The Chipmunk Pip
This is one of my local chipmunk friends whom I have named Pip. I feed him, and in return, he lets me photograph him... Or try to at least since he's always mov...
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This is one of my local chipmunk friends whom I have named Pip. I feed him, and in return, he lets me photograph him... Or try to at least since he's always moving. I think the black and white was better able to capture his details.
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Jul, 2014Views
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Awards
Action Award
Zenith Award
Top Shot Award 22
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Curator's Selection
Legendary Award
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Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Outstanding Creativity
Exceptional Contrast
Magnificent Capture
One Of A Kind
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in my back yard, on our stone patio. We back right onto a massive forest, so wildlife is a very common factor. We'll typically also have 2-4 chipmunk burrows that we know about where we can wait to find them. This one came out of the one that's hidden beneath our pool stairs. With a few handfuls of seed it was easy to lure this little guy closer to the house.Time
I remember that this was such a nice, warm summer afternoon. (That's why I had enough time to wait for the little sucker.) The sun was out, but filtering through the leaves as it went into the afternoon created a beautiful ambiance for this particular shot.Lighting
When I took this shot I was at a point in my photography where I wasn't as concerned or knowledgable about lighting and other factors that are, in reality, VERY important. It's was also hard to get the chipmunk to come out of hiding and trust me, so I wasn't too concerned about lighting. Where the shot ended up happening, the chipmunk was under a swing, which actually worked out perfectly when it shaded the shot from the summer sunlight. Looking back, I don't think I would change anything about the lighting because the way it is looks natural and has a more realistic light. Now however, I pay much more attention to the lighting situation as it really can make or break a shot. My best advice would be to not shoot into direct sunlight if you can avoid it, and to wait until the sun is literally setting to get the most beautiful hues of light.Equipment
This was shot with a Nikon D3200, f/5.6. Other than my camera all that I used was seed to lure in wildlife, and a pillow to steady me or my camera.Inspiration
When I took this photograph I was looking to practice different kinds of photography. I had been outside previously wandering the forest behind my house to find beautiful nature or landscape photos, but I didn't find very many. Coming back to the house I saw the chipmunk run by and thought that I may as well try my hand at animal photography while I had the chance. When I started to get closer and closer to him, I got more excited and even tried my hand at different angles.Editing
As I've mentioned, I'm not the most experienced photographer in the world. All the same, I did do some post-processing. Mostly it involved making the photo black and white, fixing the white balance, and cropping the photo so that it was most focused on the cute furry face than the brick background.In my camera bag
Normally in my bag I have my basic Nikon D3200, as well as my polarizing filter just in case I come across a good opportunity to use it. A few extra memory cards make their permanent home in my camera bag too because, as I've learned the hard way, you simply can't take more pictures with a full memory card, and the pictures I've already taken are too precious to delete. Finally, my I-Pad Mini will also come along as well so I can have some inspiration close at hand, and so I can do some test composition shots.Feedback
Well photographing animals can be very tricky. The main thing you need to consider is that you need to gain their trust, and have a way to be close to them. This, in turn, requires a whole ton of patience and some creativity. You have to wait and not move an inch until you're sure that your subject won't bolt. Also, make sure that you're comfortable in whatever position you end up in. You'll be there for a while haha.
