, and it gets you down to the animal's eye-level.

I had exposed this image a little on the bright side, (which I actually think can be attractive, and makes less noise, in certain circumstances), and so I processed the image two different ways, and put them together, because I liked the light and blurred BG, but the squirrel needed more contrast, sharpening, and to be darkened.
1/60 sec. ISO 400, F6.4,

[Brownbear]

Hi Nick,

Gorgeous bokeh, detail and colour.

Just a note to say that it is special when you can manage a lower perspective, however, be aware of your immediate surroundings. I finally managed to find a sea otter the other day but my images are all heading to the trash mostly because there was green grass in the immediate foreground, which showed up as blurred green streaks on the otter.

[Bobobird]

Excellent shot.

Christina - that happens all the time but sometimes one does not need the whole animal to be showing. A bit of foreground that is not obstructive is usually good.

[Brownbear]

Hi Bobo,

Thank you for taking the time to advise... If I recall correctly the otters have lots of blurred green stripes in the worst places, and I'm heartbroken. (: However, now that I know where they live I hope to visit them again.

Excellent shot.

Christina - that happens all the time but sometimes one does not need the whole animal to be showing. A bit of foreground that is not obstructive is usually good.

[Nicks Pics]

Hi Nick,

Gorgeous bokeh, detail and colour.

Just a note to say that it is special when you can manage a lower perspective, however, be aware of your immediate surroundings. I finally managed to find a sea otter the other day but my images are all heading to the trash mostly because there was green grass in the immediate foreground, which showed up as blurred green streaks on the otter.

Thanks very much for the comments. That is a good warning. It did happen here too, as you see, some other shots of this squirrel were also messed up by grass. Don't through all the shots of your varmint away over it, and I won't through out all of mine

Slightly over exposing sometimes helps bring out detail, I find, and darkening works better than lightening an under exposed image in cases like this. At least that's how I find it with my bridge camera, with which this was taken.

Bobo, thanks for the input.

[Brownbear]

Hi Nick,

My experience is fresh in my mind, hence the note. I'm not speaking of little bits of stray grass on my otters. I should've brought along a pair of grass cutters.

Anyhow, lovely shot beautifully processed, too!

[Dave Humphries]

Your notion has worked very well Nick.

You were lucky at 1/60s, I find these critters (well, the UK 'greys' I usually encounter) tend to 'shiver' or twitch a lot and many of my shots are spoilt by being soft due to subject movement (even when they are sitting just like this).

As an observation on the species, we photographers are fortunate that it is almost impossible not to get an eye in shot no matter what angle they are shot from

Well done, Dave

[Nicks Pics]

I should probably mention that this shot used bait. What I was actually trying to do at the time was get some pictures of flying chickadees, though I did not get any that were satisfactory.

Your notion has worked very well Nick.

You were lucky at 1/60s, I find these critters (well, the UK 'greys' I usually encounter) tend to 'shiver' or twitch a lot and many of my shots are spoilt by being soft due to subject movement (even when they are sitting just like this).

As an observation on the species, we photographers are fortunate that it is almost impossible not to get an eye in shot no matter what angle they are shot from



Well done, Dave

Thank you Dave.

Yes, I know a slow shutter speed like 1/60 is probably a strange idea to most animal photographers for a critter like this, but high ISO is such an issue for my SL1000 that When the squirrel came by I thought I would drop my settings way down (from what I had been using for the chickadees) for a chance at better quality. This is the twitchiest squirrel in these parts, as far as I can tell. It is smaller than the common gray squirrel here.

As an observation on the species, we photographers are fortunate that it is almost impossible not to get an eye in shot no matter what angle they are shot from

A funny observation. Another critter with which I have had similar success is the cottontail. You wouldn't have expected to get both eyes in from this angle

[Dave Humphries]

I guess if you're at the lower end of the food chain, evolution dictates you'd better develop 'eyes in the back of your head' - or the next best thing

[Shadowman]

Nicely captured.

[Nicks Pics]

I guess if you're at the lower end of the food chain, evolution dictates you'd better develop 'eyes in the back of your head' - or the next best thing

Just to mention, Evolutionary theories should be accepted with caution, not to say that natural selection is totally invalid, but the extent of change it can bring is more limited than you are usually told in media.



Thanks John