BEHIND THE SCENE

Male and female reindeer both grow antlers. Males shed their antlers at the end of the mating season, usually in early December. Females keep their antlers throughout the winter months, when they may be pregnant and at their most vulnerable.

I shot this image in early April, during my recent assignment in Svalbard. These two females started to spar whenever they got close to each other, competing for food in small patches of ground with no snow. The dominant females are often those with the largest antlers.