PK a red fox vixen: Vulpes vulpes UK. (baited)

[Stuart Philpott]

• Stuart Philpott
• Stuart Philpott
• Digital Photo Professional

Hey guys,:wave:

this is a bit long winded, please forgive I need to share exactly how these images are being made


i'm pretty much stuck at home shielding as my lady is terribly vunerable to C19. I do have a tiny place where I can go close to home . I'd been out early and just comeback in when Shaz backtracked from our hall. We have a fox cub on the lawn she said . What? came the reply. Seconds later camera in hand I was with her and indeed there was a cub on the lawn. Being sneaky we got the door open and made a frame or two. That evening we were visited by mum with a cub just before dark, that was the 25th of May their last visit in daylight and that is where a degree of madness started. I feed the birds, I have done for years and there is also a flat tray that they use to bath in always kept topped up. This water and the left over bird scraps was presumably what had attracted the fox family. We left lights on out side at night so we could watch mum and cubs and I became more and more frustrated, I'd been given a gift but they were never here in daylight.

Feeding a red fox is not something I'd normally do, i'm a bird keeper. Poultry ( rare breeds) was my profession for a good while. Feeding foxes can lead to problems ,so all this has been done with huge care. I live near sheep farmers, if I let these cubs become humanised I could cause all mammer of problems,not only for farmers,but I'd be pretty much hanging a death sentence around their Necks. Simply a fox that doesn't fear humans will be shot around here. So I've changed nowt, they get a couple of handfuls of peanuts, like the birds do and that's it !!

I do not want to use flash with my wildlife images, this maybe me being soft, but I worry on incredibly sensitive eyes and can find no science, just concerns about flash , so I wondered if I could use continuous lighting. I set up a table lamp out side made a rain cover out of a black bag and wire and gaffa tape and watched. Foxes were not bothered by a light very close to them. Now I had some proof that if I got some lights the foxes might be ok with them and then maybe I would be able to make an image . I reseached and could find little info on night shooting with continuous lighting,but I did find a video of a guy using some lights in the pouring rain. so I found a good deal and bought a set of 3 rotolight neo 2's. which I then set in the garden.

At this time I'm shooting through the glass of my front door the POV is horrible and I hate the glass. Well I say shooting, I have a huge problem, my vixen will utterly not tolerate the shutter racket of my 1DX mark Ii, I try live view single shot silent ,but no joy. So I start to shoot video as my only option. I have enevr shot video but it was something.

I addressed the front door niggles, made a fake one I can slot in in seconds with a few wedges. Cut a big hole down low to put lens through, nailed an old skirt from Steve ...opps sorry :2eyes2::bg3: Shaz to the door then I attach the narrow end to lens hood with a couple of big elastic bands . this means I can freely shoot but the foxes can't see me.

Then came the hard bit for around 4 to five weeks I was lay behind my fake door grinding the hours,and not one chance of an Image. My vixen is wild as they come,she is incredibly jumpy, they will all spook to mirror lock up she is amazing, she can hear my lens AF, my DO ii is all but silent ,but six times one night she spooked as I hit AF.

Around two weeks back it was blowing a storm here, man I was so tired, just hanging in there by the skin of me teeth. I had a cub in front of me,due to fatigue I let the mirror drop,but my cub was still here. That was lucky,no it wasn't I made the same mistake again,cub still here . It slowly dawned on me this might just be my chance. I changed tech to stills and low and behold I have my first set of images. From there it has gradually got easier i'm still dealing with animals that run off at the drop of a hat. But finally I've the shutter racket past them,well ya know sometimes:S3:

So this image is made on my front lawn around say 3 or 4 meters from my front door, my front garden is tiny i'm way overgunned with 400mm . It is made at around 2.40AM by a guy that has never used flash or any form of artificial lighting in photography what so ever . I strongly suspect that without C19 this would never have happened.


There is a huge degree of blind stubborness here I had no idea if I could actually make an image that I'd even be remotely happy with:S3:. Very simply just got me head down dug in and went for it !!


Image is NOT cropped bit of processing in DPP, WB push back NR tad of colour work white balance has been a bit tricky ,but Mike Poole bless him, helped me out abit i've also been running a trial of topaz denoise AI these last weeks, which now starts my workflow in PSCC . I have added a tiny bit of canvas to the base This whole shoot is a squeeze tech wise I haven't alot of power light wise to play with so, it's really pushed what little ability I have, a massive learning curve................................. good but tough:c3:

Canon 1DX mark ii EF 400mm DO is ii @ 400mm no crop 1/250 f5 iso 10,000.

Apologies for this being so long. I needed you guys to undestand exactly how this has come about and what i've done, to find a frame

thanks for the incredible help here, you have given me in the past I hope you have enjoyed a tiny bit of my madness:e3

take care all

stu

 

[Mike Poole]

Good to see you've come on here Stu for more formal crit :cheers:

WB looks good on this one, looks the best processed of the series. Getting really picky now, but I'd clone out that 'stray' whisker that is right of the mouth, against the black BG, and maybe darken the green veggies lower right.

