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Spring arrives today
Although the entire winter was more like spring, today it is official :( Oh well, maybe next year. But in honour of spring here is a squidger from yesterday. Sun came out at the wrong moment and I had to work to get the shadows balanced (which of course was the entire squirrel ;) )
5D3, 200-400, 400mm, f5, ISO800.
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Lifetime Member
Hi Neil - What a cute image! Love the tufts and the pose with the flowers around. Did you provide the nut? Not sure about the color as it looks a little orange but I am not familiar with this species. I do think a crop from the bottom to remove a bit of the oof area will enhance.
TFS,
Rachel
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Sweet and Cute image !!!!
Perfect with these flowers
Greetings Eric
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Wildlife Moderator
Hi Neil, someone has been raiding the 'piggy bank' I see. 
Love the environment & setting for this one, and you still had funds left to coax the squirrel too. Can't comment too much on colour as I'm away, but overall I wonder if it needs a little drop in exposure, but using a laptop the image changes depending on your HA? Personally I would have preferred f/5.6 and ISO400, as 1/3200 seems a little high even for these guys, unless you have them jumping like Edwin. Although not a deal breaker, a hint more on the LHS would be good, the tail isn't clipped, but a fraction/sliver more I think would be good. Any chance of going even lower and getting some mush in the FG?
Overall I really like the image and the bluebells are great addition, sorry can't say 'great stuff' as it's so non descript. 
You will love the lens, it's a great addition, however I hope you still have the longer one too.
TFS
Steve
PS Would suggest moving the © as it's too distracting where it is.
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The more distracting the better Steve ;)
Yes, I like to call it "investing" rather than "spending" ;) Certainly worthless in the bank, and I cannot take it with me.
The ISO and speed are a direct result of stupid clouds and even more stupid gaps in them! There had been no sun what so ever unril that squidger sat right where I wanted it, and the sun was behind it! Unfortunately the rest of this month has been cracking flags, clouds only appear at weekends! So apologies. :p Lying down on graves is rather frowned upon, and I do not want to upset the locals, especially when I can take these during my dinner hour. Would love to setup perches too, but again, public graveyard and they take them very seriously here!
It might be a touch warm, but that just means it will sell better :) As for crop the bottom, that would mean even less mush? I am a very mushy fellow.... :p
Where are ya Stevo?
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Wildlife Moderator
Yes, I like to call it "investing" rather than "spending" ;) Certainly worthless in the bank, and I cannot take it with me.
Well the 'investment' is a good one, although it's still hard to breakaway from fixed lens. At least with the location you won't be bothered by people walking up to you and asking what are you doing. Yes I agree, at this time of year it can be rather irritating with the sun & cloud.
No I didn't say crop the bottom, I would like to see your POV lower with more mush.
I do not want to upset the locals, especially when I can take these during my dinner hour.
I hadn't realised you were 'a man of the cloth'. 
You are sounding too much like Andy Capp, only just back from Canada so we had to head up and check on the other house, plus pick up the new 'motor'.
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I really like the bright unfocused colors and shapes of the flowers and grass. They appear to be doing a spring dance around the squirrel ! I am glad to see there are "tufted-eared" squirrels elsewhere in the world. This one is brilliant (are they really this orange?) and a great side view. I agree a bit more room on the left for the tail would be desirable. I am undecided about the dark corners of the vignette. They seem unbalanced since the squirrel is so far to the left, and the right corners are very dark in relation to the left corners.
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Hi Neil ,
cute little fellow you captured . Looking very nice in all those flowers, giving a nice colorful touch.The feeding position adding interest to the frame.
Overall a tad light in tone and i am with Rachel about the orange look of the squirrel .Have you added the vignette , if not i would correct that in software.
Nice one, TFS Andreas
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Several points been raised already Neil. Slightly unusual setting for a Red.The bluebells I think are Squills (Scilla)- again making it more unusual. My only suggestion would be a little more space on the right.
Great stuff. I feel the animal needs to be looking "into" the shot very slightly-the usual by most preferences I find.
JohnR
Last edited by John Robinson; 03-20-2014 at 02:32 PM.
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More right, more left....you guys!
No Steve, you said lower, Rachel said crop ;) If I sound like Andy it is because he beat it into me! ;)
It is funny how many colours they come in over here. The UK ones are mostly red/orange and greyish in winter. Here they range from black right through to orange, even in winter.
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Vignette on purpose, sorry forgot. Hides a bit of nasty corner which looked odd cloned ;)
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Wildlife Moderator
Any chance of going even lower and getting some mush in the FG?
