The Mirrored Foxes

I don't know about you, but I absolutely love animals! My love for animals does not stop at just dogs and cats. I find almost all animals fascinating and you can learn a ton from watching or spending time with them. This piece definitely took me the longest and was a work in progress for countless months. After reading multiple tracking books and researching foxes until I knew as much as I could, I began the process of building a relationship with the local foxes. I began hiking and tracking the foxes so they could learn my scent and the sound of my equipment and other things. Sure, I could have lured the foxes with some treats, but I never want to force an animal into an uncomfortable situation. I wanted to capture their authentic selves. With some recon and a ton of patience, I ultimately found the foxes’ daily routine, which just so happened to be partly right outside our backyard. I then spent the next 6 months continuing to walk where they walk. A few times here and there I would photograph them, all from far distances to make sure they were comfy. Although, to me, none of the images were perfect. What a lot of people don't understand is how much an image like this consumes your life. I always had to be ready to drop everything and rush out the door (but calmly, because you never want to scare the animal). After months of encountering the friendly foxes and being patient, it was wintertime. This usually means foxes will be more conservative of their energy and preparing for the mating season. While their decreased activity in the winter makes it more difficult to find them, they are easy to track if you're able to find prints in the snow. Plus, I just love snow  because it sparks excitement and creativity. On the first of February, it was forecasted to snow a few inches overnight. As usual I made sure my camera batteries were charged and my camera was ready to go. I woke up the next morning and started to make breakfast. I looked out the window and took in the beauty of the snow and the stillness. Out of the corner of my eye that stillness snapped. I darted, turned off the stove, and aborted breakfast. I grabbed my jacket and my camera, and calmly rushed out the door. At a snail’s pace, I crawled in my PJs through the snow to a tiny hill to have the best view. I then sat in awe of my foxy friends playing like anyone would in the fresh snow. I then sat out there with them for hours. What touches me the most is how they were fully aware that I was there. At one point, they ran within 50 feet of me, and after that I knew that my hard work paid off because I had two new friends.