Mission 17

EQUIPMENT:

Canon Rebel XT

PHOTOGRAPHER'S NOTES:

Today was another rushed, rainy day. Luckily I found this guy and a few of his friends on my travels around campus.

The only reason I picked this photo is because of the angle. It's one I haven't put up here before and I think it's a pretty cool shot. I like how bushy the tail looks and how it's hanging down toward the viewer.

Other than that, there's not too much to say.

Mission 16

EQUIPMENT:

Canon Rebel XT

PHOTOGRAPHER'S NOTES:

Ooooo, creepy squirrel.

Today's mission started around 6:50 p.m. It was a busy day. It was also a rainy day, which made finding squirrels a bit difficult.

This photo isn't all that special, but to be frank, it was the best shot I managed to snag today.

I do like the shadow behind him and how wet the grass looks. I guess that counts for something.

Mission 15

EQUIPMENT:

Canon Rebel XT

PHOTOGRAPHER'S NOTES:

Aside from the glare on the squirrel's left cheek, I adore this photo. His pose is so adorable I can hardly stand it. Seriously, I want to squeal just looking at this photo.

Awwww...

Sorry. My brain has exploded from the cuteness. I have nothing else to say.

Mission 14

EQUIPMENT:

Canon Rebel XT

PHOTOGRAPHER'S NOTES:

Welcome to the "Squirrels Gone Wild" edition of Squirrel A Day. Haha. Sorry. I couldn't resist.

Anywho, I'm back on campus. The wedding was dreadfully boring, as most weddings are. But, I digress.

I took this photo about 10 minutes ago. It's been raining all day, so, once it stopped, I stalked the first squirrel I saw. I didn't spend a lot of time on today's mission, because while I like rain, my camera does not.

This photo's not the best, but it's funny and every one needs a laugh once in a while.

Laugh away, folks. Laugh away...

Squirrel A Day Runners-Up

I went home this weekend for a wedding. Unfortunately, there were no squirrels at said wedding, so today's mission was a no-go.

But don't worry, all you squirrel fans! I promised to post the photos that didn't make the "Squirrel A Day" cut, so here are the runners-up from missions 1 and 2.

Mission 13

EQUIPMENT:

Canon Rebel XT

PHOTOGRAPHER'S NOTES:

I went on my squirrel hunt around 3:00 today.

I didn't see as many squirrels as I usually do, but this guy stuck around long enough for me to get some decent shots.

To be honest, I picked this photo because I liked the lighting and how it plays off the white in the squirrel's tail.

It's also taken from a different angle than most of my "Squirrel A Day" shots, which is a plus in my book. After all, the point of this project is to grow as a photographer. Composition is a big part of that.

Mission 12

EQUIPMENT:

Canon Rebel XT

PHOTOGRAPHER'S NOTES:

I went on today's mission around 4:00. As I walked outside, I saw this squirrel running away with a nut in his mouth. I, of course, decided to follow him.

He ran to one of the nearest buildings and perched on a window, which is when I took this shot.

It's different from the other photos I've taken, which is why I picked it. I like the squirrel's pose and placement and I like the bit of greenery on the photo's bottom left side.

I also got a few shots of a squirrel in a tree. I almost picked one of those shots as today's "Squirrel A Day" photo, but decided this one was stronger.

Maybe one of these days I'll make a "runners-up" post featuring all those photos that didn't quite make the cut.

Mission 11

EQUIPMENT:
Canon Rebel XT

PHOTOGRAPHER'S NOTES:
I honestly don't remember much about today's mission. I had several photos I had to take for the school paper, so I when I saw this squirrel, I took as many pictures of him as I could.

Though the mission was a bit rushed, I think it was successful. The subject is in the bottom of the photo, which I feel makes it an interesting shot. But, hey, that's just me.

And, you have to admit he's making a cute face...

