Squirrel Face
This squirrel was perfectly camoflaged against the crape myrtle tree as his coat completely matched the tree bark. It wasn't until he lifted his head that...
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This squirrel was perfectly camoflaged against the crape myrtle tree as his coat completely matched the tree bark. It wasn't until he lifted his head that I finally saw him.
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Jan, 2023Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
I went on a local community’s group photo walk to Sholom Park in Ocala, Florida. It’s a lovely piece of land that is well visited by everyone, but it seems the cool temperature kept others in the photo group at home. It was only myself and the group leader which allowed for really personalised instruction.Time
The photo walk was scheduled from 10:00 am to noon, but we waited near the parking lot for ten minutes for the others to show up. This was taken midway through our walk. I almost missed this shot because the squirrel was perfectly camouflaged against the bark of the crape myrtle tree and it wasn’t until he lifted his head that I saw him there.Lighting
This is natural lighting during the late morning. The sun moved in and out of the clouds and there was a heavy canopy of shade from the surrounding trees. Contrary to general belief, most of the trees in north-central Florida are oaks which carry their leaves all year long.Equipment
This was shot with a Nikon D850 and a Nikon 18-200 DX lens. While the D850 is a full frame camera, I haven’t yet purchased a full frame lens. Walking through the park, I didn’t want to be burdened with the weight of a tripod so I hand held the camera put pushed it against a tree trunk for support.Inspiration
I belong to other photo groups and I’ve seen some beautiful examples of squirrels from around the world. The group leader and I talked about European Red Squirrels but the gray squirrel is pretty common in North America. I wanted to capture what we see and provide an example. I’m really happy with this shot.Editing
I’m really limited with a 200mm zoom lens so this image is cropped to provide a portrait of the squirrel. I then did a basic tuneup for white balance, highlights & shadows, and black & white points. I love my Topaz Labs software that will sharpen the image when my eyes fail the focus test, but this was pretty tack sharp from the get-go.In my camera bag
I love my Nikon D850 and I keep the Nikon 18-200mm zoom attached because of its versatility. I also carry a Sigma 50mm prime lens and a first generation LensBaby. An extra battery, lens hood, cleaning cloth complete my LowePro Slingshot backpack.Feedback
A nature walk in a local park might not seem terribly exciting but there is always an opportunity to capture something extraordinary if you keep your eyes open. Arm yourself with great equipment, but also be knowledgeable about the local animal population. Software that can replicate bird calls from Cornell University is amazing and brings local birds within shooting range. I had a photography instructor once tell me, “always check behind you for the hidden shot.” Now wherever I am, I will pointedly turn around and survey the scene behind me, too.
