In brutal -22°C winds, this photographer captured a stunning Arctic fox portrait using Canon’s pro full-frame DSLR
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Battling liberating winds and blowing snow, this powerful close-up portrait shows an Arctic fox enduring life on the edge of Iceland’s far northwest. | Credit: David Gibbon
Photographing arctic foxes in the remote wilderness of Iceland is as extreme as it gets. Faced with temperatures of -22°C (-8°F), high winds and blowing snow, even the simplest task becomes a challenge.
While the highly resilient Arctic fox can survive in conditions down to -70°C (-94°F), the relentless Icelandic wind makes hunting – and even keeping your eyes open – difficult. These same conditions also put photographers to the test, pushing equipment and technique to the extreme.
Photographer David Gibbon is known for his wildlife captures and has been leading photography tours for a decade. In this image, he reveals the story of a powerful close-up portrait of an Arctic fox, taken using a professional full-frame DSLR, the Canon EOS-1D
The story behind the still
“This photo was taken in the remote Hornstrandir nature reserve in the far northwest of Iceland during an annual Arctic fox tour that I organize there with my wife Louise. We have been organizing Arctic fox tours every winter in Iceland since 2017.
“I really wanted to capture what these blue morph (brown but called blue) arctic foxes endure, by showing a close-up of their faces. Although arctic foxes can withstand temperatures down to -70 degrees, they often have difficulty opening their eyes when strong winds and a severe snowstorm occur.
“While it is well known that their coats help them stay warm and their snowshoe feet allow them to work on snow, what is less known is how high winds and subzero temperatures make it very difficult for them to find food, and some starve.
“This arctic fox couldn’t open its eyes due to the strong winds, highlighted by the blowing snow visible in the photo, while the freezing temperatures saw ice form on its nose and eyes.
“Reaching Hornstrandir is not easy, as it involves flying to the far north of Iceland and then navigating both a boat and a Zodiac (inflatable boat) across the Atlantic Ocean – often in rough seas – to reach this isolated and desolate place.
“Hot hands when photographing the arctic fox were a problem, as temperatures dropped as low as -22 degrees with the wind chill. Focusing was the main challenge, however, as the camera tried to focus on the falling snow rather than the arctic fox.
“I increased the ISO to increase the shutter speed, to freeze the blowing snow and keep the arctic fox as sharp as possible.”
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