Gray Squirrel

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This backyard Gray Squirrel is extra large with a big tail, and I never get tired of watching for shots of her with her great tail being backlit. D500, Nikon 200-500 lens, Nikon 1.4 TC, 1/800th, f 8.0, 280mm, ISO 2500, hand held, AI Clear, cropped to 3712 x 4633

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2 Likes

Really nice shot Dave. Looks like this little fellow was expecting snacks. Great capture.

Actually, she was Hoovering up crumbs from under our bird feeder which she regularly tries to get into. It’s a love/hate thing with her for me, I confess.

Totally understand, our squirrels do the same thing. I’ve given up trying to keep them off the feeders with the hopes that everyone is getting their fair share.

Gorgeous shot Dave! Nice and sharp, and that backlit tail is amazing. My only suggestion would be to maybe reduce the highlights in the foreground rock. I also tend to frame/crop shots like this so that the subject is slightly off-center - in this case maybe putting the squirrel a little further left in the frame. But that’s just a personal preference. I love the curvature of the tail and the detail you captured. Nicely done!

I just love that backlit tail, very well seen and captured !
You already have an excellent suggestion from Mark Ali, you may tone down the bright rock, so that it doesn’t take attention away from the Squirrel.

Cheers!

Nice squirrel photo, Dave. The backlit tail is the most important part of the image! The reflected light on the front of the squirrel is pretty nice also.

Awesome light on the tail and the front of the squirrel, Dave. I think tonight down the surface of the rock might make this even nicer. It is a bit blinding.

Thanks, Dennis. I haven’t commented on the VERY sunny rock but my thought process was that it pretty much matches the highlights of its tail plus it conveys why there’s so much shadow fill on the squirrel’s body. Part of the story to me. I seem to be in a minority on how brightly lit that rock is, though. Comments like these are exactly why I enjoy posting on here, and getting input. Thanks, everybody.