Patience Is A Virtue

Grimlock vs Munkzilla, originally uploaded by Fanboy30.

It's lovely when a simple idea and a lot of patience pays off.

'Grimlock vs Munkzilla' has become my most popular image to date and I can't help but feel a little guilty for using Chris' (aka Powerpig) niche. The chipmunk in question was new to the backyard and after a few visits we noticed that she was clearly pregnant because of her large belly and noticeable teats. She was extremely timid and erratic which led Chris to believe she wouldn't be able to perform like previous chipmunks.

I sat out in the garden alone with a handful of almonds watching her movements as she darted around under the shed, occasionally popping her head out to stare in my direction.

Sitting low seemed to be less threatening to her and she soon started venturing closer so I threw some nuts in her direction which she happily stuffed in her cheeks. I lay down on the stone path and made high pitched chirping noises similar to the sound they make (Chris usually whistles but I have never been able to, I only discovered how to snap my fingers from the age of 20 so don't ask).

It wasn't long before she was darting to and fro collecting almonds from my hand. It was now or never so I grabbed a bunch of Dinobot Transformers and set them in a group on the concrete path. At first I thought they may scare her off but she scampered around them without a care in the world. The shot just didn't work with three figures in it due to the wide crop and too much background making the chipmunk very small in the frame.

I settled for a simple face off between Grimlock the T-rex and my new little friend because Grimlock's mouth can open and close so I placed a nut in it. Within thirty seconds the furry mother to be was sniffing around him and after some apprehension she stood on her hind legs and took the almond from his mouth. I fired off a number of shots using burst and caught the moment perfectly.

Chris came outside looking slightly less disappointed on seeing the chipmunk performing. He looked at me and said that I could name her considering I had made first contact. Without any hesitation I turned towards her and said Molly, the same name as my new niece back in Brighton.

So a star was born that day, but I never got her to sign a model release.