Photograph of the Month August 2026 – Arctic Fox Ridge Line

The photograph of the month for August 2026 is of a white-morph Arctic Fox I photographed in Svalbard earlier this year. This photograph went on to earn the highest and most coveted Gold with Distinction award in the 2026 Australian Photographic Prize. The genesis of this photograph was really interesting, as I watched it come together right in front of me. The fox had run up the hill and disappeared behind the small rocky ledge. I knew, from years of experience photographing Arctic Foxes, that curiosity would get the better of it and that it would come back to the top of the ridge to see if I had followed. All I had to do was compose the frame the way I wanted it and wait for the fox to reappear on the ridge. It was pure serendipity that the fox appeared perfectly positioned off centre, where it sat for a moment before disappearing again behind the ridge.

This was one of those rare moments when the opportunity presented itself to compose a landscape photograph and wait for wildlife to enter the frame.