It was Michel’s fondness for red squirrels that prompted him to lie on the forest floor under a camouflage net. Watching one squirrel in particular, he used nuts to encourage it to pause. ‘After a few days, it stopped exactly where I wanted it to, on a fallen branch,’ he says. Michel captured this profile, using the gentle dawn light to highlight its whiskers and tufted ears.
Rather than hibernating, squirrels spend their day bustling through the forest creating a cache of nuts that they can return to when food is scarce. In bad weather they will remain in their den, often inside a tree, and so are unable to forage. Without food, squirrels can only survive a few days.
Belgium
Michel's passion for nature began as a child growing up in the beautiful surroundings of a small village in Belgium. He started taking pictures as a teenager. His photography is guided by the emotions that the natural world evokes in him. By photographing animals in their environment, he hopes to help raise awareness of the beauty of nature and the importance of conservation.
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