Peek-a-boo Kit Fox

Posted by Ron Day on Sun Jul 20, 2014 1:33 pm

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The original image was taken about two years ago. I really liked it, except for one thing. I selectively focused on the young fox and left the tree trunk in the foreground terribly out of focus, so much so that I felt it was a major distraction that ruined the image. Going through my archives recently, I ran across another image taken the same morning with the same tree trunk, but in much better focus. So I made this composite using the fox and background in the original image, and I placed the newly discovered tree trunk over the original distracting one. The young fox also had a nasty tick bite next to its left eye, and I did some cloning work in an effort to clean it up. The fox was approximately 8 to 10 weeks old, and was photographed from my blind. Please click on image to view larger version with dark surrounds. Thank you for looking.

Nikon D3, 200-400mm, f/4 @ 1/100, ISO: 1000, Wimberley Head II attached to beam in blind structure.

Ron Day www.rondayphotography.com

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by Gary Briney on Sun Jul 20, 2014 2:08 pm

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Very cute Ron --- gotta love those inquisitive eyes!

G. Briney

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by SantaFeJoe on Sun Jul 20, 2014 2:27 pm

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Nicely done!

Joe

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by Cynthia Crawford on Sun Jul 20, 2014 2:51 pm

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Great job on your composite-such a cute photo- well worth fixing up. Love the inquisitive look, and the tree trunk seems to be just the right amount in focus. I wonder, since you fixed it's tick bite, if you would also want to clone out the ticks in the left ear and relieve the poor fellow of those too. (Wouldn't it be nice if we could just do those things!)

Cynthia (Cindy) Crawford-Moderator, Photo & Digital Art
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"If I Keep a Green Bough in My Heart, the Singing Bird Will Come" Chinese Proverb

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by Vasanthi Balson on Sun Jul 20, 2014 4:16 pm

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Cute image. Love those bright eyes.

"When you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, it's your world for the moment.
I want to give that world to someone else."
-Georgia O'Keeffe

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by Ron Day on Sun Jul 20, 2014 7:17 pm

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Cynthia Crawford wrote:Great job on your composite-such a cute photo- well worth fixing up. Love the inquisitive look, and the tree trunk seems to be just the right amount in focus. I wonder, since you fixed it's tick bite, if you would also want to clone out the ticks in the left ear and relieve the poor fellow of those too. (Wouldn't it be nice if we could just do those things!)

Cynthia, you know I was so focused on the eye that I never noticed the ear. I've made a note to repair the ear next. Thanks.

Ron Day www.rondayphotography.com

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by Cynthia Crawford on Sun Jul 20, 2014 8:55 pm

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Ron Day wrote:
Cynthia Crawford wrote:Great job on your composite-such a cute photo- well worth fixing up. Love the inquisitive look, and the tree trunk seems to be just the right amount in focus. I wonder, since you fixed it's tick bite, if you would also want to clone out the ticks in the left ear and relieve the poor fellow of those too. (Wouldn't it be nice if we could just do those things!)
Cynthia, you know I was so focused on the eye that I never noticed the ear. I've made a note to repair the ear next. Thanks.

Oh, good. It will look better....I only hope the little fellow got rid of his/her pesky hitch-hikers as easily.

Cynthia (Cindy) Crawford-Moderator, Photo & Digital Art
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"If I Keep a Green Bough in My Heart, the Singing Bird Will Come" Chinese Proverb

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by jerryb on Mon Jul 21, 2014 9:29 pm

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Good job of blending the images. I think a portrait crop would work also.

Larger sized samples of my work can be seen on Google Plus at https://plus.google.com/u/0/+JerryBarnettPhoto

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by Carol Clarke on Tue Jul 22, 2014 4:12 am

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If you are removing ticks - I would remove the ones around the other eye and in the ears too. Put the poor thing out of its misery.

Nice work with the composite, I can't see the join, and those eyes are captivating!

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by Ron Day on Tue Jul 22, 2014 5:38 pm

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Cynthia & Carol,

Thank you for your suggestions to remove the remaining ticks on this young fox. Unfortunately, most wild foxes are exposed to ticks, and there is really nothing we can do to help because they are wild animals. It is important for folks to remember that these little critters do not have it easy in the wild. They have to fight for survival. Below is the new image showing the ticks removed, and the original RAW image showing all the ticks and the blurry tree trunk. Click on images to view larger versions in the shadow box. Thank you!

Ron Day www.rondayphotography.com

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by Cynthia Crawford on Tue Jul 22, 2014 7:46 pm

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Nice job with the ticks, Ron. Poor fellow was pretty infested. I can see how the new tree trunk improves the picture too. Yes-it is sad to think that many do not survive and many more suffer these pests. The process of natural selection is not one we readily accept for ourselves or our domestic animals.

Cynthia (Cindy) Crawford-Moderator, Photo & Digital Art
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by Carol Clarke on Wed Jul 23, 2014 3:50 am

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Yes, ticks are a curse for wildlife and over here after a mild winter they are particularly bad this year, especially anywhere where deer, sheep etc. roam free. The bonus of the digital art forum is that we can give our subjects a cosmetic make-over even if we can't help in real life!

The end result with this image is really nicely done Ron.

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by Jackie Schuknecht on Thu Jul 24, 2014 5:35 pm