I know how hard you've worked for these images and what they mean to you, hope the guys here can push you even further as I know you're secretly proud of them!

Mike

 

[Steve Kaluski]

Hey Bud, nice to see you back and good to know you are staying safe and well, with some good opportunities during lock down perhaps?

I'm with you on concerns about baiting Foxy, and then setting a precedence and association with humans, always best for them to keep their wild side.

I became more and more frustrated, I'd been given a gift but they were never here in daylight.

That's wildlife for you!

Like your 'Heath Robinson' approach here Stu re lights and I'm please to see you thinking about the welfare of the subject ie the eyes, how many times do I see shots where flash has been used, too excess and with subjects who work in low light or in the dark.

Your 'hide' sounds fun, guess no need to check on wind direction, but maybe using an old duvet to lie on and have nothing you need to hand, shoot from the start. The duvet or blankets make it easier to lie on and softens any movement, having your set up done from the start means no clanking about, changing kit etc. You may want to try Live view here Stu, or throw a towel over your head so when looking through the VF you have no light creeping in, I sometimes do it when shooting in Africa where the light is bright, sheltering under a jacket, makes life easier to see and what you capture.

Based on the posting I feel the subject is too close, also you have the MK2 so up that ISO to say 16k to gain more DoF and try to get say 1/500, unless you are rock steady, or move that FP lower on the bridge of the nose. It's too tight at the foot and you need more for the virtual legs and for me, the nose to eyes need to be sharp, ears can drift off... There is some colour noise and the LHS appears a bit bright loosing some tonal detail, here you need to ply with the light in PP, I would let the top half of the BKG just go darker. I do like the quirky HA, shows interest, intrigue...

Stu, if it comes close go for head shots, but I think smaller in frame would work better and help on DoF/SS. Maybe a warm light may also help, but it doesn't need to be Wembley Stadium?

Hope to see more, including some of your 'madness'.:bg3:

TFS
Steve

 

[Stuart Philpott]

Good to see you've come on here Stu for more formal crit :cheers:

WB looks good on this one, looks the best processed of the series. Getting really picky now, but I'd clone out that 'stray' whisker that is right of the mouth, against the black BG, and maybe darken the green veggies lower right.

I know how hard you've worked for these images and what they mean to you, hope the guys here can push you even further as I know you're secretly proud of them!

Mike

Not sure proud mate maybe, it's more utter bewilderment, at what I think the images look like. I say think I am not really sure I'm so so close to it all right now tis hard being objective , I close my eyes and see orange and white blobs on a dark green bkg !! For the moment, it's head down a while longer, bank as much image wise as I can until it stops ? then try and take stock




Hmm I guess I am proud , I get that way when I graft hard enough Mike when I feel I've not let up done me best,however poor me best might be matters not, If I can own I tried me best that then yup that will do. :S3:

Thanks for the help mate, those few recent words on techs how far I might push, you gave me something to run with. This is an early frame same night as the other time you have seen her ISO is lower i've stayed pretty much locked in at 16000 these last days i've been hammering the post processing day in day out, still working off that method that base tutorial you gave me on the roe. It's coming, my brain just does not want to let this stuff in, but slowly it's staying in there now.

Yes here to be pushed further if that's possible Mike, still exploring trying to learn more ......

Lol ya can't sat that about a lady's whisker :bg3: the comment made me smile Mike I didn't even notice it i've spent hours looking at this frame.

oh well Back to the drawing board !!:5

 

[Stuart Philpott]

Guys, my apologies I think I've overlooked something I'm not shooting HH i'm using a little induro hi hat tripod,and a gimbal head

Hi Steve glad you are well too buddy,

Love those things in the tree, i'm being deliberately vague I have barely seen the email I don't want to spoil anything Buddy thanks for the great crit and thoughts,

Steve i'll come back properly tomorrow bit pushed right now

take care

 

[Jonathan Ashton]

It's a lovely shot Stu, your patience and hard work paid off handsomely, I would love to get shot of a fox in the back garden, but I don't think my old Barney would be too pleased !!

 

[Stuart Philpott]

Hey Bud, nice to see you back and good to know you are staying safe and well, with some good opportunities during lock down perhaps?

I'm with you on concerns about baiting Foxy, and then setting a precedence and association with humans, always best for them to keep their wild side.



That's wildlife for you!

Like your 'Heath Robinson' approach here Stu re lights and I'm please to see you thinking about the welfare of the subject ie the eyes, how many times do I see shots where flash has been used, too excess and with subjects who work in low light or in the dark.

Your 'hide' sounds fun, guess no need to check on wind direction, but maybe using an old duvet to lie on and have nothing you need to hand, shoot from the start. The duvet or blankets make it easier to lie on and softens any movement, having your set up done from the start means no clanking about, changing kit etc. You may want to try Live view here Stu, or throw a towel over your head so when looking through the VF you have no light creeping in, I sometimes do it when shooting in Africa where the light is bright, sheltering under a jacket, makes life easier to see and what you capture.

