Entries Tagged ‘Ranthambore National Park’:

I have always given alot back from my own photography since turning professional in October 2009 making my living solely from this industry that has changed so much during that time. Anyone that can see can take a photograph, what takes time is learning to see, I truly believe in this saying when it comes to wildlife photography.

On the second week with my clients I decided to restrict myself to one lens on each safari and post my favourite image from that day along with how I took the image, the settings behind the image and my thought process behind the image. This will I hope help you to get into the mindset of a working wildlife photographer and hopefully inspire you to think, see and take shots differently.

I have decided to post just one image on my blog from each day which will be very different to my previous trips to Ranthambhore. Hopefully it will demonstrate how one image can really speak for you, how it can tell a story at the same time making you a better wildlife photographer,  restricting yourself to one image and thinking more about angles, composition and not just snapping away and thinking first and seeing the image within the image or the story as the title says.

The beauty of photographing wildlife is that it is always changing and evolving, encountering the unexpected. In this environment the wildlife photographer must learn to work with these changing environmental conditions and behaviours. Make best use of those and capture that wild encounter with your camera and the result cannot always be predicted .

The first safari of the second week started on Tuesday with new clients and the following images I hope will inspire you, help you and above all go someway into seeing a different way of thinking when you’re looking through your viewfinder. At the same time learning you so much about the subject, the environment it lives in and above all more about you and your own photography.

Tuesday 21st April 2014 

Camera Settings – nikon D4S, nikon F2.8 300mm, F4, 1/200, iso 400, matrix metering, -0.3ev exposure compensation. 

A mother Bengal Tiger and her one year old cub drink from a small forest pool in the late afternoon sun. On our afternoon drive with temperatures reaching nearly 42 drgees we came across this female and her two cubs. We parked up in a postion away from them and turned our engine off. She was sleeping for round two hours on and off and we just watched her and the cubs it was just magical. After they started to become alittle more active and they moved around and played before heading towards this small pool.

I was working with a fixed focal lens so I couldn’t zoom in or out and I was framing them the best I could. I focused my camera on the cub in the foreground and followed them down to this pool through my viewfinder. I was running out of room and did my best to keep them both in the frame very aware not to clip or cut one out and this was the result. Making best use of what angle you have is key when working with a fixed focal length. Soon after then moved off and all three vanished back into the forest.

Wednesday 22nd April 2015

Cameras settings – nikon d4s, nikon f2.8 300mm, f4, 1/2000, iso 1000, matrix,  -0.7ev exposure compensation. 

Two young Bengal Tiger cubs sit waiting for their mum after they heard her calling for them in the morning light. I was only going to get focus on one and depth of field so I choose the front one. This resulted in the cub in the background being burred and giving a strong outline of another tiger. Both soon moved off into the undergrowth and later found their mother who took them off into the forest.

Thursday 23rd April 2015

Camera settings – nikon d4s, nikon f2.8 300mm, f5.6, 1/2000, iso 400, matrix, +1.0 exposure compensation. 

A Black headed Ibis feeding in the dawn light. I followed the bird through my viewfinder from right to left and placed the subject over the the right so the bird would be walking into the frame.I used continuos servo mode to capture any movement and freeze it with a high shutter speed. The result is seen here with the birds beak open and foot raised which adds a sense of movement to this image. I chose to under expose a little too to gain a strong outline creating a wonderful silhouette.

Friday 24th April 2015

Camera settings – nikon d4s, nikon f2.8 300mm, f4, 1/500, iso 1000, matrix metering, -2.0 ev exposure compensation. 

A Black Drongo bird taken in the morning light. We parked up to just take in the surrounding then this bird landed feet in front of me. I really love these birds and their fork-shapred tails that live in the national park. This bird landed on these naturally occurring grasses and I composed him over the the righthand side of my viewfinder giving space to the front of the bird as I watched through my viewfinder. I waited for a little interest in the form of action or a certain look. Then the bird looked straight at me in something I call first contact. When a wild animal makes first contact with a human and this was the result.

Saturday 24th April 2015

Camera settings – nikon d4s, nikon f2.8 300mm, f8, 1/1000, iso 200, matrix metering, -1.0 exposure compensation.

We spent a wonderful few hours in the morning sitting and watching this family of Bengal Tigers. There were three cubs and a female Tigress that would come from the safety of the long grass, then play and then vanish back into this long grass. So I chose the aperture F8 so I could gain more depth of field. Under exposing for the light as it was very bright and we were shooting into the light.

