Almond Joy
Grey Squirrel at my bay window
Grey Squirrel at my bay window
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Canon EOS 7D Mark II
Aperture f/6.3 ISO 1600 Shutter 1/400 Focal Length 256/1 
Raymond, Mississippi, US
May, 2021Views
125
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken from my kitchen bay window very close to the corner where the squirrel was eating the food I put there in hopes of shots like this of birds, chipmunks, and squirrels.Time
I captured this shot one partly cloudy May day at about 11 one Friday morning. The birds, chipmunks, and squirrels were quick to find the fruit and nut bird food I placed on the brick ledge at that corner of the house. Squirrels prefer nuts, and the almonds are their favorite.Lighting
The lighting was partially filtered by very tall, established red oak trees which kept the fig tree leaves in the background from being too bright. It was also partly cloudy. My shutter speed was set 1/400 and my ISO was 1600 in hopes of capturing a red-headed woodpecker landing. The aperture was 6.3 to blur the background. Focal length was 256.Equipment
The equipment I always use shooting small wildlife through my kitchen bay window is a Canon EOS 7D Mark II with a Tamron SP 150-600mm F5-6.3 Di VC lens mounted on an Opteka gimbal head on my Pro Master tripod. I also used a cable shutter release.Inspiration
I want to capture the many expressions of squirrels as they enjoy eating. This is a favorite because the squirrel actually looks relaxed and happy.Editing
This photo remarkably needed minimal post processing. I barely tweaked contrast and brightness, cropped a bit, and added my copyright in Photoshop.In my camera bag
Canon EOS 7D Mark II camera, Tamron 16-300mm lens, Tamron 150-600mm lens, and Canon100-400mm lens; lens cleaning supplies, an aluminum tripod for small lens and a Pro Master tripod with Opteka gimbal head for larger lenses, extra batteries, extra memory card, and cable releases both wired and wireless.Feedback
If you want to capture a similar picture, I suggest a long lens, a discreet place to hide (the wildlife at certain times of day barely notice me in my bay window), and morning or evening natural light. A dark background just far enough away from the animal is a plus, also. That way you can open the aperture enough to blur the background while keeping your subject sharp. I generally focus on the eyes to capture the catchlights when possible. Use a tripod and cable release to eliminate camera shake. With the right food and a lot of patience, you can attract beautiful wildlife in your own yard!