Mission 10

EQUIPMENT:
Canon Rebel XT

PHOTOGRAPHER'S NOTES:

Mission 10 began at 4:00. I decided to explore some new territory and encountered quite a few squirrels.

At the end of my hunt, I saw two squirrels (grey and black) chasing each other. If I remember correctly, this is a mating ritual. Of course, they could have just been angry at each other.

Whatever the motive, their antics were hilarious. Unfortunately, none of the shots I took of them chasing each other came out well. However, I did follow the black one into some trees and bushes and snapped some interesting photos.

I picked the above photo because I like how the squirrel is looking straight at the camera. I also like how his paws are sprawled out on the tree limb.

Mission Nine

EQUIPMENT:
Canon Rebel XT

PHOTOGRAPHER'S NOTES:

I found today's squirrel gnawing on an apple core in the lawn next to one of the residence halls.

Since he was distracted, I was able to get quite close. However, when I moved around to get a shot from the front, he ran away.

Oh well. It's still a cute shot.

Mission Eight

EQUIPMENT:
Canon Rebel XT

PHOTOGRAPHER'S NOTES:
This photo makes me laugh every time I look at it. I found this little guy upside down on a tree around 2:45 this afternoon. I startled him and he jumped down to hide near the bottom of the tree. He wasn't a very good hider, so I snapped his photo, startling him again, making him jump to the other side of the tree trunk, where I took his photo, causing him to jump to the tree's other side, where I took his photo, causing him to...

It was pretty adorable.

Mission Seven

EQUIPMENT:
Canon Rebel XT

PHOTOGRAPHER'S NOTES:

Today's mission began around 3:45. It was a warm, sunny day, so people and wildlife alike were out and about.

I didn't have my zoom lens on me, which made getting clear shots difficult. Still, I like this photo. The squirrel's position is cute and I like how the tree branches form a triangle around him.

I do wish I could have gotten a closer shot of the squirrel's face, though.

Also, I have good news! The newspaper I work for has two Rebel XTs, but last year, one of them started working very slowly. Thinking I had lent the only good camera to one of my photographers, I went out with the slow camera--not expecting much luck-- and my cruddy point-and-shoot strapped to my hip, just in case.

I saw a squirrel early on in my hunt and turned on the slow camera, which... wasn't slow anymore! It took the photo right away, which baffled me at first, since I hadn't played with any of the settings. Then I remembered I'd switched its memory card yesterday. I guess the one in it before must have been faulty. It's the only explanation I can think of...

But, hey, I'm just happy I have two decent cameras to work with.

Mission Six

EQUIPMENT:
Canon Rebel XT

PHOTOGRAPHER'S NOTES:
I wasn't sure how well today's mission would go. I've come down with a cold and don't have the energy to chase squirrels around.

Luckily, around 1:00, as I was going to check my mail, I saw this guy poking around a fire hydrant.

It's another action shot and was the most interesting of the bunch. I only had the basic lens with me, but was able to get close enough for a decent shot.

Compositionally, it's not the strongest photo I've taken, but I like the contrast of the yellow hydrant against the green grass.

Overall, it wasn't a bad mission. I will say I didn't spend a lot of time on it, so hopefully I'll be feeling more energetic soon.

Mission Five

EQUIPMENT:
Canon Rebel XT

PHOTOGRAPHER'S NOTES:
Ahhh... mission five--so much better than mission four.

I got the Rebel XT back and took it squirrel hunting around 4:30. I went several places before finding this squirrel in the same tree as yesterday's squirrel.

He rested on a thick branch for a few minutes before jumping from tree to tree and limb to limb.

This photo was taken on his brief break from jumping frantically (probably because some crazed maniac with a camera kept following him).

I was feeling low after yesterday's less-than-stellar mission, but today's shot makes me feel better. However, I just lent the camera to another photographer, so tomorrow's mission may require some creativity and patience, on my part.

Mission Four

EQUIPMENT:
Kodak EasyShare C613

PHOTOGRAPHER'S NOTES:
I have nothing to say other than "Ew."

