Maya

India, post-monsoon, October 2018. Tigress T12, known locally as Maya (Hindi for illusion) gives us a 'side-eye' before following her mischievous cubs into the forest. Maya resides in the core of the park, and being a brazen wild tigress is a favourite amongst visitors to the park. It is estimated she brings in the majority of the reserves income (around £8K per day), and is vital to the local economy.

I hope that the parks can open very soon, as poaching has been rampant since the outbreak of Covid19, as tigers like Maya face even more threats. I also hope I can see her raising her cubs to adulthood once again.

Good luck to her and all the other species that exist under her shadow...

Canon 1DX, 400mm f2.8

Tadoba reminiscence

I do find value in going back to my raw file archive from time to time. Tadoba in 2014 was just as active and as beautiful as it is today, and is currently my premier tiger reserve for photography.

Not a sign you see every day

We believe there was a leopard in the grass, but like the sambar deer, we could not catch a glimpse, only feel it’s presence.

The areas dominant male passing through the main lake in the reserve.

Last light. Red light. Beautiful light.

A royal bath

A beautiful, bright eyed male tiger rests during a warm evening at Tadoba tiger reserve, India. Tigers love water unlike most cats. and can often be found resting in small lakes and waterholes, especially April onwards. The temperature during this time can reach 45 degrees Celsius and is very challenging to shoot in, so its vital we have enough fluid and protect our skin.

I am always looking for the perfect reflection, so when the water is moving, sometimes it is best to take a burst of images in order to have the key elements in the reflection as clear and as distortion free as possible. Also, when the subject is stationary, I try to extract as much detail from the scene by shooting at the lowest iso, exposing to the right and keeping the camera and lens as stable as possible. This gives me a great foundation for processing and scope to enlarge images for prints and exhibitions.

77d, 800mm f8, 1/125th sec, iso 100.

People often ask me why I don’t sometimes include the tigers ears. The reasons are simple, it is an artistic choice as I am drawn to the beauty of markings, and the eyes of the species. I hope you are too…