Totally Foxy
She was certainly a gorgeous Vixen to photograph in the snowy Winter landscape of Grand Teton National Park!
She was certainly a gorgeous Vixen to photograph in the snowy Winter landscape of Grand Teton National Park!
Read less
Read less
Feb, 2015Views
640
Likes
Absolute Masterpiece
Superb Composition
Outstanding Creativity
Top Choice
Peer Award
Magnificent Capture
Superior Skill
Top Ranks
Top 20 rankTop 20 rank week 1
Top 10 rankTop 30 rank week 1
Top 20 rank
Categories
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Discover more photos See all
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in February of this year, 2015 - in the northern part of Grand Teton National Park, in Wyoming.Time
I knew four different Red Foxes had been seen in the area of Colter Bay, where fishermen were ice fishing on Jackson Lake, in very cold temperatures (WAY below freezing). The Foxes were in the middle of their breeding season and desperate to find food, so they came close to the Lake nearly every day in the early morning and late afternoon into evening, hoping to find fish left on the frozen Lake. I shot this particular photo just as the Sun was setting over Colter Bay.Lighting
This gorgeous female Red Fox suddenly appeared on a low snowbank on the Jackson Lake shore, seemingly mesmerized by the low setting Sun. And she was clearly hoping to find discarded frozen fish on the icy Lake. The contrasting dark trees in the background, together with the Fox directly facing the setting Sun, illuminated her perfectly as she posed so beautifully for me there on the snow.Equipment
This photo was shot with my Nikon D810 camera using the Tamron 150-600mm telephoto lens.........it was fully extended at 600mm, f9, SS at 1/500, ISO 1000, and stabilized on a carbon fiber Tripod.Inspiration
I had been shooting each of the Red Foxes as they came into the Colter Bay area looking for food. This female was the most daring and brave, coming closer and closer in the hopes of finding food where people were fishing, though they were hundred of yards away. I took many, many photos that day, but this one seemed to be the culmination of all the factors a photographer always looks for............nature, wildlife, beauty, light, emotion, and the sense of urgency displayed in her body language as she stood waiting on the snowy bank. She was totally focused on 'survival', every muscle ready to leap forward as the fishermen began to pick up their day's catch of fish and motor on snowmobiles towards the shore. She wanted only one thing - the icy fish.Editing
I processed this photo in Lightroom 5, making slight adjustments for exposure and lowering the highlights on the snow. I also did a slight amount of noise reduction in Lightroom, masking off the background and adding sharpening - a very slight amount - to the Fox. No other adjustments were made, as the lighting was outstanding in that moment of time.In my camera bag
My camera is a Nikon D810, which I totally LOVE. My favorite lenses, which are always with me, are the Nikon 50mm 1.8D, the Tokina 17-35mm (for any "wide angle" landscape needs), a Tamron 70-200mm f2.8 that is especially useful for portraiture and low light situations, and a Nikon 28-300mm f5.6 used particularly for hiking and traveling. For Wildlife photography, which is my primary love, the Nikon 80-400mm G w/VR 11, the Tamron 150-600mm, and the new Nikon 200-500mm are my lenses of choice. All of these lenses serve me very well and make my adventures truly exciting; good equipment guarantees accessibility and insures that my work will be of high enough quality for great prints.Feedback
Wildlife photography has unique challenges, but brings incredible rewards. You must know your equipment, since opportunities come quickly and may honestly never occur again (!) - you must be fast with that camera........or you will miss the shots!! You must take hundred of photos! You must learn about whatever you photograph to catch those 'natural' moments. I spend hours and hours in the field, waiting and watching and learning about all the wildlife I intend to photograph, for just a few 'moments' of the actual capture; it takes great patience and is physically taxing in every regard. My advice? Look for the moments that are spontaneous and grab every opportunity as it comes. Capture the world in it's beauty, and the wildlife, with love and passion - if you have that, you will get better and better and ultimately find the spark, the 'magic', that makes a great photo.