Once all three cubs came out from cover composition was hard as I was using a fixed focal length lens and so I had to really try to keep them all in the frame. I placed my focus spot on the cub in the middle and this was the shot I took. I have changed it to black and white because more often and not images that are contrasty look better in this format.

Sunday 28th April 2015

Camera settings – nikon d4s, nikon f2.8 300mm, f 5.6, 1/1000, iso 400, matrix metring, -0.7 exposure compensation. 

A young Bengal Tiger cub sitting near a forest pool makes first contact with me. A saying I describe when human meets wild animal and for a split second theres an intense stare that can often look straight through you. Composition wise I composed him over to the right, placing my focus spot on the eyes and leaving negative space over on the left. I took a few images and was carful not to spook him with the noise from my cameras shutter button.

Those are my images from week two, I have lots more but I wanted to post these hoping to inspire you and try different things within your own photography. Being more selective and disciplining yourself to a few images or using one lens I feel makes you work harder and inevitably a better wildlife photographer. two weeks and twenty-four safaris for me have flown by once more and Id like to thank everyone one of my clients for your time and I hope you enjoyed the time you spent searching and photographing Bengal Tigers here.

Thank you to Sealskinz for the products that have helped me on this two week trip to India which have really protected me and my gear in some hot and tough conditions.

If you’d like to join me on my 2016 trip then please see the following link, many thanks.

Just typing those  words there at the end of my two week title brings a sad smile to my face, yes is home time nearly and 24 jeep safaris and countless Tigers and other wildlife sightings sadly have come to an end. In five years of running this trip it has been the best so far for overall Tiger sightings with both my jeeps and different sets of clients all seeing Tigers at least once a day and capturing some beautiful images of this beautiful cat.

Three days have passed since my last blog and it will be so hard for me to display all the amazing moments both of my jeeps have caught during that time. So the following images will appear in day order as our routine has always stayed the same so I don’t want to repeat this as I have in previous blogs. I will start with a wonderful Leopard sighitng my jeep had, the other jeep was in another area so we had a few moments with this amazing big cat.

They aren’t the dominate big cat in Ranthambhore , the Tiger is. So they are very jumpy as the Tiger will hunt them down and kill them if they get wind of them. This make the Leopard very nervous and the following image really does capture that. We were very lucky to even see him let alone get a few images of that chance meeting.

Soon after we carried on searching for the Tigers there but my jeep wasn’t lucky that day, but my other jeep with clients in came back that evening with more Tigers sightings. Not a single day in two weeks had yet passed where one or both of my jeeps didn’t see a Tiger which I was totally over the moon for all my clients on both weeks. The jeep I was in late that day had some wonderful moments with a Black-tailed Mongoose.

I love these animals, they take on anything and aren’t scared of nothing.Here seen relaxing and cooling off on the cool stone, his pose really was a picture with his legs, arms and paws flat out. He then moved on and went hunting where I was luckier enough to capture him almost catching a large fly in the late evening light.

An incredibly time we had with this normally very shy animal, all the images where shot from my jeep with the engine turned off. We headed back that evening and once again all clients had seen some wonderful Tigers and other animals and birds that day.

The following day started as it always had, an early morning start, my morning exercises, shower and coffee then we all head to the Ranthambhore National park and both jeeps were in the same zone on this morning. We followed each other into the zone, and not long after we heard alarm calls from Samba Deer, a Tiger was around. As we turned a sharp bend there he was, the Sultan of Ranthambhore, a male Tiger named after a famous ruler in Ranthambhore.

Smelling the trees and the scent marks of other Tigers. We followed him on that small dirt track, keeping a safe distance from him. I could see his massive feet and pads under each paw and took the following image which I love. Capturing a bit of dirt being thrown u, adding movement, the most beautiful feet in the world.

We then followed him over the next twenty minutes while he hunted and just smelt, listened and watched for anything. Both jeeps got some amazing images as he walked, hunted, watched and passed by our jeep. The following images capture that amazing encounter with this the future ruler of Ramthabhore.

Another truly breathtaking encounter with a Tiger called Sultan, young male that will rule this place one day. Both of my jeeps couldn’t get their thoughts that morning at how close we’d all came and what we’d seen. The rest of the day yielded not much,one jeep seeing and the other not but our luck just carried on and on and it was like- ” is this really happening..?”

The following day was our last day in the national park, two weeks had passed, almost twenty-four, four hour duration safaris had come to an end. Same routine as it never changes and both of my jeeps headed to the national park as the sun was just starting to rise. The jeep I was in was given one zone and my other jeep had another. We got our permits and off we went. Once again we bumped into the Sultan that morning really early. The morning light just illuminating the rocks and his head as he sunned himself in that light.

