Red Fox
Red Fox vixen in Algonquin Park, Ontario
Red Fox vixen in Algonquin Park, Ontario
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Jan, 2016Views
2017
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Awards
Zenith Award
Top Shot Award 22
Legendary Award
Member Selection Award
Featured
Spring Selection Award
Contest Finalist in My Best Winter Shot Photo Contest
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Love it
Outstanding Creativity
Magnificent Capture
All Star
Superior Skill
Genius
Top Ranks
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Top 10 rank
Categories
PRO
Pamelabole
March 04, 2016
Congrats on your award....so well deserved!!! Stunning shot...love the snow on the tip of the nose!! : )
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario Canada on a cloudy day in March. I know the location of the den, and by situating a respectful distance away and waiting quietly, the foxes will usually make an appearance. This female was foraging in the snow when she raised her head to check her surroundings. The bit of snow on her nose is the feature that most viewers notice in this image.Time
The park is about a 3 hour drive from my home, so I was on the road at 6am to get to the location by the time it was bright enough to shoot. I was in place for about an hour when this shot was captured about 9:30am.Lighting
The slight overcast softened the highlights in the snow, allowing for an exposure that captured the fine detail in the beautiful winter coat of this vixen.Equipment
Canon 7D Mk II, Canon 500mm F/4 IS lens. Jobu Algonquin Tripod w/ Jobu Jr. Gimbal head. The image was shot at ISO 800, 1/640 @ f/6.3. in manual mode. This was 2 1/3 stops over exposed according to the in-camera meter, which is necessary when shooting a dark subject against snow on a cloudy day. Don't believe the meter - check the histogram!Inspiration
I find foxes to be very photogenic, with their lovely coats and bright, intelligent eyes. Their behaviour can be quite predictable, making them ideal subjects for wildlife photography. I took several hundred images of this fox and her mate that morning, but this one has garnered the most attention, surely due to that bit of snow on her nose.Editing
During the RAW conversion the highlights were pulled back to reveal detail in the white fur. White balance was adjusted to remove a blue cast from the snow, and the reds were desaturated a tiny bit to make the fur look more natural. Noise removal rom the background and some selective sharpening on the face was dome before the final image was resized and sharpened for web presentation.In my camera bag
For bird/wildlife shoots I usually carry two bodies - Canon 7D Mk II and Canon 5D Mk III. One will be mounted to the 500mm and the other to a Canon 100-400 II telephoto zoom. I also carry both 1.4x and 2x teleconverters, a Speedlight EX 550 flash and Better Beamer flash extender.Feedback
The key to any wildlife photography is to be patient and unobtrusive. I find that getting into place and staying put (often in a blind or camo clothing) is much better than trying to 'sneak up' on the subjects. Let them come to you instead, and you will find that not only will they come closer to you but their behaviour will be more natural, even if they know you're there. The less movement the better - I've had wild foxes come right up and sniff around my feet while sitting motionless in the snow. Most importantly, respect the animals you are photographing. Keep your distance and try not to harass or disturb them in any way. Any sign of distress in the animal is a signal to back off.
