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Red squirrel
Red squirrel
snaffles


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Wildlife IV (Advanced Editing VII)
Collection: 2008 Challenges
Camera: Nikon D40
Lens: Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II
Location: Wiild Bird Sanctuary, Ottawa, ON
Date: Oct 16, 2008
Aperture: f5.6
ISO: 800
Shutter: 1/200
Galleries: Nature, Animals
Date Uploaded: Oct 19, 2008

Cutesy ootsy widdle wed squirrel...peacefully eating sunflower seeds and such outside a wild bird rehab centre.

Inside the rehab centre, I should add, live some birds who would make this cutesy little beastie their lunch. I did get some shots of a friendly, personable immature eagle (described by a staffer as 'a puppy dog with razor blades on his feet') who may be a bald, may be a golden, we don't know yet. But sadly I got difficult-to=PS shots under fluourescent lights of him, so went with squirrel instead.

pp: curves, contrast, magic lasso, hue/sat, warming filter, exposure, crop, resize, usm, sharpen edges, save for web

Wow, I am amazed my little squirrel did so well! So proud of him. Thanks all for the great comments and the faves!

Statistics
Place: 28 out of 159
Avg (all users): 6.4951
Avg (commenters): 7.9333
Avg (participants): 6.3562
Avg (non-participants): 6.5714
Views since voting: 2171
Views during voting: 402
Votes: 206
Comments: 35
Favorites: 5 (view)


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AuthorThread
11/02/2008 03:22:37 AM
Hello from the Critique Club!

As you already know, I thoroughly enjoyed looking at this photo during voting, and was impressed by it - I am pleased it came up for me in the CC so that I can give it another in-depth view.

Firstly the subject - an excellent choice for a Wildlife challenge, giving most viewers a glimpse of an animal they are likely to see only rarely in their lives, but that has been immortalised by Beatrix Potter in the form of Squirrel Nutkin.

Composition - the log on which the squirrel sits provides a good sense of scale, reinforcing how small the red squirrel is. Initially I was unsure about the inclusion of the tree to the left, but on reflection I feel it was important, providing an anchor; the branch acts as an arrow pointing to the main subject - if I was to be very picky, I might prefer it was a bit higher in the frame but that is perhaps being a little ultra pernickity!

Depth of Field is spot on; the squirrel and tree stump stand out well from the background, with the gorgeous bokeh providing a perfect foil, whilst still retaining enough definition to provide the necessary environmental context. Colour rendition is excellent, with a super autumnal feel which suits the subject perfectly. A couple of comments have mentioned the textures, and this is something that I didn't consciously register in my first viewing - now I see how clear they are, i believe that they are completely integral to the photos success.

