🦊 Creating a Fox Action Series Composite in Photoshop

What You Need

-A series of images shot from the same position (important!)
-Similar exposure & lighting across frames
-Photoshop (any recent version)
- Basic understanding of layers and masks

Tip: High-key snow scenes make composites easier because backgrounds blend beautifully.

Tips for Shooting Fox Sequences in the Field

  • Keep your feet planted—minimize movement

  • Shoot vertically or horizontally depending on action

  • Use high shutter speed (1/2500–1/3200+)

  • Burst mode: high-speed continuous

  • Pre-focus when you see the crouch

  • Keep background clean by choosing your angle

Preparing Your Files

  1. Select the full sequence in Lightroom or your editor.

  2. Apply consistent edits to all images (white balance, exposure, contrast).

  3. Export as high-resolution JPEG or just open from LR into Photoshop.

Consistency is key—your images should look like they belong together before you composite them.

Load Your Images Into Photoshop

Photoshop can load everything into a single layered document for you:

File → Scripts → Load Files into Stack

  • Click Browse

  • Select your sequence

  • Check Attempt to Automatically Align Images (important if you shot handheld)

  • Click OK

Photoshop will create a single file with each frame on its own layer.

Choose Your Base Layer

Pick the cleanest frame to be your background.
This should be:

  • The sharpest fox

  • The most even snow

  • The frame with the least snow chunks flying through your other fox positions

Drag this layer to the bottom.

Masking the Action into the Scene

For each of the other layers:

  1. Select the layer

  2. Click Add Layer Mask

  3. Press B for Brush

  4. Set brush to:

    • Soft round

    • 0–20% hardness

    • Opacity 50–80%

  5. Paint with black on the mask to hide everything except the fox.

  6. Switch between black/white to refine edges.

Position Each Fox

Now arrange them into a sequence:

  • Move the foxes using V (Move tool)

  • Space them evenly in an arc or line

  • Adjust size slightly if needed (but avoid big distortions)

  • Rotate a tiny bit if it adds flow

Clean Up the Snow

Because winter composites can show repeated snow patterns, clean-up is essential:

Use:

  • Clone Stamp (S)

  • Healing Brush (J)

  • Content-Aware Fill for bigger areas

Remove:

  • Repetitive snow clumps

  • Shadows that reveal layer edges

  • Unnatural overlaps

The goal is to create the illusion that all moments happened in one perfect field of snow.

Saving Your Composite

Save two copies:

  1. PSD file (keeps layers for edits)

  2. JPEG file for sharing/printing