There's nothing better than catching a glimpse of nature right from your own home. Gazing out at plants, animals, and weather from a window or porch is a soothing way to shake off the stresses of the human world and decompress after a long day.
Photographer Geert Weggen knows this quite well. Several years ago, he noticed that his yard was a popular place for squirrels, and he also noticed just how entertaining squirrels can be.
So he built an outdoor studio off his balcony to better capture their antics on camera. And like all good photographers, he also knew that sometimes, subjects need a little encouragement.
Using squirrel-sized props, he started creating little scenes starring the squirrels, whose natural curiosity led them to explore and examine the props that Geert left out.
By waiting quietly and patiently, he was able to capture some adorable — and hilarious — moments. Because while nature is breathtaking and majestic, it can also be really, really funny — as one set of comedic animal photos illustrates.
The squirrels are more than happy to fiddle with the props Geert keeps out all on their own, and Geert lets them explore on their own time, snapping photos from a distance. After all, squirrels are wild animals, and the less a human interferes, the better.
His latest series involves a collection of tiny musical instruments, turning the squirrels into miniature musicians. Check it out for a laugh!
[H/T: BoredPanda]
Geert collected these miniature musical instruments and carefully set them up in his yard where the squirrels usually hung out, along with some snacks for encouragement. Then he waited.
The squirrels' natural curiosity meant that they were more than happy to check out these strange little additions to their landscape, and while they did, Geert snapped his photos.
And sometimes, he even added in some snowy spectators!
Finding squirrel-sized instruments was not always easy, and Geert says that it took months to collect all the pieces you see in the photos.
And sometimes, he had to construct them himself! But we kind of like this rustic take on a xylophone.
For the most part, the photos are unretouched. Occasionally, Geert says he'll edit out a wire holding an instrument up, or the snacks that interested the squirrel in the first place.
So why tiny squirrel musicians? Simply because it's a lot of fun!
"I try to bring some magic, wonder, and happiness with my work," Geert says.
This isn't the first time Geert has worked with squirrels and tiny props, either.
His last series, which was taken during the summer months, gained him international attention, and his work has since been featured in books, magazines, and calendars.
Squirrels have fascinated Geert fora long time. "Normally, I get bored after doing something for a few years, but not with this," he says.
To create his shots, he works inside his cutsom-built studio, which sits off his kitchen window, about three feet off the ground. This way, he can capture the squirrels' antics at eye level, even while they're in a tree.
And like all good photographers, he pays his models. In this case, it's in snacks.
Outside of photography, Geert also works and expresses his creativity as a builder and garden designer.
With a little patience, he's able to take candid action shots of the squirrels, and many of these chance shots capture some perfect moments!
Geert's photos show us that if we slow down and pay attention, we can see some truly amazing things in nature — whether or not we have tiny musical instruments!