Based on the posting I feel the subject is too close, also you have the MK2 so up that ISO to say 16k to gain more DoF and try to get say 1/500, unless you are rock steady, or move that FP lower on the bridge of the nose. It's too tight at the foot and you need more for the virtual legs and for me, the nose to eyes need to be sharp, ears can drift off... There is some colour noise and the LHS appears a bit bright loosing some tonal detail, here you need to ply with the light in PP, I would let the top half of the BKG just go darker. I do like the quirky HA, shows interest, intrigue...

Stu, if it comes close go for head shots, but I think smaller in frame would work better and help on DoF/SS. Maybe a warm light may also help, but it doesn't need to be Wembley Stadium?

Hope to see more, including some of your 'madness'.:bg3:

TFS
Steve

Steve, the fox are too close for a 400mm prime, i'm way over gunned. all the images are made in a space 3to8M front to back say 4M across. I completely agree about breathing space, So I'm exploring trying to find as many images with such a limited bit of lawn,i've got a fair rake of head shots. I simply can't back up or push the foxes back.

There well being is crucial to me,I've thought about this in huge depth. The lights, not flash, make it a bit trickier for us image makers, but not insurmountable it seems. The trickiest thing is the way man made lights fall off power wise with distance....the inverse square law, for me this is utterly different to shooting under the sun


Steve the lights are variable for colour temp, one set of cool LEDs one set of warm, per light I use them at a colour temp of 4100 kelvin where both sets of LED are on. So the light is giving me it's maximum power to shoot under. I matched that colour temp in camera at first ,but It seems easier to shoot AWB white priority now, the WB was a struggle for me at first.


Wind noise is an asset, with them being at my home my scent will be everywhere, so wind direction is of no consequence. any sound I make they can hear, including a heavier breath or a supertele autofocus . I used live view for a month ,I'd rather keep moving forwards now not go back, it also presents issues I can't chimp, if the back of the camera screen illuminates they can see that, the towell over head is a good tip I am shooting completely through the viewfinder, in pitch darkness. got the foam bed from camper to make things comfy...well #er . I've pretty much got my shooting method down now Steve, most of my issues now being noisy neighbour related

your ability with techs like Mike is amazing Steve yes all images are now made at ISO 16000 1/500 is perfered not enough to stop mo blur of fox feeding but preferred if I can get there EXP wise. I'll look at those brighter whites, I spent time on them ,so i'm in the right head space, obviously didn't quite get there, noted !!


DOF is so shallow at these close ranges one just has to make the best of it. What I have really noted in you post was you would prefer eyes/nose sharp, whereas I've leaned towards eyes and ears,it's all a compromise. My logic is simple the nose being much smaller in frame than ears I felt the ears being less defined might harm the images more than the nose being out side DOF

It's possibly one of the strangest things i've even done, the repeat nature for someone like me has been fantastic to work through, many thanks for the above, thought provoking Steve !!

many thanks:5

 

[Stuart Philpott]

It's a lovely shot Stu, your patience and hard work paid off handsomely, I would love to get shot of a fox in the back garden, but I don't think my old Barney would be too pleased !!

Jon thank you,so strange, them yards away, I go from normal to total stealth mode like I have a deer in front of me in my own house .

I have dogs next door Jon I adore them, it was one of my biggest concerns when we first realised, mum was bringing the little ones here. I could n't figure out why she was taking such a risk,for a bit of left over bird food. It really bothered me. But maybe I underestimated the importance of the water. I also didn't know foxes and dogs will actually communicate with each other, I've heard this deep in the night.

hope you are well mate

take care

stu

 

[John Mack]

Glad to see you posting and staying healthy. A nice view of the backyard fox. I like that look in the eyes. You did very well in the situation you described. Detail on the fox looks quite nice for the high ISO. Stay safe out there.

 

[Bretoteanu Dan]

Beautifull shot, I like the detail, the candid look of the fox and her eyes are spectacular. Really liked your story behind the image and the fact that you care about the fox's welfare. Flash would probably have spooked them, so your you find a way around that. They are very versatile and adaptable creatures, I saw one in my city and even in the high mountains.

 

[haseeb badar]

Stu -- this has come out nicely, i really liked this one. More dof would have been terrific for the details , but nonethelessless I liked the curious look and the way your subject is right in the face , popping out of my screen.

Enjoyed viewing this one.

TFS !

 

[Arthur Morris]

I enjoyed the tale of your hard work and determination. I love the image, especially the inquisitive cocked head. In a word, priceless!

with love, a

 

[Stuart Philpott]

John Dan Haseeb and Artie thanks for the kind words, apologies for my slow response. Visits have dwindled now as the cubs have become more mature. But although I've found the nocturnal nature of this shoot hard very hard ,ie just being awake at those hours, it has been incredibly rewarding. Dan her eyes entrance me, i've never yet come across a subject whose eyes effect me like hers do.

Artie thank you,humbling for me reading your words, it took a long long time, but once we got past the shutter noise, it became a wonderful experience

take care all

stu