These close-up photographs were taken by Miles Herbert, a British photographer who runs Captivelight, holding workshops and photography tuition for anyone interested in capturing “birds of prey, reptiles, frogs and other beasties.”
“These harvest Mice were photographed in an indoor studio,” Miles said. “We provide a service for photographers looking for high impact pictures of the animals, and using a purpose-built studio means that we are not weather dependent. There is also an option to photograph animals outside if the client wishes, our other specialty is frogs!”
“Nearly all the animals we photograph are captive bred; the mice are bred to release into the wild at a local nature reserve – we prefer to use captive-bred animals rather than disturbing wild populations, and captive bred animals are more sustainable.”
The mice get a treat during the sessions: they love to eat the stamens and the nectar of the flowers while Miles and his clients get to take great close-up shots.
The pictures are beautifully taken and vividly colorful. They will put a smile on your face, even if you have a terrible day. Scroll down to admire the cuteness overload for yourself!
More info: Website, Facebook, Miles Herbert/Caters News
The flower provides a miniature stage
The pictures make use of the relationship between a small mammal and a familiar bloom. The arrangement encourages close attention to scale and posture. The photographer's account of the workshop or setup is important context; a controlled photographic session should not be presented as an untouched chance encounter in the wild.
The petals give the viewer a familiar measure of scale
A harvest mouse beside a flower can appear especially small because the bloom is an object most viewers already know. Close framing brings fine features into the same visual space as the petal’s colour and texture. Herbert’s explanation of the indoor setup is therefore part of the photograph’s context, not an incidental detail. It tells us how the session was arranged while leaving room to appreciate the composition and the animal’s posture.
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About the harvest mouse
The harvest mouse (Micromys minutus) is 5–7 cm long, with a tail of about 6 cm, and weighs only 4–6 g; an adult can weigh as little as a 2p coin. It is the only British mammal with a prehensile tail, which it uses like a fifth limb to grip grass stems. It lives in long tussocky grassland, reedbeds, hedgerows, farmland and woodland edges, and in Britain is found in England south of Yorkshire. Females give birth to around six young in a spherical nest of tightly woven grass built high in tall vegetation. Harvest mice eat mainly seeds and fruits, as well as invertebrates, and live on average for about a year and a half. The species is a Priority Species under the UK Post-2010 Biodiversity Framework.
Sources: The Wildlife Trusts: Harvest mouse
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