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“Golden Eyes of Alaska” — By Diane Marie Di Maio

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There are moments in an artist’s life when intuition whispers louder than comfort.
On a cold, grey day in Alaska, standing at a wildlife reserve during a cruise stop, that whisper pulled me off a warm bus and into the wind.

Everyone else stayed inside — it was too cold, too dreary, too unforgiving.
But something inside me said, “Go. There is beauty waiting for you.”

So I wrapped myself in double mittens, a scarf, a hat, and held my camera close to my chest as the wind stung my face. I walked alone through the freezing air, fingers already aching, but my heart open to whatever I might find.

And there he was.

A small fox with fiery red fur and amber eyes, watching me with such stillness that it felt like he had been expecting me.
He didn’t run.
He didn’t hide.
He simply looked at me — directly, confidently, as if we recognized something familiar in each other: resilience.

In that moment, everything else disappeared.
The cold.
The wind.
The bus waiting behind me.
It was just me, my camera, and this magnificent creature who gifted me a moment of connection.

I photographed many incredible animals that day… but this fox claimed my heart.
I nearly missed my bus — actually got on the wrong one — and my fingers turned white from the cold.

But every second was worth it.

This photograph is more than wildlife.
It is a reminder of why I create:
To chase beauty beyond comfort.
To listen when the world whispers.
To find magic where others never look.

This little fox taught me that the wild always rewards the brave.

— Diane Marie Di Maio
🦊✨📸

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