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Is your name Alvin?


Is your name Alvin?
Photo Information
Copyright: Stephen Nunney (snunney) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2505 W: 51 N: 5699] (23426)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 1986-04
Categories: Nature
Camera: Canon AE-1 Program
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Squirrels / Chipmunks [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2007-04-18 4:10
Viewed: 766
Points: 34
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
This is one in a series of slides taken in a weekend visit to Maine whilst on an extended business trip to New York in the first half of 1986. The slide has recently been digitised and then cleaned up using Photoshop CS2 and Neat Image.

I came across this little chap sitting on a cabin step basking in the sunshine during a walk in Acadia National Park on a fine April morning. I don't know who was more surprised me or him. I just had time to fire off one shot before he scampered off out of sight into the woodland.

He is a chipmunk. English speaking members of TE, particularly those of a certain age who used to avidly listen to the radio may have picked up on the title of the picture. Wikepedia has this to say about the Chipmunks I make reference to in the title:

“The Chipmunks are a fictional musical group, created by Ross Bagdasarian in 1958. The group consists of three singing chipmunks: Alvin, the mischievous troublemaker, who quickly became the star of the group, Simon, the tall bespectacled intellectual, and Theodore, the chubby, impressionable sweetheart. The trio is "managed" by their human "father" and confidant, David Seville. In reality, David Seville was Ross Bagdasarian's stage name, and the Chipmunks themselves are named after the executives of their original record label, Liberty Records: Alvin Bennett (the president), Simon Waronker (the founder and owner), and Theodore Keep (the chief engineer).

Audiences often assume the characters started as cartoons and branched out into music, but that is the opposite of how they began. After first being brought to life in Bagdasarian's 1950s novelty recordings under the name David Seville and the Chipmunks, the characters were an unprecedented success, and the singing Chipmunks and their manager were given life in several animated cartoon series and motion pictures.

The voices of the group were all performed by Bagdasarian, who sped up the playback to create the higher pitched, squeaky voices. This process was not entirely new; Bagdasarian had also used it for a previous novelty song project, "The Witch Doctor", but it was so unusual and well executed it earned the "trio" two Grammy Awards for engineering. Although the characters were fictional, they did release a long line of "real" albums and singles, with "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)" becoming a number-one hit single in the United States. After his death in 1972, the voices of the Chipmunks were subsequently recorded by his son, Ross Bagdasarian, Jr., and his wife, Janice Karman, in all subsequent incarnations to date.”

My favourite was always Alvin ;-)
kiwi_explorer, papagolf21, jlbrthnn, saylan-cb, deblink, gildasjan, salvator, maltese, kermit350, gunbud, evanrizo has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

Hello Stephen. Chipmunk. As it seems, you depart somewhat from your usual topic. The picture pleases me however much. It brings something lives into the old walls. You released your camera in the correct moment. Best regards, Wolfgang.

Hi Stephan,
Lucky he was not camera shy... he must be used to humans.... aptly titled. Very well written note and very interesting too. Good shot! Tfs.
Cheers,
Renier

Bonjour, cher Stephen,
Le petit écureuil découvre son univers. Il n'a que quelques semaines et déjà il apprend les secrets de son environnement. Une prise de vue qui demande des réflexes et une grande maîtrise de soi pour ne pas faire fuir l'animal.
Joli souvenir.
Amitiés.
Philippe

Hello Stephen,
You become photographer of animals now, and you succeed in this new job. A squirrel is more difficult than a church or castel to capture. Good image with good framing.
Bravo
Cordially
Have a good day
Joël

Bonjour Stephen
Superb!A very good compo and good colour,well work.
TFS/Regards

Hi Stephen,
Nice friendly looking creature you have captured in this image. Nice of him to stay still for you. Good one.
Cheers,
Debbie

Fine portrait of this beautiful animal. A very nice posting.
Best wishes
Achim

Hi Stephen,
funny story about the Chipmunks. We had also those "Chipmunks" in Germany, sometimes later staffed with people for TV, not really performing. Very nice animal capture, I think you should add the category "Humorous".
Lieben Gruss, Ulf

Bonjour Stephen
Un bon coup d'oeil et une bonne dose de réflexes pour figer l'écureil.Pas facile de bien cadrer un tel sujet!
Bravo! et bonne fin de journée.
Amicalement
Gildas

Hi Stephen,
What a cutre little fella. The details and the color, as well as the sharpness on the little fella is very nice. Best regards. Salvator.

Hello Stephen,
Une belle réussite pour un sujet difficile. Une belle prise!!
Merci de nous avoir fait découvrir Alvin et ses chipmunks, très intéressant
Amicalement
Hervé

  • Great 
  • Fis2 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2589 W: 144 N: 1729] (35064)
  • [2007-04-18 12:42]

Witaj Stephen!
Nicely photo, good idea. Excellent shot. Curious frame and colors. Well done.
Regards
Krzysztof

Hello Stephen, Alvine and Chipmunks, a whole history, I want to say a whole melody, the mascot of this group musical with covered for the occasion his more beautiful fur, the position of Alvine firm and is decided, it is well to have collected his glance, sincerely

  • Great 
  • gunbud Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 4607 W: 4 N: 4484] (20064)
  • [2007-04-19 0:31]

Hi Stephen,
I remember Alvin well and he is seen in fine light and beautiful detail relaxing in the sun on his vacation from his exhausting singing career.
Regards, Tom

  • Great 
  • Gustaw Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2503 W: 724 N: 203] (21576)
  • [2007-04-19 6:31]

Hi, my friend!
It is very oryginal photo. Interesting small animal. Interesting composition and oryginal colours. Very strong light.
Marek

bonjour
et très belle photo de ce petit animal qui a bien voulu se laisser être la star du jour!
pas évident je pense
mais bien réussi
bon we
juliette

Hahahaah What a lovely being!
Hi Stephen, I love it, very very well done to capture it. -:))
I a very difficult light situation the animal comes very good.
Cheers
Evan

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