Fox kits

Gallery: WildlifePosted April 20, 2011243 views13 comments

Well, those who commented on the first image said they wanted to get closer - hope this satisfies you! This is actually a 2nd den about 20 miles away that I discovered this evening after work. Last year I had noted the location of a possible den (either fox or groundhog) and remembered this year and thought I would give it a shot. . . when I pulled up the mother fox was napping and 3 kits were around the den with a 4th in the woods. At first they of course were apprehensive but eventually one came out and napped for about an hour while one of his siblings poked his head out from time to time. I switched to "Q" Quiet mode in an attempt to not spook them and they didn't seem to react at all when the shutter clicked.

When the father came home with some food I knew it was time to go and let them enjoy their family time. This den is located conveniently for me and allows me to get low to the ground so hopefully I will have many more chances over the next month or two.

Nikon D300s 300 f4 + 1.7XT TC HH lying down
f/13
1/500s
ISO 500
-.67 EC
Q mode

Cropped to 61% mostly for compositional purposes, sharpened using smart sharpen with an additional round on the fox only showing its head, curves adjustment and levels adjustments in CS5 on 27" iMac

- Luke

Comments

13 comments

Comment posted by Gary Marquart on April 20, 2011 at 10:23 PM

A really cute, amusing image Luke. The lower one with just the head poking out is especially humorous to me and made me smile. I'm wondering though, do you think the colors are accurate in the image? The reason I ask is because the foxes look more brown than red to me, assuming these are red foxes and I figured you would know since you saw them first hand.

Registered on October 24, 2009, 126 Posts, 799 Comments

Comment posted by Luke Ormand on April 20, 2011 at 10:33 PM

Gary,

Yes the colors are accurate. . . the kits weren't terribly red and the one poking its head out in particular was quite drab colored. The parents were considerably more red but I've seen more vibrant fox in other parts of the country.

Registered on February 4, 2009, 1093 Posts, 7035 Comments

Comment posted by Steve Canuel on April 20, 2011 at 11:41 PM

Like the open frontal view with the brush in the BG. Nice expressions on both faces and the difference in color between the two adds interest. Had three coworkers tell me of sightings today and haven't got a picture of one in over two years. Enjoy the time you get to spend with them.

Registered on September 12, 2010, 53 Posts, 660 Comments

Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on April 20, 2011 at 11:49 PM

Excellent, soft image!
Great poses, nice environment, and a "cute" factor.
I'd suggest a bit more sharpening of the kits only.
Really nice!
Sandy

Registered on November 24, 2003, 3937 Posts, 12909 Comments

Comment posted by Barbara Graham on April 21, 2011 at 12:24 AM

So cute!!! I really like the light here, and to me the sharpness of the heads looks great.

Registered on July 27, 2010, 1310 Posts, 5035 Comments

Comment posted by Ashley Vincent on April 21, 2011 at 5:41 AM

What a delightful pari of characters Luke :^) I really like the lighting you've caught them in and the sense that they're secure in the knowledge of the entrance of their den being so close at hand ... or paw, if you will ;^)

Registered on March 1, 2011, 154 Posts, 2083 Comments

Comment posted by Brad Hill on April 21, 2011 at 9:35 AM

Hey Luke,

Very cute, very nice. The standing fox alone would have made a nice shot - the head "popping out" of the ground is a very nice bonus. One very minor technical nit - to me the image looks just a TAD drab - like it's simply slightly underexposed. I'm thinking a global increase in exposure (probably in the .3 to .5 stop range) would help make this one stand out even more. Doing this might produce the need to very slightly increase the contrast, especially in the midtones.

Cheers...thanks for sharing this - have fun playing with these cuties...

Brad

Registered on May 29, 2007, 431 Posts, 6061 Comments

Comment posted by Mark Seaver on April 21, 2011 at 7:39 PM

The eyes in the larger version are like lasers burning into you. It's so much fun to hang out around a fox den.

Registered on January 23, 2011, 1103 Posts, 17270 Comments

Comment posted by Nathan Lovas on April 22, 2011 at 1:28 PM

Superb Image in every regard. Congrats!

Nate

Registered on December 30, 2007, 27 Posts, 176 Comments

Comment posted by Wayne Willison on April 24, 2011 at 11:38 AM

Sweet. Wonderful eye contact in both kits. The lower one looks like its buried in the sand, something like a game a child would play. You must've had a great time there, Luke.

Registered on April 10, 2009, 292 Posts, 3967 Comments

Comment posted by Kurt Bowman on April 24, 2011 at 12:23 PM

Nice capture Luke...I am totally jealous, I can't seem to locate kits yet this year and it is bumming me out! Glad to see someone is getting to photograph them though

I like the curiosity you managed to capture since I always find they are very curious.

FYI The colors look very accurate to my eyes...one thing people forget, is there are many different colors of Red Foxes...even black and silver, but they are still called a Red Fox.

Registered on June 19, 2008, 1005 Posts, 8028 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Sharp on April 24, 2011 at 8:13 PM

Luke, you are into something good with these two dens! I am eager to see more. In this case, you composed this very well and the poses are super. I agree with Brad that a slight increase in brightness might make it a hair better. Congrats on this find!

Registered on December 9, 2007, 258 Posts, 9892 Comments

Comment posted by Ken Canning on April 26, 2011 at 5:26 PM

That's a wonderfull find, I hope you enjoy them for weeks to come. Great photo too!

Registered on February 10, 2004, 88 Posts, 549 Comments