Problems Capturing an Urban Fox

[operanut1972]

Hi All,

I've been very lucky, the last two nights I have been woken up by a fox sniffing around my back garden. However, no matter what I try I can't seem to capture the blessed thing with my camera.

Do any of you who capture these magnificent creatures regularily give me a clue? I shoot using a Canon 550D with a Sigma 70-300 APO or the 18-55mm IS that came with the camera. The sigma just seems to hunt around and then frightens the poor thing off. I have tried manual focus but I can't seem to get the image in focus.

Any help gratefully received.
OpNut72 (Steve)

[roseway]

If the Sigma lens hunts, that's probably caused by a lack of contrast in the scene. You might find it focuses better if you set the camera to use centre spot focusing. You can then point the camera exactly where you want the focus to be, half press and hold the shutter button, then compose the picture and shoot.

[Tringa]

Don't know your camera so I don't know if this will work, but worth a try.

Can you find an area of the garden where the fox goes and which you can photograph easily?

During the day use the autofocus to focus on something in this area then switch the camera to manual focus and don't touch it again until you want to take a photo of the fox.

Bait the spot you have focussed on. One of the best things I know are peanuts - foxes like them but they are too small for them to grab and carry off, so they stay and eat.

Hopefully with a pre-focussed camera you should get something.

There are some problems. If it is getting dark (what time are we talking about, Steve?)then you will need a large aperture which means a shallow DoF, or high ISO which could introduce noise. Though a noisy sharp photo is, IMO, always better than a blurred less noisy one.

There is also the issue of providing food. Food put out for foxes could attract rats and it could make the foxes too familiar with humans which could be bad news for the fox. On the other hand urban foxes probably see human everyday.

If you get any shots do post them on here.

Dave

[operanut1972]

Thanks for the advice. Typical the blooming thing hasn't made an appearance that I've seen. Heigh ho the advice is stored for later.

[PMG]

Originally Posted by operanut1972

Thanks for the advice. Typical the blooming thing hasn't made an appearance that I've seen. Heigh ho the advice is stored for later.

Keep the feed going out Steve - its the only way to ensure that they visit your garden and even then its not failsafe - you can carry on feeding and never see another one - it this one gets knocked down or some other accident befalls it and you wouldn't know - just that you were not seeing it anymore and wondering where it had gone. So much in nature photography is hit and miss But good luck with this project - it will keep you occupied (and deprive you of sleep but what the hell?!)

Pauline

If it gets to a fairly regular visiting pattern then you can think about rigging some lighting up and see if it will put up with that - then you can see whether you can take pics without it bolting never to be seen again!

[operanut1972]

Originally Posted by PMG

Keep the feed going out Steve - its the only way to ensure that they visit your garden and even then its not failsafe - you can carry on feeding and never see another one - it this one gets knocked down or some other accident befalls it and you wouldn't know - just that you were not seeing it anymore and wondering where it had gone. So much in nature photography is hit and miss But good luck with this project - it will keep you occupied (and deprive you of sleep but what the hell?!)

Pauline

If it gets to a fairly regular visiting pattern then you can think about rigging some lighting up and see if it will put up with that - then you can see whether you can take pics without it bolting never to be seen again!

Thanks all for the advice, have now set up a feeding station at ground level in the garden, one assumes that you don't put too much out at a time, so we don't encourage ratius ratus. i'm concerned also about the harm I am doing by putting peanuts out, but like everything in life, I assume that small quantaties are not inappropriate. I am going to see if I can borrow a camera trap from a friend. This will allow me to see if I am just missing my visitor.

As for sleep, I'll sleep when I can, most nights I get 3-4 hours only down to back pain.

Gives me time to twiddle my thumbs or read or view posts on my favourite forum.

Hopefully I'll get some usable shots

[PMG]

Only put your peanuts out at night and if up at dawn bring them back in - then you will not have to lose so many to birds - big birds in particular - it won;t take crows and magpies long to work out what is there and steal it! You won;t harm the fox with peanuts so no need to be afraid of putting them out. You may get a problem with all the neighbouring cats if you put other food stuffs out. Ian says put an egg out - but you may have to put one out already broken open as well as a whole one. If you know you have one and you can get it coming regularly then Ian also suggests buying some smart price sausages and put them out raw just before you think the fox may be due. Food is the key and once it realises there is food and a habit is formed then getting pics just follows on as you get it used to coming. Its the right time of year now to start trying to establish routines as by April there may be a pair and there might be hungry young to feed.

Good luck keep us informed!!

Pauline

[operanut1972]

Thanks for the advice. Looks like I have my project for the next couple of months. If it works I hope to have some images to share. I just need to set up the borrowed camera trap so I can see roughly what time visiting hours are.

[PMG]

Originally Posted by operanut1972

Thanks for the advice. Looks like I have my project for the next couple of months. If it works I hope to have some images to share. I just need to set up the borrowed camera trap so I can see roughly what time visiting hours are.

Yep thats a good start - foxes seem to keep to a routine a little bit better than pine martins!

[operanut1972]

Ole foxy, never did make another appearance. I'm hoping it was just visiting on its way to a safer spot. It meant the trap got used, to the point that once the Mrs has come back to orbit after I bought the 7D I may suggest that she gets one .