As the old saying goes, sometimes you have to “stop and smell the roses,” to slow down your busy day to observe and appreciate the little things in life.
It’s true for people, but it turns out it’s also true for animals. That’s what one photographer discovered, when he captured a precious photograph that’s been warming hearts all over the world.
Dick van Duijn is a Dutch photographer. In June, he was visiting Vienna, Austria, and took the opportunity to photograph some squirrels who were among the flowers.
“I saw pictures of these cute animals from other photographers and wanted to photograph them myself,” van Duijn told Bored Panda. “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.”
After observing the squirrels’ behavior, the photographer spent three days snapping photos of the squirrels.
But one shot was particularly beautiful.
“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,” Van Duijn told PetaPix.
“When I saw this happening in the viewfinder of my camera, I already knew I had captured a very beautiful and intimate moment,” he said. “I felt very happy and satisfied with the shot.”
That photo of the squirrel became his most popular photograph. Many publications have shared the photo, and Van Duijn sells prints online.
“We were there for three days and took a lot of photos,” Van Duijn told NBC Charlotte. “But this was the most beautiful moment.”
Capturing a moment this precious doesn’t come easy, but the photographer’s patience paid off.
“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,” he told Bored Panda.
“The moment the squirrel smelled the flower and planted his face in the flower, I knew this was the picture of a lifetime!”
What amazing photos! They show the true power of nature—even animals can appreciate the beautiful world around them.
Thank you to this photographer for capturing that precious moment! Share these great photos!
