Many wildlife photography guides encourage students to create a connection between the subject and the viewer. Not every great wildlife image creates this connection, but many do. Some professional photographers even make noise to attract their subject's attention. This may or may not be effective as some subjects will become stressed or frightened. Making the right connection usually requires a great deal of patience to ensure the subject is relaxed. Waiting for the right moment often means less than ideal lighting. By the time today's red squirrel was ready for a photograph, the sun was well passed its peak. The image required an ISO of 4000. Although some photographers would avoid using such a high ISO, especially on a crop sensor camera, today's image contains good levels of detail without excessive noise. I was close to the subject and chose the right exposure. Both of these decisions avoided post processing noise. I was especially interested in the squirrel's eye and paws. Both are pleasantly sharp even though I used a shallow depth of field.
