saraascalon
FollowRed fox enjoys a moment in the sunshine
Red fox enjoys a moment in the sunshine
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Contest Finalist in Wildlife In The Snow Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Celebrating Nature Photo Contest Vol 1
Contest Finalist in Living Creatures Photo Contest
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Contest Finalist in 300 Furry Friends Photo Contest
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rocksteadyredhead
September 06, 2015
This shot is perfection. Congratulations on your well-deserved win.
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
This was taken at Island Beach State Park on the New Jersey Shore. The park is known for its (growing) population of wild fox that have become habituated to visitors who come to photograph or just gawk at them. Pull over on the road that leads through the park and it's quite possible you'll be approached by one of these beauties hoping for a handout. But please don't give them one. They need to be able to survive on what nature provides.Time
Shot at 12:51pm, with the sun blazing directly overhead and a blanket of snow on the ground. Any wonder the fox was squinting? Just goes to show, you can still get lucky when conditions are less than ideal.Lighting
As mentioned above, the noonday sun actually turned out to be a benefit. What would normally be challenging worked out in my favor, eliciting this charming expression from the fox who was enjoying the scents and warmth of an early-March afternoon after a long, harsh winter. Even in these conditions, I was blessed with a great many keepers of this fellow and the other residents of the Island. It was an amazing day of shooting.Equipment
This was shot handheld with humble gear: Nikon D7100 and Tamron 70-300mm, f/4-5.6 at 155mm.Inspiration
I had been hearing about this location for awhile. A local camera club I belong to scheduled a field trip there and I wimped out because of the bitter cold that day. When I saw the images that were made that day, I knew I had missed out on something special and a friend and I ventured out there on our own. The experience far exceeded the expectations. There's another trip scheduled there this winter. You can be sure I'm going!Editing
Just a few basic slider adjustments in Lightroom. That's it. I told you I was blessed, didn't I?In my camera bag
I'm a relative beginner to photography (I've only been shooting for 2 years) and have a pretty modest kit: Nikon D7100 crop frame body and a handful of decent 3rd party consumer grade lenses. But the crown jewel of my kit is a 20-year-old Nikon 35-70mm 2.8 (the predecessor to the current 24-70) that I snagged from a photo gear swap page on Facebook for a song. I keep telling myself it's not about the equipment, but gear envy rears its ugly head often. For now, I'm content (or trying to be) with what I have to work with. One day at a time...Feedback
When shooting wildlife of any kind, take the time to study the animal's behavior. It's impossible to predict exactly what they'll do next, but seeing how they move and interact with their environment will help you be ready for that perfect moment.