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.
