<< Previous Next >>

BACK Off!!


BACK Off!!
Photo Information
Copyright: Silke Force (Silke) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 727 W: 98 N: 1694] (5406)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-08-29
Categories: Mammals, Humorous
Camera: Nikon Coolpix 5700
Exposure: f/5.9, 1/512 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2007-09-10 6:23
Viewed: 1457
Points: 38
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Before I begin, I feel I have to apologize for the small size of this image. Because there is so much detail in the bark, I had to reduce the size of the image as well as reducing it in quality below my norms. This is all the way down to a 7/12 in quality (my previous minimum had only been 8/12 and I had still been able to post an 800 pixel image) and I welcome any suggestions to avoid that in the future.

A return to my archives for a shot that may make you smile: my old university campus friend, “Squirt the Squirrel.” Squirrel is the common name for rodents of the family Sciuridae (from Greek skia "shadow" and oura "tail" i.e. "tail that casts a shadow").

This lass is an Eastern Gray Squirrel who makes her home in a tree in the quadrangle of Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario. She’s used to humans, but not to cameras, which must resemble an oversized eye to her. Far from being tame, she keeps a good distance between herself and the students who use the nearby picnic tables, but she will forage in the scraps occasionally left behind.

Of course, her primary ancestral food consisted of nuts, which she would bury in a hole dug with her strong forefeet, often nipping off the germinating end of the nut before she buried it. Squirrels have an amazing sense of smell and are able to locate buried nuts under a foot of snow. If snowfalls are heavy, they simply tunnel under it to get closer to the scent. On this campus, she can also dine on maple buds, magnolia blossoms, apples, fungi and the occasional insect.

I saw her tail first, for it appears that she was busy with a bit of housekeeping in her grass-clipping lined hollow and only turned to see who was creeping up on her. She poked her nose (still festooned with a bit of grass) out of the hole, barked at me and then drew in her tail seconds later.
Squirrels (even those who do not choose university campuses as their homes :D) are clever, adaptable creatures, and as proof, I offer you a link to three very short videos made by the B.B.C. Worldwide over ten years ago: http://www.squirrels.org/video.html

Thanks for looking and have a wonderful week
uleko, jmirah, ramthakur, eqshannon, gracious, hester, Silvio2006, marhowie, earthtraveler, pierrefonds, angybone, parthasarathi has marked this note useful
Only registered TrekNature members may rate photo notes.
Add Critique [Critiquing Guidelines] 
Only registered TrekNature members may write critiques.
Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To claudine: the other shotSilke 1 09-10 18:40
You must be logged in to start a discussion.

Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2991 W: 162 N: 949] (2787)
  • [2007-09-10 6:35]

Hello Silke,
What a lovely capture from your archives! He looks really cute in that hole with the tail hanging out. Beautiful light and lovely colours. Very well-timed shot and I like the composition.
TFS and regards, Ulla

Lovely captured and good composition with clarity, colour and details.
Best wishes,
Achim

Hi Silke,
Squirrels are obsessively curious. I learned that from hunting them. Put a nut, shiney penny or any object under a small pile of pebbles/rocks and it will drive the animal crazy. Just sit back and if a squirrel is in any nearby tree it will soon be checking out what you have hidden. Anyway, a fine capture of the squirrel peeking out to see what you are doing. A great POV along with outstanding color and detail. Very well captured.

TFS
Jim

The Squirrel looking back at you from the tree hole looks very cute, Silke.
The bark of the tree also adds to the original beauty of this composition.
Thanks for sharing and best regards.

Hello Silke
This is a great picture..I love the way his tail is hanging out of his home as well making him look as as if he doesnt know whether hes coming or going!!
TFS
Paul

Coincidentally I took a picture of a squirrel from quite a distance yesterday. He would not let me come near and I had wrong lens. So under all conditions, this is much better than you think, me thinks! The tree works well as a frame and indeed is what most good true frames are made of, with exception that those types are dead wood. So you have a natural wood frame. Very good. Extra points:-) Nice notes..
Bob

Hello Silke,
Very good exposure and focus on this little cuttie!
good pov with perfect sharpness, vivid colour and much details in it
very well composed and well seen
thanks for sharing
greeting
Tony

  • Great 
  • hester Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1515 W: 18 N: 3165] (11638)
  • [2007-09-10 11:15]

LOL that is so cute Silke. I love that pose. Great POV, wonderful colours and textures and a sharp shot

TFS

Karan

Coucou Silke, very cute squirrel in nice pose, lovely composition with splendid sharpness, very well done, ciao Silvio

What a fine capture, my friend!
This is one of those wonderful shots when you you were there just at the right time and took every advantage from it! What detail! Grass on the nose and all!
The whole of the shot is great - the squirrel and the incredibly detailed bark!

Kind regards,
Bev :-)

ps Thank you for you kind comment on 'Sunshine comes ..'

Hi Silke,
Cute image of the squirrel with the tail left behind. haha
Good POV, focus and color as well as note.
TFs
Richard

Hello Silke,
This is a very cute and funny capture! I like this perspective a lot and this grass on its nose. I still remember another similar picture you took of it. I guess that it might be coming from the same lovely series! Well done with interesting notes. Thanks,
Claudine

  • Great 
  • Juyona Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2262 W: 10 N: 2630] (15565)
  • [2007-09-10 18:40]

Hola amiga,
realmente original,
simpático trabajo y bello pov,
saludos Silke.

  • Great 
  • gannu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1169 W: 4 N: 3262] (14691)
  • [2007-09-11 1:08]

Silke, you have captured this inside the bush beautifully. I like the eye catch where the animal sense the danger. TFS Ganesh

Hi Silke,

A good POV of the squirrel in his hole, the photo has a good composition, sharpness and nice colors. Thanks for sharing.

Pierre

Thank you for sharing this cute shot with us. Today we need to be reminded of reasons to smile...seems like there's a lot of sadness. Isn't it wonderful that a photographer can change a mood!
Adorable shot! :)

Very cute capture Silke, I like it!
I think you've done an excellent job on the composition here..Although your subject seems to dis-agree ;}
Well done!
Howard

  • Great 
  • arfer Gold Star Critiquer [C: 2731 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2007-09-11 10:37]

Hello Silke

Very cute!

Well seen and captured.The composition is lovely.The look you are getting is priceless.Very good POV and DOF.Thi squirrels spine must be rubber.TFS

Rob

A lovely shot of Grey squirrel. Also a nice note.

Calibration Check
















0123456789ABCDEF