Soon after he moved out of view and we couldn’t see him. We waited in hope that he would show but he wasn’t to be seen again that day. The time in between searching for the Tigers though is always put to good use photography wise as I always impress to clients there is always an image to be captured around you and the wildlife in Ranthambhore is far more than just the Tiger.

The final hour on our final day blew me and my client away. I always change jeeps during each day, I go with one jeep in the morning and then the other in the afternoon. Im on hand to help and to get the angles alongside my guides. That last afternoon though I chose through luck the right jeep to be in as that final hour was the best I’ve ever known during my whole time in Raanthambhore.

The first hour is always tough the temperature was touching 42 degrees and its hot, dusty and very challenging with your heavy camera gear. We then headed to a nearby watering hole and heard a Samba Deer alarm, and from nowhere a female Tigress came from cover and headed to the watering hole. Right time, right place it really was.

She sat there, bathing in the late evening light, it was amazing to see. You are only allowed a certain time limit during each visit to Ranthambhore Natianl park and that evening we were reaching our cut off time and we had to leave this beautiful Tigress where she was soaking. It was around a forty-five minute drive back to our check point driving fast on very tough and small dirt tracks. We set off, looking over my shoulder to say goodbye to my last Tiger for this year I thought.

Thirty minutes or so had passed as we were covered in dust as the temperature that last drive had dried every bit of moisture in the air and the dust was thrown up from the front wheels as we almost flew to our check point in time. As we turned a tight corner, a small pool of water was to our left..”Tiger” Salim my guide said. We looked over and there was Noor, a female Tigress just sitting in the water very calmly.

Salim my guide said we have to leave to make the time, otherwise you get into real trouble by the guards there. She got up and walked past us as we slowly drove of, another unbelievably moment. We held our heavy cameras tight and headed to the main gate, driving like a rally car would. Stones flying everywhere from the wheels, pinging noises rang out as I just dipped my head to avoid the dry dust kicked up.

We carried on along a small dirt track, “Tiger..Tiger” Salim said at first I thought it was a joke as we often joke around with each other, I slowly looked up and there was indeed another Tiger to our front walking quietly on a small, lonely dirt track. I could’nt believe it, in the space of less than an hour we had seen and photographed three adult Tigers out of Ranthambhore on our very last safari for 2014. The following images capture that amazing moment when we bumped into T28 a massive dominate male Tiger, we just managed to make it to the gate.

He vanished over the top of this small raised hill, we had no time to even think about what we had just witnessed as we heading home. Once back in my room, I finally let go of my heavy lens, as I looked at the palm of my hand, the lens handle embedded into my skin I just couldn’t believe what had just happened during that last hour. I collapsed into the chair, covered in dust with a big smile on my face.

I still, as I write truly haven’t had chance to put all that into context and digest it. We head home very soon and our adventure has come to an end for another year. Each year gets better and offers so much more and you just dont no what you will encounter. The place, the sights, the smells just never fail to knock you off your feet. I’d like to thank every client from the first and second week for your company, I hope you all enjoyed it and I no you all have some wonderful images to take home with you. Ranthambhore never fails to deliver, a truly wild place taken over by nature that offers the best place in India to see wild Royal Bengal Tigers.

I hope you have enjoyed my blog post,I have tired to take you here to this magical place with my words and images. Most days I have worked between eighteen and twenty hours and I’m completely exhausted, with editing images, writing my blogs and making sure my trip, jeeps and guides are all as good as they can be. My aim was too show everyone that reads my blog this place I love so dearly and those Tigers. I hope I have achieved this at the same time showing the true beauty of Ranthambhore, its Tigers and other wildlife that choose to live in this magical place.

My 2015 has a few places already sold, so if you’d like to join me on my trip there next year then please click here to be taken to the Tigers Of India photo tour 2015. Many thanks for reading my blogs and I wish you all the best from India.

As the second day since I last wrote an entry into my blog closes I finished the day reflexing on the story of a much loved Tigeress Machali and her struggle to stay alive. Its been a mixed bag of sucess over the last two days, one of the main zones for sightings and where the cubs are living has been shut by the forest department. There has been no clear answer  but one of the four cubs from T19 hasn’t been seen for several days which isn’t good.

The mornings in Ranthambhore are truly beautiful, the light, the smells, the forest noises and the wildlife make it one of the most spectacular places to be on earth at that time of day. The two images above I hope convey my passion for the mornings here, showing those small dirt tracks we have to stay on when trying to find the Tiger.

