The Red Fox of Lake Clark

Image: Red Fox at Lake Clark National Park, Alaska. Nikon D500, Nikkor 200-500mm at 280 mm, f/8.0, 1/1000 sec, ISO 800, hand-held.

While at Lake Clark National Park, we had the chance to photograph a few more wildlife species besides the grizzly bears. This red fox made its appearance the first morning we woke up and went outside. I found its den in some shrubbery right by the lodge and under my window! Initially it was a bit shy and went back into its hiding area when it heard some noise, but that wasn’t its last appearance….

Grizzlies in a Golden Light

Image: Grizzly bear at Lake Clark National Park, Alaska. Nikon D500, Nikkor 200-500mm at 400mm, f/8.0, 1/800 sec, ISO 400, on tripod.

Sunlight can be both a blessing and a curse. Both landscape and wildlife photographers often prefer to photograph in the soft light around sunrise and sunset to avoid the harsh shadows created by the bright light in the middle of the day. Wildlife photographers also avoid midday hours because animals tend to reduce activity during the day which doesn’t lend to dynamic images of animal behavior. Sometimes, however, midday light can be a benefit.