I am creating a system to capture at ‘human speed’ videos/images of the small animals in my backyard (primarily squirrels and the occasional chipmunk) eating at a (squirrel sized) breakfast/lunch/dinner table set up, with fine china.
I was inspired by children’s book illustrations that depict animals coexisting with each other while performing actions modeled off human events.
I have been training the squirrels in my backyard to come to a specific location for food, and setting the food on platforms that requires the animals to “sit” in a chair to reach. Their foods are placed among (and within) miniature dining sets. I will be using the high frame rate camera to capture the very fast moments in the hope to catch some actions which mimic human actions. In the case where mimicry does not occur, I believe there will be an element of humor in the “mishandling” of the human eating set up.