locally named Melrakkasetur Íslands, in Súðavík which is in Iceland’s Westfjords. They’re brothers and they were found orphaned in the mountains in 2015. The Arctic Fox Centre in Iceland is responsible for advising worldwide on Arctic Fox populations and behaviours, and gathers data from a number of sources for this. The centre itself as a tourist attraction, with these two resident foxes, is just a minor part of the operation. 

FOR ME AS A TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHER,

it’s fantastic to have connected so well with Midge, the boss, and it means that when I’m up in the Westfjords I can go warm up with coffee and a little play with the lads. I’ve made three trips to Iceland in 2018, and this last one included a stop off to shoot Ingi and Móri, however it didn’t go quite as planned. One of the things I was aware of is that as young foxes they love to play, and with that they’re very curious. Last time I was there I came out of the enclosure with scratches on my hands and tooth marks in my clothes. Móri in particular has a particular attraction to anything dangly, so I prepared myself by tucking in my bootlaces and thinking that would be enough. How wrong I was, it turns out.

MÓRI WAS BUSY HAVING A CLOSE LOOK AT ME AND I WONDERED WHY,

but I was just settling in and letting the boys get used to the intruder in their enclosure. Ingi was busy playing the part of the model whilst Móri kept circling and stalking me, edging closer every now and then. I ignored it and just assumed he was just checking me out. Well what was happening in fact, was the little blue morph was eyeing up my BLACKRAPID Sport Breathe.

I SQUATTED TO GET A BETTER PERSPECTIVE OF INGI LOOKING ALL CUTE AND FLUFFY,

and Móri seized the opportunity to strike! The extension on the back of the strap is secured with a piece of plastic. Well let me tell you, I had no idea it could be detatched! It turns out that the teeth of the Arctic Fox, capable of chewing through bone, are more than good enough to dissect a nylon strap! Initially quite entertained by the fact that Móri wanted to play tug-of-war with me, I was shocked that he very quickly won!

TAKING OFF HIS PRIZE, A PIECE OF MY STRAP,

he proudly wandered off to the other side of the enclosure and was busy chewing away for a few minutes until every last piece was gone save for the piece of plastic which he spat back out. The stomach of the Arctic Fox is pretty hardy, capable of dealing with bone, fur, and whatever else the fox puts into it through nature, so the camera strap would be no problem at all for Móri but it became a problem for me!

Luckily the folks at BLACKRAPID saw the funny side and sent me a replacement, however they did point out to me that it’s not covered by the warranty.

Dave Williams is a travel photographer and social media influencer, writer, educator, and blogger, based in London, UK. His work has featured worldwide in renowned publications and campaigns, and customers including Time, National Geographic, Lonely Planet, The Times, Shell, Marie Claire, and many, many more.

Find out more about him on his website www.capturewithdave.com, and be sure to follow him on Instagram @capturewithdave and Facebook Dave Williams capturewithdave.

The post BLACKRAPID Guest Post by Dave Williams | Not On The Warranty appeared first on BLACKRAPID.

BLACKRAPID HAS HUNG AROUND MY BODY IN SOME WAY ON THE VAST MAJORITY OF MY PHOTOSHOOTS FOR THE ENTIRE TIME I’VE BEEN SHOOTING PROFESSIONALLY.

I was working side by side with Peter Treadway when we discovered these awesome straps and although I’d patented (lying) a ‘death grip’ method for securing my regular stock strap to my arm, these things just took the lead and I haven’t stopped using mine ever since.

THEY’RE GREAT FOR WHAT I DO – I OFTEN FIND MYSELF WALKING LONG DISTANCES IN MY SEARCH FOR LANDSCAPES AND SCENIC VISTAS.

On one occasion however, I required my BLACKRAPID strap whilst being taken to the vista by another means. The safety brief was pretty straight forward: – Make sure everything in your hands is attached to you, and don’t stick your head out! One out of two isn’t bad, right?

THE REST OF THAT BRIEF WAS COVERED BY THE STRENGTH AND SECURITY OF HALF OF MY BLACKRAPID RS-DR1.

I was very excited by the prospect of a helicopter ride, especially as I’d had some awesome flights before and I’m so into drone photography that I’m forearmed with the knowledge of what works and what doesn’t with aerial photos. The other thing I had on my side for this amazing experience is my passion for aviation and experience of flight, meaning I have an absolutely zero chance of getting motion sickness and I’m quite comfortable hanging out of a helicopter despite having a pretty knee-trembling aversion to heights!

PREPPED FOR THE FLIGHT, BRIEFED TO THE EYEBALLS, STRAPPED IN FIVE-WAYS, AND WITH MY PHONE AND DSLR TETHERED TO MYSELF, IT WAS TIME TO FLY!

Let me tell you this one important piece of life advice: – If you ever get the opportunity to fly in a helicopter with the doors off, do it! A helicopter ride is pretty cool in its own right, but take the obstruction out and have nothing much between you and the view and you’ve got a winner. Take a look at this: –

MIAMI WAS A WHISTLESTOP TOUR FOR ME ON THIS TRIP.

I spent just the one night there and so had limited time to soak up as much as I could that the party city has to offer. Bustling with art, culture, cocktails, music, food, and influences from all across the Caribbean and Central and South America, this place to me is what I envisage Havana to look like had their not been an embargo. When I visit somewhere so briefly I try to get the best view from the highest spot, spending a moment up there enjoying and capturing the vista or the skyline. This flight, it turns out, was the perfect replacement and was a fantastic way to get the feel of the city and the beach, and enjoy a little exhilaration with the sun setting behind downtown Miami.

Dave Williams is a travel photographer and social media influencer, writer, educator, and blogger, based in London, UK. His work has featured worldwide in renowned publications and campaigns, and customers including Time, National Geographic, Lonely Planet, The Times, Shell, Marie Claire, and many, many more.

Find out more about him on his website www.capturewithdave.com, and be sure to follow him on Instagram @capturewithdave and Facebook Dave Williams capturewithdave.

The post BLACKRAPID Guest Post by Dave Williams | Photographing Miami From a Helicopter appeared first on BLACKRAPID.