We have also had a few storms which fills the forest pools so the Tigers dont move around the forests so much to find water. Our routine always stays the same and once more new and old clients from the first week and my second week have had some wonderful images of Tigers. We all set off once more on that morning and entered the national park of Ranthambhore. My two jeeps spilt up going their various routes in search of the Bengal Tiger.

The jeep I was in with my new client on that first morning was not so lucky at first so we stopped off for a brew with one of my friends there.Gaffer, one of the forest guards. 27 years he’s worked at Ranthambhore looking after the Tigers, watching out for poachers and anyone that wants to kill the Tiger. In 3 years he retires and his daughter gets married next month he told me. These Chowki’s as they are called are the frontline against poachers. He made me some amazing Chai tea and it was good to see him it really was.

We then set off and we came across Machali soon after, my client had never seen her so he took some nice images before we moved on, she looked a little better and I decided not to photograph her that day because of my strong views I have as I had found out they had started to leave prey out for her once more after saying they weren’t going to do this.

We carried on looking for Tigers that morning but weren’t lucky again. After a wonderful breakfast and a few hours kip we were back out at 3pm. The thing in the afternoon that hits you is the temperature and boy was it hot. We set off, both jeeps once more going to their own zones. For the last few days sightings had dropped, various reasons for this, weather, rain and just Tigers not hunting due to having killed in the night and not being hungry.

On the way out of the national park I stopped my jeep at a place where the Black-langur Monkeys gather. The sun was setting in the background and I could see the opportunity for some great images for my client. Underexposing, strong shapes create a wonderful effect and there were many of them playing and having fun. Some in the trees hiding and the following images here capture that late light and their antics.

As we headed home that evening, the wind in our faces from the drive the sun was just almost set to our fronts and it was special to see. Today came upon us really quickly and once again I was up, exercises done, showered, dressed and ready for 4am. I go out on the road and always have a routine of coffee and banana, morning sir greets me as I come down the stairs from the night watchman I always have a laugh with before heading to my favourite spot on the road.. Time to reflex, time to think, peace and quite so many things i get from those moments alone.

We then headed to the national park and the guard house for our permits and once again both jeeps headed to their different zones. It wasn’t long before my jeep came across Machali once more. This time she was on a kill and looked so different from the pervious time we meet properly last week.

She looks alot better than my encounter with her last week where she looked frail. The forest department are putting dead Antilope out for her ( unofficially of course) to help her as she finds it hard to hunt. I personaly dont agree with this and it should never have happened in the first place. But as someone who loves aninmals way, way, way before photography I would never want to see an animal suffer and last week she was suffering and I wished she had passed away.

Today her spirt, her strength and some of the old skills she has displayed over the years where there to see and I have to admit putting the food out has helped and once again will prolong here life. Its a topic that will run and run, I have heard and spoke to so many so-called experts about her over the last several days. Its funny how people that have never been to Ranthambhore all of a suddenly become an expert on the place and its Tigers and in this case Machali.

My viewpoint is from the welfair not as an expert. Aditya Singh who we stay with at The Ranthambhore Bagh is one guy I listen too more than any so called expert when it comes to the Tiger. People are divided on what is right and what is not but I have to say seeing her pull, wrestle and slowly eat this Antelope today was a clear side that sometimes that helping hand from man can help. I’m just very against playing god with nature, changing nature for your own gain and this is my own feeling.The light was tough here but the image shows her strength, her rear claws standing out and a look you wouldn’t want to see while walking alone in the forests of India

She was the star of today really and one jeep saw another Tiger in the afternoon and my jeep didn’t but theres so much to see and witness in the national park you’re never left without a great view or something to see or photography. My love of a good brew is well known and we finished today off at one of my favourite places, right by the lake. What I’d give to camp out with this as a view, complete with my little india mug.

We have three full days of safaris left before my two week Tigers of India photo tour is over, fingers crossed all clients carry on seeing this amazing animal. Hope you’re still enjoying my blog posts, after the busy days we are having they are keeping me up late to finish them and show you what we are encountering. All the best from Ranthabhore, India until my next blog.

The first week of my Tigers of India photo tour is now over and like in the title the time has really flown for my clients on their first week. Tomorrow I leave the peace and quiet of the rural countryside of Ranthambhore for the noise and chaos of Delhi to drop clients off to the airport and then pick new ones up the following morning before heading back to Ranthambhore on Monday. The first week as been everything and more with regard to Tiger sightings and images so I’m so pleased for all my clients my wish is that the second week continues with the luck we have had.

