Explore the
Universe

Step 1 of 2

Create your profile to get all your Alpha Program notifications in one convenient location.

The Basics

Must contain at least 8 characters, an uppercase character, a lowercase character, a number and a symbol.
By joining the Alpha Universe community, you agree to the Terms and the Sony Electronics Inc. Privacy Policy and certify that you are a U.S. resident. (CA Privacy Notice).
Next

Personalize Your Profile

Step 2 of 2

Create your profile to get all your Alpha Program notifications in one convenient location.

Your Specialty *

(Select All That Apply)


I am a... *

(Select All That Apply)


(Optional)


What kind of camera(s) do you shoot with? *

(Select All That Apply)

https://alphauniverseglobal.media.zestyio.com/Alpha-Universe-photo-by-Alex-Pansier.jpg?width=500&height=500&fit=bounds

Behind The Shot: Squirrels In Love

Alex Pansier (@Alexpansier) is a nature photographer based in Oss, The Netherlands. Alex’s image, “True Love” won the 2021 Close Up Photographer of the Year Competition. We sat down with Alex to get the story behind this shot that he made with a Sony Alpha 9 and 400mm G Master lens

Alpha-Universe-photo-by-Alex-Pansier.jpg

Photo by Alex Pansier. Sony Alpha 9, Sony 400mm f/2.8 G Master lens. f/3.5, 1/500-sec, ISO 400. 

Pansier works as an internet entrepreneur but finds respite being in nature. He has discovered a deep passion documenting the nature and peace he sees and sharing it with others. “For me, observing and photographing nature is a great way to unwind and share the beauty that’s all around us.”

Since a primary goal of his is sharing the peacefulness of nature, Pansier focuses on simplicity with his images. His portfolio is full of images with clean, minimalist compositions. He often shoots with a shallow depth of field to blur the background and draw the viewer's focus to the main subject of the image. He used this technique to make this award-winning image, shooting it at f/3.5.

The Scene

Pansier had been hoping to photograph the European ground squirrel for quite some time. He knew he would be able to find it in Vienna, so he traveled there with this species in mind. 

The Gear

This image was captured using the Sony Alpha 9 and the Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens. When choosing which lens to use, Pansier thought about the composition he was hoping to achieve and the distance needed to avoid disturbing the animals, “the 400mm lens helped to keep enough distance, while still getting a nice smooth background.” 

How I Got The Shot

“For this photo I used a tripod, where I hung the lens and camera body underneath, to get the lowest possible point of view. I set the shutter speed to 1/500-second. That was enough to get no movement in the photo and yet the lowest possible ISO, which was 400. I tweaked the aperture slightly to f/3.5, because I wanted both squirrels in focus and with f/2.8 the depth of field is just too shallow.”

Alpha-Universe-photo-by-Alex-Pansier-Camera-and-Squirrel.jpg

The Edit

When editing the photo, Pansier wanted to keep the image looking as natural as possible. He explains his processing in Adobe Lightroom, “ I only adjusted the exposure and did some color corrections.” 

See more of Alex Pansier’s work on his website at alexpansier.photography and on Instagram @AlexPansir.

JOIN

Shop Now

What’s In My Bag: 3 Zooms & 1 Prime For Landscape & Nature Photography

How Gina Danza (@wildginaa) Uses A Telephoto To Get Closer With Nature

Is This The Dream Setup For Wildlife?

2024 Sony ZV Buyer's Guide, Which Camera Is Right For You?

8 Lenses For Capturing The Thrill Of Victory And The Agony Of Defeat In Sports

Promos

Save with Sony Special Pricing
Did you like what you just read?

Take a minute and share this story with your friends.


Banner image