Photographer Captures Candid Photos Of Wild Squirrels Interacting With Tiny Props
Photography as a whole is pretty cool – you’re essentially capturing an entire story in one single shot. Different photographers have different preferred subject matters. Some like to go out into the wilderness and capture the different faces of nature, others prefer to focus on the face of humanity. Still others like inanimate objects and the emotions they can evoke from a single solitary cup of steaming coffee or raindrops on a window. For photographer Geert Weggen, his preferred portrait subjects are so cute, it should be criminal – that’s because he works with red squirrels.
On their own, squirrels are just so darn cute. But Weggen makes them even more adorable by giving them tiny props to interact with, such as balloons, shopping carts, and even a makeshift bow and arrow. He shoots all his photos with a Nikon 810. And since squirrels seem to be natural little comedians, the resulting photos are great at capturing each squirrel’s unique personality and overall feisty spirit.
How does Weggen manage to get such great shots? Apparently, all he has to do is go outside.
“There are about 12 red squirrels living in the forest close to my house,” he explains to My Modern Met. “Many I do not recognize anymore.”
Weggen admitted that at first, the squirrels were a little skeptical of him, but over time warmed up to him seeing as he was the one “providing the food.”
Besides winning the heart of the squirrels through their stomachs, Weggen also did some studio revamp, explaining how he created an area that was specific for squirrel photo shoots.
“At the side of my house I made an outside studio,” he said. “Half with a roof and the rest is open for the rain and snow. From my kitchen window, I can shoot [photos].”
In his eye level studio, Weggen also built a table in order to arrange his scenes, conceal the food, and manage to inconspicuously get his photos. Another important key to picture success is location, making sure that the area where the photos are taking place is easy for the squirrel models to access.
“The studio is directly connected with the forest and trees,” Weggen stated. “I hide a flash behind some scenes on a remote.”
Weggen sells the squirrel images in books, calendars, and postcards in his online shop. In addition, he also teaches his techniques in workshops in case anyone is interested in squirrel photography.
Here below are some more delightfully adorable squirrel prop pictures that are sure to brighten your day:
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