Now then Neil (said in an Andy Capp voice ), just to clarify - 'getting right down and low', (lying prone flat on the ground)
More right, more left....you guys!
No Neil, it just needs a hint more on the LHS.
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Just to quote Rachel "I do think a crop from the bottom to remove a bit of the oof area will enhance."
So more left, more right, less mush, more mush.... I paid for this advice? 
Just checked, this is full frame, so none of any bloody thing! Will go and post in the birds section now :p
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Originally Posted by
Rachel Hollander
Hi Neil - What a cute image! Love the tufts and the pose with the flowers around. Did you provide the nut? Not sure about the color as it looks a little orange but I am not familiar with this species. I do think a crop from the bottom to remove a bit of the oof area will enhance.
TFS,
Rachel
Just re-read this and wonder if the orange query comes from the fact American Squidgerz are mostly grey (or gray) ;) ?
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Hi Neil,colours look good to me ,I photograph the red quite a lot ,a lot of people tend to push the saturation up on the red squirrel when there is no need ,especially if you get the exposure and WB correct,i do like the POV and the OOF mush in the foreground ,and you've got him in some nice surroundings with his tail just about in shot,
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Hi Neil, looks like a very nice neat Squirrel in a pretty setting, cropping is always going to be difficult with the brush that they have, but this looks fine to me.Very good one in my book.
Keith.
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Lifetime Member
Hi again Neil - as I said above I am not familiar with the "red" squirrel or squidger (did I get that right?) so was unsure if it was too orange. I'll leave the color to those across the pond. As you suspected, I am used to grey and brown squirrels though I once saw an albino squirrel in Cape Town. Yes, I did suggest less mush, a more pano crop perhaps. Steve and I sometimes disagree, it's what makes the forum such an adventure. I don't think you need any more room on the right and wonder if that was a typo.
Cheers,
Rachel
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Rachel
It was I for one that suggested more room on the right - all beit just a tiny bit- as it is usual to have the subjects head slightly left of centre- if it is looking to the right,as in this case Fair enough. That seems to be the main idea in most critiqure circles and is my personal opinion too as I like that sort of balance..Niel has no more canvas so there is a problem .If the main idea is to is to share different opinions and offer persoanal then that's what we should do. I will always be contradicted anyway
Cheers
JohnR
Last edited by John Robinson; 03-20-2014 at 05:35 PM.
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Lifetime Member
Sorry John, I understand your point of moving the head off-center. Having more room on the left will move it off center. Interesting about having the head left of center when looking right. I don't think I've ever heard that or seen it discussed in those terms. What I have heard/seen is that generally you want a 4:1 ratio with 4 times the space in the direction the animal is looking as behind the animal (I think Artie was the first to "teach" me this "rule"). Whether this puts the animal's head left or right of center will depend on the size of the animal in the frame. Btw I've sometimes had a brain fart and meant left but typed right or vice versa so thought that might have happened. Sorry.
Rachel
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Rachel
The easiest way to explain is-- imagine taking a portrait of someone looking to the right. have you ever seen a picture of someone like that with the head on the right of the centre of the picture. ?
I have occasionally - but only on OOTB arty sites which is not my scene. They do it on tele sometimes in interview shots but only to relieve the boredom !
John
Last edited by John Robinson; 03-20-2014 at 05:57 PM.
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Cuteness wins every time! Well done all around!
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Wildlife Moderator
Just checked, this is full frame
Neil, based on that this is FF, and taking into account RoT's too, both crop and position is spot on, no need for any additions then.
It's nice to have an option of a reasonably long lens with the flexibility of a zoom, especially the drop down extender.
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Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator
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Thanks everyone. Steve, having the zoom is taking some getting used to, it gets left at 400mm and I forget to use the zoom ring. uilt in TC is worth the extra cash, especially when I was in Poland with those eagles, one second wings out, next wings folded... percfect.
I might dare to post another :)
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Wildlife Moderator
TC is worth the extra cash, especially when I was in Poland with those eagles,
Ah I assume that was with DG and you probably bumped into Austin too then, why not live life to the full and post another, be daring, it is Friday.
Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.
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Originally Posted by
Steve Kaluski
Ah I assume that was with DG and you probably bumped into Austin too then, why not live life to the full and post another, be daring, it is Friday.
Good god no, I cannot afford to do things with DG and Austin and Co... nope I went a little afterwards, talked directly with Marcin and he snook me in ;) Works out half the price at least! But as I cannot get a group together, I am a lone wolf it seems, I will have to do the same again next year. The hides are getting booked up already.
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Wildlife Moderator
Can you drop me a line, usual address.
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