We see birds, bees, squirrels, all kinds of animals out in nature – but there is so much we miss when we aren’t looking. Luckily, this photographer is there to capture some of the most breathtaking moments that nature has to offer, moments that most of us are too busy to ever witness firsthand.
Dick van Duijn is a talented Dutch photographer with a knack for capturing the beauty of nature, often stumbling upon scenes you wouldn’t normally get a chance to see.
His photos include squirrels sniffing flowers, fox basking in the sun, and a seal rolling in the sand – just enjoying that blubber life.
The 34-year-old’s work has skyrocketed in popularity. He’s amassed over 236,000 followers on Instagram .
His latest photo to capture the attention of the Internet features a ground squirrel smelling a flower… yes, it’s as adorable as it sounds.
In an interview with Bored Panda, van Duijn shared what inspired him to photograph the cute ground squirrel loving up on a pretty yellow flower.
“I saw pictures of these cute animals from other photographers and wanted to photograph them myself. Because I like flowers and animals, I tried to combine them. I am always looking for ways to capture nature in its most unaffected form,” he said.
“There were a lot of curious squirrels, so it was not hard to photograph them, but to capture one with a flower like this took a lot of patience and shots. The moment the squirrel smelled the flower and planted his face in the flower, I knew this was the picture of a lifetime,” he added.
The photo of the ground squirrel hugging on a yellow flower is easily one of his most famous photographs to date. He captured the image while traveling in Vienna during the summer. He had traveled to Vienna with the specific purpose of documenting ground squirrels.
In an interview with PetaPixel van Duijn shared:
“On the first day we observed them and their behavior. On the second day, we photographed them the whole day. In the evening just before sunset, when the light became soft and nice, one of the many ground squirrels walked towards the yellow flower and began to hold it and sniff it.”
He captures a lot of other animals too, from cows to tigers.
van Duijn’s work has been featured on CNN, NBC, FOX and the Daily Mail.
You might say that van Duijn has a penchant for being in the right place at the right time, but it’s so much more than that.
It’s incredibly difficult to capture photos of this caliber out in nature. If people only knew how hard it was to get photos like this, they’d likely appreciate them even more.
It’s especially tricky to capture photos of squirrels – you’ve got to be incredibly clever to get good photos of them.
The photographer has gone as far as to disguise himself so that he can get closer to the beautiful little creatures.
“I made this photo on Monday, November 25, 2019, from inside a hide/shelter in the woods,” van Duijn told MyModernMet about this particular photo that features a squirrel hoping across the water with a nut in its mouth.
He camped out in a Netherlands forest from sunrise to sunset in order to capture an image like this.
“I would never have dreamed of beforehand that I would come home with such a great dream photo,” he said.
When asked what advice he had for other photographers, the humble talent said: “Just start photographing nature and wildlife in your own area and practice and experiment a lot. When you have mastered photography in your own environment, head out to other countries and explore.”
Somewhere over the rainbow…
Follow Dick van Duijn on Instagram and order his prints online at wall-art.com
