The fox and the view...

Gallery: WildlifePosted June 12, 20065,404 views21 comments

Foxes are known to be very curious animals, and I have gotten to know this one very well during the past winter as we have taken time to watch each other a number of times. He's quite skittish to quick movements, but if you sit still, so will he.

This evening, I saw him out and about, and positioned myself between him and the sun, hoping he would get high on a rock for a silhouette shot against the setting sun. He chose the rock I was hoping for.

All I had to do was lower the tripod, slide myself backwards and fire away. I got off about five shots before he moved on.

While it may look like he’s watching the sunset, his head is facing me, watching me with an ever curious eye. I have some other shots with his head straight (also towards me), but I wanted to know if this works, or if his head angle looks odd???

Canon 20D w/Sigma 18-200mm @ 160mm
F14 at 1/25
ISO 200
GND 0.6
Manual Focus / Tripod

Note..>Can't decide between Fauna or ES&S...

Comments

21 comments

Comment posted by David Bostedo on June 12, 2006 at 9:58 PM

I think this works just fine. The angle of the head can be seen either way since it's a silhouette, but I think the sunset makes you assume it's looking out over the edge (I did anyway, until I read what you wrote). Great story, great comp, and great result!

Registered on May 5, 2006, 178 Posts, 2224 Comments

Comment posted by David Schwaegler on June 12, 2006 at 10:33 PM

Works for me. Great anticipation on your part.

Registered on December 4, 2003, 232 Posts, 1652 Comments

Comment posted by Jake Dingel on June 12, 2006 at 10:49 PM

I also thought he was looking toward the sunset.

Registered on April 24, 2006, 34 Posts, 633 Comments

Comment posted by Ed Cordes on June 12, 2006 at 10:59 PM

Looks to me as if he is looking at the Sunset. Great capture.

Now that I look at the image much closer the Fox must be looking at the Sunset as I also see a small pocket digital he is using to capture the moment LOL

Registered on November 1, 2003, 451 Posts, 3366 Comments

Comment posted by Ken Archer on June 13, 2006 at 3:07 AM

Beautiful!!!

Ken Archer

Registered on October 28, 2004, 222 Posts, 6683 Comments

Comment posted by Kurt Budliger on June 13, 2006 at 8:52 AM

Great shot Jim! Was this taken from your perch above the clouds on Mt. Washington? I love the detail of the fox's hair on the back of neck and ears. the placement of the fox within the frame is also very strong.

Registered on June 11, 2006, 113 Posts, 2116 Comments

Comment posted by Pete Bengeyfield on June 13, 2006 at 10:49 AM

Wow, I've sure never seen anythig like that. Excellent concept and execution.

Registered on December 2, 2003, 1247 Posts, 3439 Comments

Comment posted by Lee Daniels on June 13, 2006 at 7:48 PM

Part of me aches to see a full silhouette, but this is so enormously appealing that all nits vanish like mist. Beautiful work!

Registered on December 31, 2003, 115 Posts, 1657 Comments

Comment posted by Robert Near on June 13, 2006 at 8:16 PM

One great capture...

Robert

Registered on November 1, 2003, 40 Posts, 98 Comments

Comment posted by Jim Salge on June 13, 2006 at 9:38 PM

Thanks all for your comments...I'm glad that everyone can picture the fox facing away, that's the idea that I think conveys the most serene feelings of watching the sunset.

I may this week try to reprocess it slightly, as the raw file has a bit of a backlighting halo around the entire fox which didn't come through that well. That might help with Lee's comment about seeing the whole silhouette.

Registered on February 23, 2006, 269 Posts, 2210 Comments

Comment posted by W. Tracy Parnell on June 14, 2006 at 1:26 AM

Registered on March 4, 2004, 27 Posts, 1638 Comments

Comment posted by Jess Lee on June 18, 2006 at 9:54 PM

Great catch

Registered on November 1, 2003, 114 Posts, 929 Comments

Comment posted by Felix Wilson on June 19, 2006 at 1:10 AM

Fantastic, reminds me of a Caspar David Friedrich painting, I forget the name of it. solitary figure looking out over the atmospheric sky, very contemplative...makes you wonder what he was thinking (until you read the story, but that doesn't matter).

Thanks

Registered on February 28, 2006, 0 Posts, 45 Comments

Comment posted by Leann Greene on June 19, 2006 at 6:04 AM

Fantastic sunset colors and mood with the breeze blowing the fox's fur back.

Registered on January 25, 2006, 223 Posts, 3566 Comments

Comment posted by Carrie Stingl on June 20, 2006 at 11:26 PM

I love this.. I can almost feel the breeze like I was sitting there.

Registered on June 17, 2006, 0 Posts, 13 Comments

Comment posted by Dominic Rossetti on June 23, 2006 at 8:35 PM

What a moment! How fortunate you were to be there. Oh, yeah, excellent technicals, too!

Registered on October 17, 2005, 54 Posts, 300 Comments

Comment posted by Larry Finn on July 24, 2006 at 12:43 AM

Nice shot.............

Registered on July 6, 2006, 51 Posts, 121 Comments

Comment posted by Simon Littlejohn on January 27, 2007 at 8:45 AM

Hi Jim

a beautiful image,

Simon Littlejohn

Registered on November 3, 2004, 116 Posts, 143 Comments

Comment posted by Patricia Brundage on April 1, 2007 at 10:48 AM

Congratulations Jim on your cover photo, and a great portfolio. The silhouette of the fox leaves me amazed by how animals in the wild watch over their territory and enjoy the marvels of a sunrise just like nature photographers.

Registered on March 23, 2006, 1111 Posts, 6531 Comments

Comment posted by Vincent Grafhorst on April 4, 2007 at 8:09 AM

Congrats Jim with the cover photo, great capture of what must have been a wonderful moment to experience. If you would have said this was a wolf, I would have believed you!
Good luck with your photography.

Registered on February 24, 2006, 504 Posts, 7203 Comments

Comment posted by Jacob-Carl Pauw on May 26, 2008 at 9:41 AM

A dreampicture. Very nice, also the composition and viewpoint.

Jacob-Carl

Registered on February 22, 2008, 0 Posts, 81 Comments