One of the benefits of a small group photography oriented expedition is that the schedule can be adapted to the situation better than if there are other priorities at play. This was highlighted by the encounter we had with 2 arctic fox kits at a landing on Spitsbergen near Longyearbyen. Situated at the base of a high peak that hold breeding seabirds, the grassed base is a productive hunting venue for foxes as it is the landing zone for the guillemot jumplings that start too low or don’t glide far enough to reach the safety of the sea.

There was another larger tour group in attendance as it had been reported that Arctic fox kits were in the area. This gave the advantage of extra eyes to search and first one and then a second fox was located resting in the grass. Both were just dozing in the sun so not very photogenic. A long time was spent watching and waiting for some action. It required patience but one especially was amusing as he yawned episodically and kept twitching in his sleep resulting in slowly sliding down the grass bank

Eventually he woke up and began playing with a kittiwake wing left over from a previous meal.

These initial photos were in difficult lighting conditions as the fox was backlit leaving the body in shade with bright, rim lit fur. This meant an exposure to show the shaded body would blow out the fur details. As a result I chose to keep my ISO low (base 64) to maximise dynamic range and use as slow a shutter speed as I could while not overexposing the highlights. This gave me quite dark files but no blown highlights and I could open the shadows in processing to reveal the fur detail.

The reward for our patience was the opportunity to watch and photograph as the fox began to explore presumably stirred by hunger. This gave more options and different lighting opportunities.

The really nice feature of this was at how unconcerned the fox was by our presence, wandering past us with no distress

This was one of a number of special encounters but unique in the duration and close proximity. By being able to adjust our schedule to prioritise photography we were able to achieve a very special opportunity and some decent images rather than just record shots of a sleeping fox. The larger tour group had moved on before the fox performance as they were on a schedule with other places to be.

Photos with Nikon Z9 and Nikkor Z 800mm f6.3 VR S and Nikon Z8 and Nikkor Z 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 VR S