Living in Central London is the ideal location for observing urban foxes. They really are everywhere and seeing them is easy. Stand on any street in the small hours and a fox will probably trot straight past you. However, photographing them in daylight, looking relaxed and behaving naturally, is an altogether different proposition. Foxes are crepuscular, meaning that they emerge during the twilight of dusk and disappear as dawn approaches.
URBAN JUNGLE: THE RED FOX
INTRODUCTION
In March, I embarked on a challenging new fox project. Living in Central London is the ideal location for observing urban foxes. They really are everywhere and seeing them is easy. Stand on any street in the small hours and a fox will probably trot straight past you.
However, photographing them in daylight, looking relaxed and behaving naturally, is an altogether different proposition. Foxes are crepuscular, meaning that they emerge during the twilight of dusk and disappear as dawn approaches. Then again, if you keep your eyes peeled, you can see them in the daylight because foxes love to bask in warm sunshine.
Week #1: Find a location – ask around
My first task was to find a local fox family. I struck lucky when I spoke to a Local Authority environment officer who told me about a family of foxes in a local nature reserve. After enquiring and explaining my project, I was granted one-year’s access for a small ‘commercial photography’ fee.
WEEK #2: OBSERVATIONS – watch & wait
For several evenings, I watched from the shadows and indeed there was a pair of foxes rearing cubs. The cubs were still in the earth and would not be out for several weeks, but the regular food deliveries from the dog fox were a sure sign they were there.
WEEK #3: Feeding – constant but irregular
I needed to have some control over where the foxes may be at particular time. This meant feeding. I needed an open location so that I could work for as many daylight hours as possible without resorting to flashguns. In the end, I decided to sink a heavy bowl in the ground, in the middle an open meadow.
I filled the bowl at irregular intervals, so a fox would not rely solely on the handout, but is still encouraged to check the bowl. It didn’t take very long. In fact, the food was taken on the first night. Even with the bowl sunk in the earth and with a lid placed on top (to stop the rats), the fox used its incredible sense of smell to zero in on the food. Task accomplished!
WEEK #5: Introductions – slowly does it
It was time to introduce myself. It can be perilous for foxes if they habitually associate humans with food as not everyone is as kind and welcoming to foxes as I am! Rather than feed by hand and create a ‘food association’, I chose to continue leaving the food in the bowl and just sit and wait on the periphery.
My goal was for the fox to accept me as a ‘non-threat’ but not as a source of food. I really wanted to observe the foxes natural habits and behaviour, especially when the cubs arrived. This would not be possible if he/she made a beeline for me as soon as I arrived. I visited the site 3-4 times per week and performed the same ritual: Entering at the same time, walking the same path, filling the bowl, and then sitting nearby.
week #7: Acceptance & 1st images
It wasn’t long before I was ready to begin photography. The dog fox was completely relaxed when I entered the reserve. If he was sleeping in the sunshine, he just glanced nonchalantly in my direction, before resuming his snooze. Unfortunately, the vixen was still uneasy and frequently left the area, but this was only to be expected with her precious cubs stowed nearby. After hearing the bowl lid being replaced, the dog fox usually trotted over and nosed aside the lid, helped himself to a mouthful of food and followed the vixen’s path. Within a few minutes he would return to repeat the process until all the food was gone.
Soon, I had a bagful of great portrait and behavioural images of the dog fox. On several occasions, after his job as delivery boy was finished, he came to settle by my side. I couldn’t believe how relaxed he was and how much I was now accepted. Soft as muck I may be, but I could not help but feel moved by this gesture.
My usual set-up consisted of a Canon 1Ds mkII, 300mm f/2.8 IS lens, Gitzo 1325 Tripod and RSS55 ball head, all wrapped in camouflaged covers. Handholding the camera was a rare event because of the low light. Occasionally, I used my 70-200mm or 100-400mm, but they couldn’t beat the 300mm for its speed, sharpness, and colour saturation in low light. My camera was always set to ISO400 and the vast majority of the fox images were shot using an aperture of f/4 or f/5.6.
week #10: charming Fox Cubs
Now it is the middle of May and the fox cubs have been out for a couple of weeks. They are furry bundles of energy constantly racing around and chasing each other’s tails. I’m spending most of my time just watching and smiling.
I am maintaining the food bowl for the parent foxes and I have started leaving small morsels of food around the reserve. The fox cubs evidently enjoy this game of ‘find the snack’ and it gives me the opportunity to photograph the cubs in different settings.
It has only taken a few visits for them to get used to the sound of my camera shutter. At first they fled, but now they just look at 
me and turn their heads in the most engaging way, so I often fire off a few frames to capture their expressions and reaction.
"I could not have hoped for a better result to my project and I am looking forward to spending the rest of the summer with these most charming of animals. It is amazing to think what may come from a little patience and an ability to sit still."
Now it is your turn!
Because I have had the time, I have been able to take this slow and methodical approach to wildlife photography and it has paid dividends. I know that not everyone has this luxury, so here are my top tips for using your own garden to photograph foxes.
- Leave food out for a few nights to see whether there are any foxes in the neighbourhood
- Once the food is being taken, assess your garden for a suitable location for a more permanent feeding point
- Ideally, dig a small hole in the ground and insert a heavy bowl with a lid (to stop other animals stealing the food), so it is level with the surface
- Do not sprinkle food around otherwise as you may need to clone out crumbs later
- Conceal yourself in a garden shed, wildlife watching hide, behind a camo/net screen, or in your home
- Try to photograph foxes at eye-level, so hide somewhere where you can remain low to the ground, comfortably, for long periods
- If inside, turn out all your lights, be quiet, and photograph through an OPEN window or door
- If outside, wear black, muted or camouflage clothing. Make sure it is rustle-free clothing - avoid noisy, scratchy Gortex and waterproofs
- Store everything you need (spare batteries, cards/film) securely in your clothing
- Most fox photos will be shot in low light, so use a sturdy tripod or beanbag
- For a faster shutter speed, use ISO400 and a low f/number, e.g. F/4.0
- Some cameras/lenses have difficulty focusing in low light - switch off the autofocus and use manual focus
- If shooting on digital, switch off the ‘Review’ screen. In lowlight this can light you up like a Christmas tree
- Set the camera to single shot and be selective in your photographs.
- With the first click of the shutter, a fox usually looks up and freezes – this is when you take your primary shot
- If the fox flees after you take a shot, just wait. It may be lurking where you cannot see it, waiting for you to move
Typical fox foods include cat or dog food sandwiches, dried fruit, jam honey or peanut butter sandwiches, eggs etc. Other food to include - raw or cooked meat (no cooked chicken bones), table scraps, foxes also have a sweet tooth, so cakes and scones, etc.
As time goes by, the fox will completely ignore you and the sound of the camera shutter. You will want to start work on those images you had in mind right at the beginning and the opportunity for the best daylight shots is fast approaching as we head into the late evenings of June.