All in all, a photo you should be immensely proud of, and certainly one to blow up for framing!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/01/2008 09:56:45 PM
Amazing details and lovely bokeh...
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/29/2008 09:26:37 AM
This shot would be better if this were a relocated squirrel, sporting some neat mutations. Congrats on the PB. :-)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/28/2008 05:52:33 PM
Congrats on a great finish Susan. I gave this one a 7! He is cute.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/27/2008 10:42:11 AM
Awesome photo! Congrats on the PB!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/27/2008 08:46:13 AM
Thiswas one of my few 8s in the challenge. Wonderful image. Congrats on the PB.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/27/2008 08:11:16 AM
Great shot and fantastic score. I'm happy for you. The DOF is absolutely supurb.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/27/2008 08:05:10 AM
Congrats on the new pb, nice bokeh and composition here, very well done.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/27/2008 06:52:45 AM
Congrats on new PB. Nice squirrel. Like how the vertical lines in the tree and background go nicely together.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/27/2008 06:05:47 AM
Wow, congratulations on the PB, and what a great score? But especially what a beautiful photo. Love the colors and DOF. And I like the point of view -- the squirrel looks very small on that big stump. I think it is good that you left the surrounding environment in the shot rather than cropping down to the squirrel. Oh, I forgot to mention how much I like the focus and texture.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/27/2008 05:46:47 AM
Terrific, Susan! Really excellent clean, crisp image! Congrats on a fine entry and finish!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/27/2008 04:55:00 AM
He is cute! I really like how the background sparkles. Congrats on a great shot and a fantastic score!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/27/2008 02:19:40 AM
I am so glad you went with the squirrel - I have enjoyed viewing this photo immensely, and shall continue to do so now it is in my faves!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/27/2008 12:35:08 AM
Huge congrats on the new Personal Best!! Love the light in this shot, and the background is lovely - really shows off your widdle wed squirrel very well!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/27/2008 12:08:11 AM
I thought this was adorable and a great catch. Wonderful clarity and DOF. Congrats on your new PB!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/27/2008 12:04:03 AM
congrats snaffles!!! whoo hooo!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
10/26/2008 05:13:16 PM
cool......maybe a Formby Scouse Squirrel? 9
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/26/2008 01:06:16 PM
I love red squirrel shots since there's so few of them left in Scotland, I never get to see any in the wild. This one is very cute, the focus is really clear, especially on the tail. Good composition too.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/26/2008 01:05:37 PM
I long to see a red squirrel - here in England the red squirrel population has been decimated by a virus brought in by the alien grey squirrel. Ironically the grey squirrel, whilst a carrier, is immune to the virus allowing it to become by far and away the dominant species.
Back to the photo - this is a lovely study. Your choice of doF is spot on, isolating the squirrel whilst still showing enough of the woodland background to provide environmental context. I am really pleased you didn't crop or zoom in too close.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/24/2008 07:59:55 PM
Nice shot
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/24/2008 01:19:23 AM
Perfect DOF. Great focus too.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/23/2008 09:29:02 PM
awesome focus and shallow DoF. outstanding job
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/23/2008 03:36:43 AM
I can't fault it :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/22/2008 01:04:18 PM
Exquisite capture. Only little niggle would be the intrusion of the bit of branch and leaf into the frame on the left hand side.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/22/2008 10:32:52 AM
Adorable stereotypical squirrel pose, and his red color stands out nicely on the gray stump. I'd crop/clone out the closer tree bits on the far left.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/22/2008 03:06:34 AM
Love the way you have captured the brown/tan tonings. Well done.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/21/2008 03:02:45 PM
What a wonderful Squirrel !!

The colour palette on this is magnificently Autumnal, and he is given a perfect sense of scale and proportion by the tree trunk.

There is also a delightful amount of texture in this shot - from the soft fur of the squirrel, to the gnarled old wood on the tree, and the soft shapes of the woods and leaves in the background . .

(This isn't a German Squirrel by any chance is it ? )

I would love to see this on the front page.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/20/2008 07:11:11 PM
Awww, he's cute! I love the muted colors in this one -- definitely feels like fall. Beautiful bokeh and sharpness. My only suggestion would be a tighter crop -- the stump seems more of a focal point than the squirrel does.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/20/2008 04:34:52 PM
This shot made me smile! It's wonderfully shot, the dof is great and the colours are so natural. Really great shot! 9
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/20/2008 04:02:46 PM
well I assign 10 to this photo but,but, there is a but! why you don't clone out the little distracting element on the left? the image is fantastic and the texture of trees on the background is perfect for this image.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/20/2008 02:27:48 PM
Spectacular!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/20/2008 02:15:44 PM
I wish that one dark tree on the left weren't there... it messes up a really beautifully composed image. Well done... I might have cropped the tree out, though. :) The background is fabulous.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/20/2008 01:03:55 PM
So sweet, nice to include a bit more environment. Perfect pose, and light.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/20/2008 12:47:59 PM
lol funny little squirrel. nice capture
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/20/2008 10:59:41 AM
Very good treatment of a mundane animal. You made him look interesting. Near perfect background and nice framing with the stump.
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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