Deep in the buffer zone of Tadoba tiger reserve, we come across a huge male tiger. He was walking with an intent, a purpose, and as always we gave him a wide berth. We calculated the general direction he was travelling in, and by using the guides knowledge of the jungle topography, we backed off and managed to have all of our photographic opportunities of him facing us. We would patiently wait for him to walk through the small clearings in the thick forest, and time photography with these windows. He seemed to oblige, and we captured multiple compositions at different focal lengths. The main challenge I had was managing the harsh late morning sun, so I predominately took my images as he passed through shade, which enabled me to get some nice diffuse light on the face and eyes. His sheer presence and grace of movement reminded me of a quote from famous tiger hunter (turned conservationist) Jim Corbett :
”The tiger is a large hearted gentleman with boundless courage and that when he is exterminated, as exterminated he will be, unless public opinion rallies to his support – India will be the poorer by having lost the finest of her fauna “
Canon 1dx, 400mm f2.8. The first sight. I do enjoy taking habitat shots with the 400, it beautifully compresses space and blurs out foreground leading nicely into my subject, which seems to pop out, if correct and accurate focus is attained. I also positioned myself at an angle to help separate the tiger from the background by having his figure against the lighter grass, not the shaded jungle.
Canon 1DX, 400mm f2.8. Breaking the ‘rules’ here a little in terms of composition, but I am satisfied with the final piece. I always strive for perfection in my tiger works, and reflecting back, the posture could have been a tad nicer, with more of the right eye showing, but I’m happy with the positioning of the ears and the lovely pointing of the shoulder blade in the sun. He was focused on what was in front of him, and not distracted by our jeep.
Canon 1DX, 400mm f2.8. This particular shot was composed to show the sheer muscle mass in his arm. One can imagine him bringing down a one tonne Gaur (Indian Bison).
Canon 1dx, 400mm f2.8. The contrast on a tigers face and eyes allows one to easily lock autofocus and track the subject. A beautiful male, approaching his prime, it was a sight to behold and left us all inspired.
Canon 1dx, 400mm f2.8. A dash of colour to finish. The bold orange and black, contrasts and compliments beautifully with the greens of Tadoba, and it is feature of my work there.
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