info@grayfoximages.com

Copyright and Fair Use

All images and written material on this web site are copyrighted by Michael W. Masters or by the creator of the image. All rights are reserved under US copyright law. Images may not be downloaded or otherwise used without written permission of the artist. Written material may be quoted under fair use so long as attribution is given.

Privacy Statement

This site does not set or use cookies or engage in tracking.  Note, however, that sites that appear on the Links page and others referenced throughout the site may do so.  Moreover, we cannot speak for our Internet service provider.  The site implements the HTTPS protocol.

Non-Commercial

Gray Fox Images is a personal rather than a commercial web site.  Thus, our photos are not offered for sale.  We do not accept advertising.  Nor do we endorse for profit or compensation any product we own or discuss or any web site we link to.  All material presented herein simply reflect our experiences, our opinions and the things that we have found useful for our photographic pursuits.

We do at times provide comments on gear that we own and photography software that we use. However, this commentary strictly reflects our personal experiences as a photographer who buys gear and other accouterments "over the counter" from the usual merchants without any compensation arrangement, financial or otherwise, with any manufacturer or merchant.

Education & Research

While Gray Fox Images is non-commercial, we do wish to support education and research into topics related to natural resources, particularly as it relates to nature and wildlife preservation, conservation, environmental sustainability, public awareness and like purposes.  As a result, images in the Nature section of the Portfolio may be made available at no cost to qualifying organizations on a limited one-time right-to-use basis for a defined educational or scientific research purpose.  The same conditions apply to qualifying and non-profit organizations promoting preservation of our historical and cultural heritage.  Contact me if you are interested in use of an image for a related purpose.

Link Policy

The links on this site, especially those found on the Links page, are selected for informational and educational content and personal interest in accord with fair use.  They provide useful industry news, gear reviews, forums, technical articles, nature reference material (e.g. species identification) and other similar material of interest.  Or they present necessary services associated with destinations for our photographic outings, e.g. lodging, dining, museum info, etc.  (Accomodations and amenities at visited locales are linked for personal convenience only.)

While many pages have unavoidable commercial tie-ins, explicit links are avoided herein to merchants, manufacturers, software producers and other direct producers or sellers of tangible products.   No link is endorsed nor is there any benefit derived therefrom, or indeed, from any of the products owned or discussed within GrayFoxImages.com.  New content is added only if the content is relevant to the personal informational and educational focus of the Links or other pages.  As noted above, while this site does not use cookies (we cannot speak for our ISP), some of the linked pages may do so.

Rules & Regs

Like everyone else, photographers are obligaged to follow certain rules of the road.  As primarily a nature and wildlife photographer, I am often at national parks and wildlife refuges.  In addition to a natural inclination toward preservation and conservation, there are US Department of the Interior guidelines and regulations that apply when photographing at public lands and facilities.  Public Law 106-206 establishes overall policy and regulatory guidance for resources under the purview of both Interior and Agriculture, and in particular the distinction between commercial and for-private-use filming -- the latter being relevant to my own personal photographic activities.  National Park Service (chapter 8.6.6) and Fish and Wildlife (e.g. wildlife refuges) guidance follows from P.L. 106-206.

It should be noted that often photography at natural, historical and cultural sites, whether federal, state or private, and if permitted at all, is governed by legally binding guidelines.  Additionally, a distinction is normally made between personal use and commercial imaging.  Where photography is permitted for personal enjoyment, commercial use of such images without prior written permission of the respective organization is usually prohibited.  Viewers of this site are doubly forewarned that all images on this web site are for personal enjoyment and should be assumed to be covered under this stricture where appropriate.

Because photographers are at times in the public eye, there are additional guidelines that each should be aware of, especially those that relate to privacy.  A good discussion of how to navigate such issues is contained in the Photographers' Guide to Privacy, published by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.  Rather than attempting a personal interpretation of this vital aspect of photography, we suggest that each photographer do their own research.  Note that we found Bob Atkins' article on the subject useful as a starting point, albeit by no means definitive or legally binding.

Site Navigation

The main site menu, left, is always visible.  An overall Site Map contains links to nearly all site content.  The site map can also be opened directly from within each of three Home page versions -- the default carousel version as well as a Photo Art slide show version and a static version (details below).

The Portfolio page contains thumbnail links to Nature and Travel collections -- a group of multi-visit "best of" albums, each representing a specific subject or location.  The Travels page links to all individual photo sessions, including multi-day outings -- the equivalent of traditional session proofs.  Categories are: People & Places, Chincoteague NWR and Backyard.  There is also an ATP and WTA Tennis portfolio.  Other site content includes personal commentary articles, an astronomy resource page, a discussion of our gear and a Links page.  Guests features family collections hosted on the site.

Clicking on the small Gray Fox Images title at the top-left of pages throughout the site will reload the carousel Home page.  Clicking on the small title at the bottom of each non-Portfolio page will scroll to the top of that page.  Footers at the bottom of Nature and Travel portfolio pages, both the collection index page and individual photo pages thereby referenced, provide a set of links to each nature and travel collection, respectively.  Most image, article and other pages contain an email link specific to the subject of that page.

Clicking on the "gray fox" portrait at the top of the menu bar will reload the carousel Home page from anywhere on the site -- as will the Home button.  Clicking on the large Gray Fox Images title at the top of the carousel Home page will load the Photo Art version -- and vice versa.  Clicking on the small Gray Fox Images at the bottom of either version will load the static version.

Photo Processing and Site Construction

Photo processing and site construction and maintenance are described in How We Process Images.