Photographing foxes

Images and tips from Terry Longley.

Foxes can be found in many places of the UK. They've even started to move into towns and cities because of the easy access to food. But unless you want to have a particularly late night with your camera or you happen to spot a fox in your neighbour's garden, you should head off to a wildlife centre such as the British wildlife centre (BWC) where the foxes are in enclosures so they're easier to spot and photograph.


Gear
As you can't get close to animals at a wildlife centre a 300-400mm lens works best for most situations and unless you're in a hide watching a baited area, working hand-held will give you more flexibility to compose quickly. Don't wear bright clothing either as you'll stand out a mile off.

Technique
April, May and June is the time when cubs are just being born and the adults are out and about more in search of food. If you do fancy venturing out into the countryside and you find a den, you'll see cubs playing out in the open during the evening and morning and this is the time when you'll be able to get some real 'ahh' factor shots. While later in the year their coats are in their prime and look great against autumnal colours.

It doesn't matter if you're setting up a hide out in the open or wandering round the BWC, staying reasonably still and very quiet is very important. You also need to spend some time observing the animal before taking any photos, even when at the BWC as this helps to understand the behaviour, mood and routine of the animal, which in turn helps you to get the image you are after.

A shallow depth of field works very well for fox portraits and this combined with the compression effect you get from lenses with longer focal lengths helps to isolate the subject from the background. If you're out in an urban/street environment however, where you can show the animal in context; i.e. rummaging through rubbish for food, you'll want to use a greater depth of field.

If you're at a wildlife centre they'll be barriers between you and the fox which can be very distracting if they take over the foreground of your image. You could shoot so your lens is above, looking down on the fox but this is rather boring and can distort the appearance of the fox so instead, get down low for a better perspective. At the BWC you have wire mess to contend with so you need to keep your lens at 90° to it and at the same time ensure your lens isn't partially obscured by the mesh as this can cause flair and a hazy effect on the image.

Always take your time to compose your shots and make sure you look around the viewfinder to ensure there are no distracting, unwanted objects in the background before you take the photo.


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