Another gust of icy wind blew down from the north. Freezing rain pelted our faces as we watched the little speck of white and blue move across the landscape. Winter was holding on longer than usual this year, but you wouldn’t have been able to tell looking at the Arctic Fox making her way across the terrain. Arctic Foxes are unique in that they change colors depending on the time of year. This was a white morph Arctic Fox, meaning that her coat changed to a brilliant white in the winter time and back to “blue” spring through autumn. Already I could see where patches of white had shed and the darker fur was starting to grow in from underneath. 

Shivering in my down coat, I wondered to myself how she managed to stay warm in this frigid wind and rain. But there she was, unaffected by the dismal weather, carrying on her way across the barren tundra in her splotchy coat. Finally, she paused among the boulders and settled down on top of the lichen covered rocks.

I raised my hood again in an attempt to warm up, wondering how long it would stay this time until the wind blew it back down. Despite the cold and wind, I smiled to myself and felt an immense feeling of gratitude. Here I was, leading a photo workshop, photographing a beautiful Arctic Fox and helping others have experiences that they might never have otherwise! It's such a great feeling, seeing the smiles on the faces around me always makes me happy. This adventure was just getting started and there was so much more to see and photograph in the coming days, this was going to be great!

Each year I lead group photography workshops in this amazing and wild landscape. We focus on photographing both Red and Arctic Foxes, as well as Puffins, Auklets, Murres and so many other species. Join this coming year for an adventure you’ll always remember and cherish!