The routine as mentioned in previous blogs does not alter, 5.30am and we are on our way to the National park. Once we enter, anything can been seen and your cameras are ready.  Over the last two days I have visited my favourite zone which has some amazing lakes among its landscapers.

One the first day we entered this zone, went through our checks with the guards and paperwork, a few moments later we were among the landscape. My jeep turned a tight bend on a small dirt track and there was a massive male Tiger- T28 just sitting on the ground sleep. We approached with great care and turned our jeep engine off and just watched him, amazing.

He woke up though and I just watched him and his actions, making a wonderful first contact as captured here. He seemed alittle troubled and let out a bit of a raw/yawn and the image below I think was a clear warning to leave him be. A few moments later he was up and just walked off, vanishing into dense cover and away from us.

An amazing encounter once more for my clients very close and very lucky we felt. Soon after we were back on the small dirt track and carried on searching and looking for the Tigers. An hour or so passed and we had a bref encounter with Sultan Of Ranthambhore, a two year male who I last saw in 2013 with his mum as a one year old. he was the only cub and grew really big very fast. We saw him around a watering hole before he vanished. he doesn’t have a territory of his own yet so is still quit nomadic.

The morning passed really quickly and it wasn’t long before we headed back to the guard house and back to the Ranthambhore Bagh for breakfast. Yogurt, fresh fruit, coffee, toast and then a few hours of sleep and rest thats the basic pattern we all do each day after each mornings drive. 3pm and both jeeps packed with our supplies, and water and we are back out heading to our allocated zone. This first week has just been brilliant and on most occasions both of my jeeps had the same zones and shared in their riches and success photography wise. My hope is this continues next week.

Serval hours had passed on that afternoon and there was no Tigers around, the zone we were in was very quiet, some nice birds and other images to be had but the time was nearly up.

As we were returning to the guard house and home after a very hot and dusty day with Salim Ali– the best guide/tracker in India. We turned a small bend on a tiny road and this was what was coming our way. Almost a quarter of a ton, dominate, ruling his kingdom with fear and removing anything that stands in his way.

I think we’d almost in our heads switched off as we were returning home, I had easter eggs on my mind as I just couldn’t believe loving chocolate so much that I was away from home at such an important time in the year to eat as many as you can in a day which is often what I do on this day.

Knowing animal behaviour is often the key to better photographs and a more relaxed subject on ethical grounds and you never stop learning and in the five years I have worked and ran my trips here in Ranthambhore I have learned alot about wild Tigers from my good friend Salim Ali. We have great banter too, lots of jokes, laughter and practical jokes during those many hours of searching for them in tough, hot dusty conditions carrying your heavy camera gear across your forearms so you dont smash it up as the roads and journey is very rough and bumpy. Yesterday I witnessed for a brief moment something that may have gone so wrong through just being in the wrong place at the wrong time and Salim took the wheel and got us out of a tricky position.

I’m not going to dramatise this event, these are wild animals and when you’re in the way its your own fault as this is there home end off. But here we were just in the wrong place. As this male Tiger was walking towards us we started to reverse which is hard on a small dirt track with a 100m drop down to a small river on one side and a sheer wall of earth on the other. You have to go back and get out of the way. We were doing that at the same time watching what he was doing, then a canter, a large bus with people in came around the corner, it too going home and this blocked us in and stopped us dead in our tracks. I heard the gear system of the canter change and the driver put the vehicle in reserve and try to go back as he did this the Tiger changed his behaviour and went from Tiger walking to Tiger hunting in a second and his face, the situation felt instantly different.

As Salim tired to reverse the jeep,the canter found it hard to navigate going backwards all the time this Tiger was covering the ground to our front fast, crouching down and looking to the right as he had seen Samba Deer his main prey. Alarm calls from Deer, Monkeys rang out as Salim in Indian shouted at the canter driver to get the thing moved and back as quickly as he could as a situation was coming that might go wrong.

The Tiger was now 2 foot away from the left hand side of the jeep, Salim was on the right of me and I was the passenger making me closet to him in hunting mode. When a Tiger is in this mode everything else around him is of no concern, blocked out, focused purely on the hurt. Here though with the angle, the noise the deer escaped and he kept coming forward to look for another from the road and once again came so close to the jeep I could almost touch him.

