Shot at 2 AM in broad daylight, this DSLR wildlife image wins its 5th photo award – "I spent several nights in the midnight sun with a small family of foxes here in Finnmark," says photographer

A red fox is poised to catch a crab mid-air on a seaweed-covered shoreline. The background is a blur of brown and green hues.

The eye-catching image of a red fox poised to catch a crab mid-air on a seaweed-covered shoreline in Norway was captured at 2 AM in broad daylight – now it has just earned its 5th prize, awarded by the Society of International Nature and Wildlife Photographers.

Photographer Cecilie Bergan Stuedal shot the multi-award-winning image titled Aerodynamic crab under the midnight sun in Finnmark – a phenomenon leaving the region with daylight for 24 hours a day.

Stuedal's gear of choice is a Nikon pro DSLR and 70-200mm lens. The Nikon D6 was launched in 2020 and is now discontinued, yet to this date it is a highly sought-after full-frame model among professional photographers.

Living Planet competition winner: Aerodynamic crab

The Nikon D6 pro DSLR has Nikon's best-ever stills AF and burst speed (Image credit: Nikon)

Technical insights
Camera: Nikon D6
Lens: Nikkor 70-200mm
Exposure: 1/1000sec, f/2.8, ISO 3200

The story behind the still
"Last year, I spent several nights in the midnight sun with a small family of foxes here in Finnmark.

"They contributed to many incredible and fond moments over the summer of 2025, and I feel privileged to have observed the cubs grow into confident hunters.

"The fox in this photo is the bravest of the two cubs in the family.

"On that particular July night, around 2 am, it approached me, and I noticed that it was chewing on a crab.

"It finished its snack, and I took some photos of the fox as it strolled about and posed a bit.

"After a while, it went into the bladderwrack/seaweed and started to hunt crabs again. Suddenly, the cub threw a crab into the air.

"The crab landed back in the bladderwrack, but the cub relocated it and started to munch happily on its prey.

"It was that split-second moment I managed to capture in a photo.''

While the specific lens model is not confirmed, Stuedal most likely used either the AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8E FL ED VR or 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II – both are excellent workhorse lenses for wildlife and sports photographers (Image credit: Future)

Why the image stood out to the judges

"With its creativity, technical excellence, and powerful storytelling.

"Her winning photograph is a fitting reminder of the incredible moments that nature offers to those with the patience and passion to capture them,” explains Colin Jones, the Society's Director.

To see all winners, visit the Society of International Nature and Wildlife Photographers website.

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