In the Field

The Essential Red Squirrel. Findlay Creek, BC, Canada. November 12, 2005.

All animals have a "signature" pose or behaviour by which we come to know them. One of my photographic goals is to capture these "essential" moments. I rarely succeed, but the pursuit of this goal has provided me with a lot of memorable experiences. With this Red Squirrel, I think I came close to capturing the essential pose that literally screams "SQUIRREL"! To do so took a lot of time and a rather complex lighting regime (see the notes under the "Behind the Camera" tab) but to me it was completely worth the effort!

Behind the Camera

The Essential Red Squirrel. Findlay Creek, BC, Canada. November 12, 2005.

Digital Capture; Compressed RAW (NEF) format; ISO 100.

Nikon D2X with Nikon 200-400 mm f/4G ED-IF AF-S VR lens @ 400 mm (600 mm equivalent with digital conversion factor) supported on Gitzo 1348 carbon fibre tripod with Wimberley head. SB-800 main flash (master) equipped with Better Beamer extender mounted on Really Right Stuff flash bracket. Two SB-R200 wireless flash units positioned to side and behind subject to highlight pelage detail.

1/250s @ f6.3; -0.33 stop exposure compensation from matrix-metered exposure setting; main flash and back light fill at -0.3 stops (i-TTL mode), side fill with no exposure compensation (i-TTL mode).

At the Computer

The Essential Red Squirrel. Findlay Creek, BC, Canada. November 12, 2005.

RAW Conversion, including first-pass sharpening, exposure compensation, and tone curve adjustment, using Phase One's C1 Pro. Multiple RAW conversions (2 at different exposure settings) to extend dynamic range of captured image, in this case primarily to retrieve highlight detail in the hairs along the squirrel's chin and right front leg.

All further digital correction on 16-bit TIFF file using Adobe's Photoshop CS2, including compositing and masking of various exposure versions, additional tone curve adjustment, selective saturation enhancement and selective sharpening for web output.

Conservation

The Essential Red Squirrel. Findlay Creek, BC, Canada. November 12, 2005.

Ten percent of the revenue generated by this image will be donated to Wildsight.

Species Status in Canada*: This species is not designated as at risk.

The North American Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) is a small, rusty coloured squirrel distributed throughout most of Canada and in both the western mountains and Appalachian mountains of the United States. While the Red Squirrel is not considered under any threat as a species, some local populations are declining as the larger and more ecologically aggressive Grey Squirrel expands its range. In Calgary, Alberta, for example, the Grey Squirrel has replaced the Red Squirrel throughout most of the city over the past 30 years or so.

This Red Squirrel was photographed in the Columbia Valley of the East Kootenays. While this species is not currently not considered at risk in the Kootenays, it is vulnerable to habitat loss due to logging activities. Many ecosystems within the Columbia Valley face development pressure, including pressure from logging operations. Wildsight is an effective conservation organization that protects biodiversity and promotes sustainable communities in Canada's Columbia and Rocky Mountains. Support for Wildsight, through donation or becoming a member, will help ensure that they remain effective in their efforts to conserve threatened or endangered species and ecosystems.

*as determined by COSEWIC: The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada.