What a fun photo. Love the action in this photo.
I like what you did with the background.
Unfortunately you started with a photo that is very soft.
If it was my photo I would do the following;
The left ear darkens the fur a bit. - Currently my eye wants to go there. Use a Linear gradient -come from the bottom and darken the area below the squirrel.
If you have more space in the front I would give it a bit more room and crop the back in a bit. What do you thnk of my suggestions.
  Posted: 07/01/2024 16:27:24

David, we get squirrels in our backyard from time to time so I know how quickly they move. They are fun to watch jumping from limb to limb and tree to tree; definitely, hard to track. I feel you have done well salvaging this image; I agree with Sophia's suggestions.   Posted: 07/01/2024 20:17:07

What a delightful capture! I absolutely love the sense of motion and excitement as the squirrel leaps through the air; it really brings the moment to life. The background blur is fantastic, keeping the focus on the squirrel while adding a nice depth to the image. If I could suggest one improvement, it would be to enhance the sharpness a bit, especially around the squirrel's face and fur, to bring out more detail and make the action even more striking. Overall, it's such a wonderful and dynamic shot.   Posted: 07/02/2024 21:51:59

Hi David what an awesome photo and good on you for having the patience to stay on and wait for the perfect opportunity. I think for me the branch he is leaping from is a dominant element in the frame and while its an important part of the story, I think I would darken it a bit and reduce the sharpness so our eye is not attracted there unduly. I like your strategy to reduce the impact of the background. TBH I think you have pushed the boundaries of sharpening as the coat on his body is showing odd artefacts. Interesting that the tip of his tail and the branch seem in focus but not his body. Maybe that is a combination of shutter and a focus point on his leaping off point.

But never mind all that...it conveys such a wonderful story its well worth sharing.   Posted: 07/03/2024 01:45:58

Excellent, David. It's a delightful subject and composition. To me, the shape of the branch is sufficiently similar to that of the squirrel that they really "work" together.

I played with your image in Camera Raw to do some slight modifications, mostly to the light. Your thoughts?

  Posted: 07/10/2024 18:10:49

David, you are a nature photographer now. The hardest part is knowing that your subjects won't pose for photos. I like what Pete did to the background, de-saturating the background and darkening it helps a lot to bring the attention to the squirrel. Jim   Posted: 07/11/2024 13:12:40