None of us panicked , you go into auto mode and all I thought was if he enters my side of the jeep or goes for me as they swipe their prey with their massive crawls which breaks the neck of the prey I will have to put my long lens and monopod to my front and in his way. It would do nothing but it was my best bet and thats all that went through mind as Salim shouted above the engine noise to the canter driver behind to move backwards fast. I had never been in a position like this and through no fault of our own we were in the middle of a hunt with a highly charged male Tiger. bursting with adrenaline. The whole thing seem to last ages but it was only a few mintues, time enough to see the dangerous situations you can be invoked in by being in the wrong place and the wrong time.

We all feel fear, it can render you powerless, but its what you do with that fear that counts and we managed to get clear in the end as he carried on coming forward. Pulling to the side as he vanished into cover chasing those deer. We still had to pass this place and get out of the forest and we just then drove like crazy to get back.

It wasn’t until that evening after our evening meal that Alan and I spoke about what could have been and there were people inside that canter staying at our hotel that later said they watched all of this and saw us in this position and though it looked really bad for us. Underlining just what could have been.

I hope I have explained this the best I can, the image shows him smelling the air, licking and tasting the air and an intense feel about him. I feel we were very lucky, so lucky but my thanks, respect and hand goes out to Salim who got Alan and I out of that potential very dangerous situation where for a moment I was going to have to walk the walk should he get angry or attack our jeep something I wouldn’t recommend however much you can do some as I say.

Wild animals can never truly be trusted and understood and if you ever forget this as visitors in their world then thats the time you could pay with your only life and thats the lesson I learnt on Good Friday whiling dreaming of an easter egg. The following images tell that story I hope.

The image below is the last one I took before I put my lens down and readied myself incase he came. Its not sharp and slightly soft due to this changing situation.

That evening all I could think of was our lucky escape before going to bed.  This morning was the last safari for some and then to the airport so I was up early once more and got a coffee and bananas and went out onto the road to watch and hear a new day begin.  Then our jeeps arrived and we went to got our permits and entered the kingdom of the Tiger. The sky had a few clouds in and as we drove around the sky became really angry and displayed the signs of an incoming storm.

We checked around the usual places that Tiger frequent at Ranthambhore but no sightings. We then headed back to the main gate and waited out the storm that had started, angry raws of thunder followed by lighting.

An hour or so passed where the heavens just opened up, in India rain is really bad and heavy and soon some of the roads and buildings were flooded. After the rain had stopped, we decided to go around our zone but the rain had unsettled everything so we didn’t really see much this morning. We packed our cameras away and headed back to our hotel. A welcome warm brew was waiting for us once we got back home and my usual breakfast of fresh yogurt and fruit was also ready for me.

I was sorry for some of my clients as this afternoon was to be there last drive. Two of my clients have booked the whole two weeks so that have the next seven days once more to increase their already amazing images of this place. After  lunch we headed into Ramthanbhore and drove to the lake area once more and saw a male Tiger sitting in long grass. We found an ideal vantage point to watch him and after around half an hour he moved off and as most of the Tigers do here just vanished into the forest without trace.

No matter how many times you see these amazing animals you never tier of seeing them, natures most beautiful animal. below are a few of my favourite images from today that I hope you like.

Tomorrow I head to Delhi airport a trip of around 7-8 hours by road to drop of some clients. I then go and meet my friend and his family who live in Delhi before getting some sleep then back to the airport in the early morning to pick those new clients up and then back to Ranthambhore where the whole trip starts again with safaris and Tigers fingers crossed working with the same drivers and I cannot wait.

I’d like to thank all my clients for your company over the last seven days, I’m over the moon you have seen the most beautiful of animals and captured some great images. Thank you to my guides too, Salim and Raj for your hard work, banter, and jokes along the way. My Ranthambhore Live blog posts will continue next week, where once more I really hope to transport you to this magical place in the north of India and its amazing wildlife. Until then I’d like to wish you all a happy easter and all the best from India.

The last two days have been amazing again for sightings of Tigers, both of my jeeps have had some beautiful moments and some lovely images. Machali still plays heavy on my mind though after an amazing hour with her a few days ago. She hasn’t been seen since by the trackers and forest guards looking for her. I hope she is ok and in no pain, any news from here and I will put this on my blog.

As I write this, two magical days have passed where both of my jeeps have spent some wonderful moments with a mother and her four cubs which are a few weeks old. Its very rare for a Tigress to have so many cubs and T19, Machali’s daughter is a great mother already and her mum would be very proud. There are just to many images to post from the last few days.  So I will post a few of my favotires then finish this blog with those cubs.