I lent the newspaper's camera to a photographer and was stuck using my little digital camera. My little, crappy, digital camera. It's not bad if you don't zoom in on things, but these are squirrels, people. I need a decent zoom.

This would have been an awesome shot if I'd been using the Rebel XT. Unfortunately, I was not, and the quality sucks.

Just goes to show what a great camera can do.

Mission Three

EQUIPMENT:
Canon Rebel XT

PHOTOGRAPHER'S NOTES:
In my short time as a photographer I've realized I'm bad at picking "the best" shot. This goes for my own work, as well as others'.

As you can see, today's "Squirrel A Day" photo is actually two photos.

Mission three commenced around 4:40 p.m. I shot in the same grove as last mission, as well as in a patch of grass outside one of the residence halls.

The first photo was taken in the grove. I think it's a better shot, quality wise. The dark tree and squirrel against the light background appeals to my eyes. However, I feel the shot is too similar to last week's shot.

I like the squirrel's pose in the second shot, though I find the photo's actual quality lacking. While it's a ground shot, like the first mission's shot, it looks completely different. However, it's also a head-on view of a black squirrel, much like last week's shot.

I like both photos and wasn't sure which one to pick. So, I posted them both. After all, this is a learning experience and writing about why I like and dislike my photos will hopefully help me grow as a photographer. And, in my "About" post, I did say my mission was to "take (at least) one squirrel photo a day, every day," so it's not exactly cheating.

However, as I delve deeper into this project, I would like to master the art of "choosing just one photo."

We'll see...

Mission Two

EQUIPMENT:
Canon Rebel XT

PHOTOGRAPHER'S NOTES:
Mission two began around 3:30 p.m. I spent the better part of an hour in a grove of trees on campus, taking shots of a few of the many squirrels who live there.

This little guy, who, despite his black fur, is actually an Eastern gray squirrel, scampered up a tree in front of me.

I like how his head is cocked a bit and how he just stopped in mid scamper to look at me. I also got a shot of him upside down on the tree's side, eating a nut.

I didn't have too many problems today, but I did get a shot of another squirrel's head and shoulders peeking out from behind a tree. It would have been a great shot, but I couldn't focus my camera in time, and the squirrel turned out blurry.

Mission One

EQUIPMENT:
Canon Rebel XT


PHOTOGRAPHER'S NOTES:
The first squirrel hunt for Operation Squirrel A Day started around 12:30 this afternoon. My campus, which is usually riddled with frolicking squirrels, was devoid of any. Determined not to let this minor set back get in the way of my happiness, I decided to try again later.


As 2:30 rolled around, I decided it was, in fact, "later" and once again went on my squirrel hunt, this time finding bountiful game.

The little guy in the above photo wasn't shy around people. He let me get within a couple feet of him (I didn't dare go closer). I took quite a few "good" shots of him with a nut, but chose this action shot to post as my first Squirrel A Day photo.


I like how he's running and how the fur on his side is rippling. It would have been an interesting shot from the front, as well. I also wish the side of his tail hadn't been cut off. Other than that, it was a successful first day.


Mission (part 1): accomplished.

About Squirrel A Day

THE MISSION:

Take (at least) one squirrel photo a day, every day.

WHO:

Becky M.--college junior and friend of squirrels.

TIME:

One month starting September 13. After October 13, I'll decide whether or not to continue with the project.

WHY IN THE WORLD THIS PROJECT IS BEING DONE:

There are tons of squirrels running around my college campus and every time I see one, I think how adorable and beautiful they are. I also want to start this project because I'm the photo editor for my school's newspaper. I have no technical training in photography--I only know what I've discovered through trial and error. I want to become a better photographer and see how my skills grow and change as I take photos of one set thing for a whole month.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Please follow me on my mission.

Even though the project doesn't officially start until tomorrow, I've decided to post a squirrel photo I took last year.

Enjoy.