Florida-based wildlife photographer Amber Favorite traveled coast to coast for a chance to photograph fox kits emerging from their dens in Washington's San Juan Islands – but it was an unexpected moment with their exhausted mother that produced this breathtaking winning image for the Alpha Female+ Weekly Micro-grant wildlife theme. Shot at golden hour with the Sony Alpha 1 II and Sony 600mm f/4 G Master, the photo captures a red fox pausing beside a patch of lupine, eyes closed, face lifted toward the morning sun – looking less like a wild animal on the hunt and more like a tired mother stealing one quiet breath before the day demands everything from her again.
The Scene: Chasing Fox Kits Across The Country
I traveled clear across the country from Florida specifically to photograph fox kits at this location in the San Juan Islands. During the month of May the kits are just coming out of the den and they're so cute. They stick around the den when they're little and as they grow they get a little braver and come out a little further. Plus they're super playful at this age. For this particular shot, the kits were at a side/back entrance to their den. I wasn't expecting to get the mom in such a location. I thought if I was lucky that I might get the kits nursing.
The Gear: Sony Alpha 1 II & 600mm f/4 G Master
I photographed this with the Alpha II and 600mm f/4 G Master. The autofocus of this camera is so reliable, allowing me to trust that the animal eye detection will grab the fox's eye. The 600mm allowed me to keep a respectful distance from the fox while still creating a wide scene composed with flowers and vegetation. The Alpha 1 II's autofocus was a huge part of making this image possible. Even with vegetation between me and the fox, the camera's animal eye detection locked onto the fox's eye and stayed there which helped me focus on getting an environmental moment. One of the things I love about this lens is how fast it is. Shooting at f/4 helped isolate the fox from the background and to get the soft, dreamy foreground and background blur that enhances the atmosphere as well as the fox.
The Shot: Watching What Everyone Else Missed
When it comes to photographing wildlife, I handhold 90% of my wildlife photography and videography. Golden hour is the best time. Earlier, at the den, I was using a tripod a couple feet off the ground and the Sony 300mm f/2.8 G Master, but when the kits went to the back/side entrance of the den, I abandoned my tripod and grabbed my 600mm and hurriedly walked over so I would have some flexibility and movement and not be stuck on a tripod. Being handheld gives me the freedom to make small adjustments and shift positions more rapidly.
Like everyone else who was there, I was enamored with the fox kits tumbling around the outside of the den, but they weren't in the best spot to get a clean buttery-soft background. There was lots of brush behind them distracting from the scene, so while everyone else was photographing the kits, I was standing back a little photographing and watching their mom sitting in the tall grass resting from the chore of chasing food to feed them. When she finally got up and headed down the trail, I was ready. Everyone else was looking through their lenses at the kits. She stopped for just a moment beside a patch of lupine. The light filtered through the brush and landed perfectly on her face. It felt like she paused for another moment to soak up that morning sun and sigh one last time before heading off to hunt again. The moment lasted about 40 seconds. I knew I caught something special when she closed her eyes, looking less like a wild fox on the hunt and more like a tired mother taking a quiet moment for herself.
My settings were 1/800-sec., f/4, and ISO 125. These were taken at 7:38 a.m.
Photo by Amber Favorite. Alpha 1 II. 600mm f/4 G Master. 1/800-sec., f/4, ISO 125
Photo by Amber Favorite. Alpha 1 II. 600mm f/4 G Master. 1/800-sec., f/4, ISO 125
The Edit: Enhancing The Dreamy, Golden Atmosphere In Lightroom Classic
I completely edited this photo in Lightroom Classic. I increased the overall exposure of the image and took down the highlights and hot spots on the fox. I darkened the foreground and the left bottom corner to give the image some depth and make the fox stand out. I used a radial gradient around the fox to subtly decrease texture, clarity, and a little dehaze to enhance the soft, dreamlike feel of the scene. In the top left corner, I increased the highlights, used negative dehaze, and warmed that area up to enhance the sunshine coming through. I decreased the green saturation and luminance. I increased yellow luminance, purple, and magenta which brightened the purple lupine to make it stand out.
See more of Amber Favorite’s work on Instagram @amber.favorite.photography.
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