Squirrel face_1857_my window_wet head_1-2016
Squirrel sitting in my window, eating seeds. It was a little rainy that day, so the rain drops clung to his hair.
Squirrel sitting in my window, eating seeds. It was a little rainy that day, so the rain drops clung to his hair.
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Jan, 2016Views
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HollyakaFredliness
March 26, 2018
Thank you everyone! I had been putting seed on my bedroom window so I could get closer without scaring the birds & squirrels away. Unfortunately I had to stop doing this because I could hear them walking around which would wake me up to early in the morning.
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo from my home thru a window on a cold spring day. There is actually a little rain on the fur of his head. I live in Michigan and we can get all three seasons, sometimes four seasons in one day.Time
This was taken during the day, most likely early evening, in early spring. We just had some rain that day.Lighting
No special lighting, except that of the day light. I did however, play with the ISO and the shutter speed to get the light I needed when taking this thru a window.Equipment
I used a Sony SLT A57 camera with my 70mm - 300mm zoom lens that came with the camera. I didn't use any equipment other than holding the camera still while sitting in a chair.Inspiration
I enjoy taking pictures of almost anything really, but nature is my favorite thing to take pictures of. I love animals, bugs, and flowers, and wanted a good picture of the birds & squirrels in the yard in winter. Which is why the windows to the back yard are probably the cleanest windows in the house, because I didn't want any dirt or spots showing in the pictures. I also put bird seed on the outside of the window sill, to get the birds and squirrels to come sit and have a snack. On a side note, if you are a light sleeper who isn't a morning person, don't do this for to long because the sounds of the birds pecking and the squirrels claws will wake you in the morning.Editing
I am a self taught photographer so I usually do post processing to every picture that looks good because even though you think it looks good, it looks even better when you enhance the contrast, sharpen, and deepen the colors. I have learned to lighten the eyes of some subjects when they are to dark to bring out the face better and to crop some photo's so there isn't a large section that has nothing to add to the photo. I haven't played much with raw images, so I only use Jpeg images, but I have my camera set to take both raw & Jpeg pictures, so I can use either one when needed.In my camera bag
I only have 2 lenses for my Sony camera (will have more someday), so they both go where ever I do. I love taking macro pictures the most, so I also have some close up lenses that I can attach to my 18mm - 55mm lens. Once in a while I will take my tripod, but that usually sits in the corner of the room or in my vehicle. Don't forget to always take the extra battery with you, because when you're having fun taking pictures, you'll forget that the battery is running low...and an extra memory card too is a good thing.Feedback
It's a good thing if you are able to set up a tripod, but when you have animals and birds that move a lot, it's just easier to hold your camera. If you can position your arm or hand on your lap or something solid it will help a lot for movement. Also, take a lot of pictures of the same subject because you never know which one will turn out the best. I have found if I stop to look at each picture I took, I have missed out on another shot that could have been better, so just keep shooting and check them later. That's the nice thing about digital, you can get rid of the really bad pictures and not waste money on film and having a picture turn out bad. You will need patients to be able to wait for the right moment or a close enough shot. Don't be afraid to change your settings, as it will sometimes turn out better than you thought it would. I have a couple of buttons on my camera that will allow me to change the ISO and shutter speed with a flick of a finger, so that has helped just practicing while holding the camera and being able to lighten or darken a picture so it looks nicer. I am also one of the of those people that likes looking thru the view finder because my eyes aren't as good as they used to be, but I do use the window in the back of the camera for shots that won't let you position yourself behind the view finder. I've read that it's better to take photos early in the morning or late afternoon, but also when it's over cast. I am a self taught photographer and so most of this is new to me. Just remember, practice, patients and getting a different angle will help a lot. Oh, and don't always take a picture straight on...another angle or slightly off center turns out better in my opinion. For those people that can't afford or don't have a good photo processing program, try (Photoscape.org) it will let you play with your photo's for free and is user friendly. I hope this will help someone else to take better pictures.