Our routine everyday is the same, this might sound repetitive but its the best way to maximise your time looking for these wild Tigers here it really is. Each morning starts with our wake up call at 5am. I have been up an hour before that though as I love the mornings and have a coffee and go for a walk on the road and around our hotel before my clients wake up and meet our guides at 5.30am.

Then we head to the National park and get allocated our zones, ready our cameras and enter the kingdom of the Tigers. I always try to be the first jeep into the place as its a special, special and unique place. I make sure everyone knows what to expect, settings and angles and different images. We then spend around 4 hours, twice a day,hanging off a small jeep as we drive around the tiny dirt roads tracking this beautiful animal. Sometimes you get lucky other times you don’t but the wildlife around is just off the scale with so much to photography other than the Tigers.

Owls, Leopards, Woodpeckers, Egrets even the flowers of the trees below make an image using a slow shutter speed. I always say to all my clients that there is always a image to be taken and I show that with my photographs. Never do i gave up and just sit there, my mind, my creative side kicks in, my magic comes to the surface and I play that arty side out with my photographs that inspire those clients around me which is always my aim.

There is truly always an image wherever you are I believe and have always worked like this. The wildlife in Ranthambhore is just truly, truly amazing and its a place I feel so at home in, my only wish would be to camp out but its too dangours. A few more of my favourite images from the last two days are below I hope they inspire you all. No set up, nothing made up, contrived, just pure, raw nature in all her glory and for me the only way to capture wildlife as a wildlife photographer.

As I write this in my room, with a few hours to spare before Im up again and back of the trail of the Tigers I am relieving every single moment because everything I see and capture in nature is special to me. I’d like to finish this blog with some of those cub encounters we all had, with a truly beautiful tigress who takes after her mum- Machali. She has the same fight, drive and determination in her genes you can see this.

A truly beautiful animal and one of my favourite Tigers in Ranthambhore after her mum. She rules one of the best areas of Ranthambhore, keeping all those that challenge her at bay with a ruthless streak born into her from her mums genes. Watching her hunt and stalk prey she is a master, a total master at the art of surprise and killing.

Over the last two days we have been in the same area watching her and for a few brief moments her cubs that in most parts she keeps well hidden.  She has four in total and is often seen hunting, when not hunting she’s just relaxing, playing and be an amazing mum. Watching out for any intruders, rogue males that would kill her cubs in order to mate with her. She’s always on watch and so beautiful to be able to see and share those wonderful moments with you all with my images of her.

Its been so hard to see those cubs as her mum is so very protective as you can imagine. Hunting and then vanishing into deep cover to feed them and check on them. Often all you can see are her eyes,then for a brief moment the cubs are led out by their mum for a drink and a bit of a play before returning to that deep cover for their protection. Very moving to see these baby cubs and a real privilege.

Once they have had a little play and drink they go back to the forest and mum then just has a well earned rest but is always on guard and alert and guarding them with her life, mother nature at her very best and so enduring to see and watch for me and all clients who have some wonderful images of these cubs.

Amazing, amazing and more amazing is all I can say about this years trip. Every single client is having moments they never dreamed off in the best place in the world to see wild Tigers. I can’t really say much more and I hope the few images I have posted have taken you to this place I sit in as I write this before heading to bed. Im up in a few hours and if I’m honest I can’t wait, Tigers are beautiful, they are amazing and very special to be around.

I have alot of interest and emails asking about if I’m doing this trip next year. If you click here you will see the link and all the details, a few spaces have gone already and I only take four clients ( max) each week and I run this trip for two weeks. I have had over a hundred safaris myself in Ranthambhore and I no the place, the staff, the guards and locals well.

Its a wonderful place truly is. I hope you have enjoyed the last blog entries, some of my clients have two more days left before leaving on Sunday for the UK. I pick my other clients up on Monday, next week and the whole trip starts again, until then all the best from India.

I didn’t sleep much on my first night in Ranthambhore even after the marathon journey to get here. So an hour before my alarm I was up, press-ups, sit ups,shower and dressed ready to go. I went downstairs and met the night watchman and grabbed a coffee. I headed out onto the road. A routine I have now done for five years, I like the noise, the sounds, smells of the place at that time of the day and the peace and quiet. The odd vehicle passing me as I drink my morning coffee fix.

I love the mornings there just beautiful. Its wasn’t long before my two jeeps I hire and guides turned up for my clients. I rotate myself each day through both jeeps to help, support and be there for all my clients throughout their trip with me. Salim, Raj came and we all took off for national park, heart racing. After signing in and been allocated our zones we were off. The is a zone system in place at Ranthambhore, where you are given a different zone every drive and you have to stick to strict guidelines and the path this is to ensure your safety and the well being of the Tigers first and foremost.

