This is the comical moment a red squirrel gets behind the camera to show a professional wildlife photographer how it’s done.
The cheeky creature clambered up to the lens after spotting the Fuji Film X-T2 camera set up in nature reserve.
He looked just the part as he looked through the view finder ready to take the perfect shot.
Wildlife photograph Alan Hewitt was stunned to see the bushy-tailed rascal taking the reigns but managed to snap the squirrel in action.
Alan, 42, said: “I was totally startled, I didn’t see the squirrel coming up to the camera but I turned around and it was just climbing up it and having a good old look.
“It looked like it had been taking photos all of its life, a complete natural.
“I wondered what would happen if the squirrel took a picture, especially if it was of another squirrel.”
Alan, a wildlife photographer of 15 years, was testing out his new camera at Derwent Reservoir in County Durham on Wednesday when he was met by the cheeky chap.
Alan, from Ashington, Northumberland, said: “I was actually just trying to integrate it (the camera) into my daily equipment, because it’s lighter and smaller than my other cameras so it’s easy to carry on planes.”
Alan pops to Africa annually with his wildlife photography business, which he says is centred around conservation and community enrichment.
He said: “I take an ethical and sustainable approach to my work in my company and while I enjoy shooting Maasai, the places I’d still really like to shoot are going to be challenging.
“I’d love to shoot both polar bears and I’d love to shoot penguins, and they couldn’t be further apart from each other!”
The image of the squirrel was part of a project of Alan’s, focusing on red squirrels which have been dying out due to diseases carried by grey squirrels.
