Here's Lookin' At Ya (Red Fox Kit; Vulpes fulva)

One of my downfalls as a nature photographer is that I have a distaste for captive animal photography. I don't consider it unethical or inappropriate so long as the public knows that the subject was photographed in captivity to avoid giving people a false impression of what to expect from Nature. I consider myself to be first, and foremost, an interpreter and do not want to give folks a wrong impression of the enormous effort it takes to see animals in the wild. Which is why I am still lacking many of the more elusive species in my files.

However, I will not hesitate to photograph a wild animal that has, for whatever reason, decided to make my life/career, a bit easier, that is to say, cut me a break. When a vixon decided to den up under our front porch one spring, I wasn't going to explain to her that she threatened to blur the distinction between what is and isn't wild habitat. (If you've ever been under or porch, you would be hard pressed to call it a domesticated space.)

So, over the course of several weeks, I had a the opportunity to photograph her family. This is one my favorite portraits from that portfolio. Note the dandelion seed on its coat.

Nikon F3, 200mm Micro Nikkor F4, 1/250" @ F5.6 on K64, Gitzo, spot metered on red fur.

Peace, and may the light be with you,
Gustav