Both of my jeeps were given their zones and we headed off, past the many old gates left over from when the fort at Ranthambhore was a fortress. Its such an impressive place, now taken over by nature and the Tigers. Within ten minutes of driving we heard the word “Tiger,Tiger”, we looked to our right and there he was. T34, a dominate male Tiger passing through his kingdom. Heart racing, seconds to compose yourself then capture what you see before he’s gone. My client in the jeep hadn’t seen a Tiger ever and here she was photographing one on her first ever drive which was wonderful and I was over the moon as over the years I have had many clients turn up who’s greatest wish is always to see this amazing animal so when they see one for the first time it makes me happy.

He was walking fast, on the hunt for Samba Deer, passing our path and then disappearing without a trace in a matter of minutes, what a welcome back seeing this shy male Tiger. After a pause to see if we could hear any alarm calls which lets you know his movements and often direction of travel we started out jeep and carried on further into our zone, still not believing what we’d just seen a few moments before.

We soon picked up the track of another male T24 on one of the tracks the jeeps use. The Tigers often use these paths to travel through their our territories. Listening for alarm calls,parking up with the jeeps engine off we tired to just listen which is often the best way as other animals let you no whats happening  around you.

After driving around we saw a few other jeeps and a friend of our guide signalled to us a Tiger was there. Quickly we got into place and saw another male Tiger- T24 a massive dominate male sleeping on the forest floor in flecked light. Both my jeeps were there saw all clients where taking so amazing images. The following are what I captured alongside my clients.

An amazing encounter yet again and two male Tigers on our first morning has been the best start to any of my trips in the five years I have ran them. We moved on as time was getting on and soon before we left the park that morning and returned to the Ranthambhore Bagh for our breakfast. Omelette porridge, mango juice and Yorkshire tea with toast is my breakfast of choice there and it never disappoints.

Then some rest before our afternoon safari which starts at 3pm sharp. The heat is harsh in the afternoon, and suncream, hats are a most but more often than not I sunscreen up and enjoy the rays on my head. Again we were given our zones and off we went in search of the Tigers once more. Having worked with these same guides now for five years we know each other and what my clients want so more often and not I leave them to it and their expertise.

It wasn’t long in that intense heat that we saw T24 again, we found him asleep inside a cave. Not moving or even bothering with us and the jeeps as he slept. The odd time his eyes would open to just let us no he was watching us.

Such an amazing moment when you see and spend time watching these truly beautiful animals in their own envoriment. My clients got some great images of him again before we set off further into our zone. There is so much wildlife other than Tigers though at Ranthambhore, so many birds, Deer and ground mammals it truly is the jungle book in many ways.

After a few hours and with the light fading we heard some alarm calls, Tiger..? I asked..? maybe Salim said. Then from the hidden grass a female appeared from nowhere. It was T22 who I’d last seen last year. She was passing through and walking with great purpose past a Spotted Deer kill that I saw on the ground. She walked straight past this and onto a wooded area where she scent marked a few trees before heading off into the dense forests all around us.

Such an amazing moment when you see and spend time watching these truly beautiful animals in their own envoriment. My clients got some great images of the Tigers. There is so much wildlife other than Tigers though at Ranthambhore, so many birds, Deer and ground mammals it truly is the jungle book in many ways. Some many different images also from wildlife to plants to just about anything. Here I took this image of some tree roots I really loved and the reflection in the water as the sun was setting providing there are images everywhere here.

What an amazing first day for my clients, as I write this before I head to bed it still is unbelievably how lucky we all were today. Four sightings, three different Tigers lets hope our luck continues in the coming days and weeks. An amazing day and lets hope that luck carries on for my clients seeing this beautiful animal, so goodbye from India, I hope my images and words have taken you to this magical place so far and more updates as the week progresses all the best.

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I have just returned from two weeks in Ranthambhore, India where I was leading two, one week photo tours with clients. I have been visiting this area now for several years and have enjoyed many safaris into this magical place each time the smell, the noises of this place truly leave you breathless. Both sets of clients from their separate weeks enjoyed good sightings as all had come to see this beautiful animal in one of the best settings in India.

This image below captures a female Tigress coming from nowhere, catching us out as we sat in a small Jeep waiting with the engine turned off. I took a couple of images and we moved as the situation could have become dangerous, this is one of those images captured.