Game On For A Brat Pack Of Raccoons Or A Fun Way To Lose Your Marbles

This brat pack of raccoons could easily have been shooting craps in Vegas, raucously competing and guarding their winnings. But when I saw the way they were lining up the shots with intense concentration, close to the ground, all incredibly laser-focused, it screamed marble game. Of course this was only how I envisioned it in my mind, as the images were actually of playful, mischievous raccoons that had snuck onto a back porch to swipe some dog kibble.

The idea for this series came when I was looking to expand the animal section of my retouching portfolio. My nephew, Brett Isaacson, is a photography enthusiast and has direct access to some great farm animals. I asked him if he could send me any images he had shot over the years that I could retouch and potentially use for portfolio pieces on my retouching website. I imagined he’d send some images of miniature burros, goats, a mule and maybe a few dogs. But buried among the expected farm animals, were the unexpected raccoon images that immediately caught my eye. The way the raccoons were interacting with the large kibble bits, immediately looked to me like they were playing a serious game of marbles. Complete with the rowdy group shot, lining up the shot, kissing the marble for luck, laser-sharp concentration and the winner take all shot. The retoucher in me couldn’t resist. So raccoons stealing dog kibble, were transformed into raccoons playing an intense game of marbles.

I’d like to think that if a bag of marbles had been left out instead of dog kibble, maybe my vision would have even come true without any help.

More info: lonawalburn.com