Wildlife tourism

[Sabyasachi Patra]

Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve.

This lady is code named T17 and is forced to wear a necklace.

Canon EOS 1D Mark IV, Canon EF 24-105 F4 L IS USM, f4.5, 1/640, ISO 200, full frame image.

Sabyasachi

[Bhargava Srivari]

A very interesting documentation. I like the feel and excitement in the image! Look at that guy in the background trying to yell at ppl in another jeep excitedly and showing them the tiger!!

Wish you had used your 70-200 as it would have given better quality. Also, do you have images at narrower apertures?

[Saktipada Panigrahi]

Good Documentaton.An element of SADNESS grips my mind whenever I see such Tiger in Ranthambhore and it reminds me the EVIL element within us which has interfered with "....... ETERNAL WAY OF THE FOREST IS DUE PRINCIPALLY TO QUEST FOR FOOD"-Nehru.SaktiWild

[Sabyasachi Patra]

Bhargava,

By better quality are you talking about sharpness or something else?

This image was created at the wide angle end of the 24-105mm lens. The 70-200 would have given an entirely different perspective. You can see that at the left of the frame is the bar of the jeep. I was hanging out of the jeep while clicking it. My first thought was to increase the focal length and move the camera to the side. Then I decided not to do so and used the left bar as anchor which helps in telling the story.

As far as better lens is concerned, I could have used the 24-70 f2.8 L IS USM. The reason for using the 24-105 F4 L IS USM lens is due to the IS. This was from a moving vehicle with the tigress approaching fast and the paparazzi following like crazy.

If any other lens, I would have liked to use, then it would be the newly launched Canon EF 8-15 F4 L Fisheye USM lens.

I used f4.5 as that gave me sufficient depth of field.

Personally I am not too happy with this, as this revolts against the idea of the primordial wilderness that all of us yearn for. I would like to quote here Dr. George Schaller, whose writings have helped shape many of my beliefs as well as validate many of my observations in the field. While writing about Serengeti, he had said...
"...certain places are so unique in the pleasure and inspiration they afford that they must be preserved without compromise as repositories of beauty- as living museums. They must remain unmanaged, as original fragments of our past. Unaffected by human greed, their survival will be witness to man's moral obligation to society and to other species."

He further writes "At least once in a lifetime every person should make a pilgrimage into the wilderness to dwell on its wonders and discover the idyll of a past now largely gone. " ..."There dwell the fierce ghosts of our human past; there animals seek their destiny, living monuments to a time when we were still wanderers on a prehistoric Earth. To witness that calm rhythm of life revives our worn souls and recaptures a feeling of belonging to the natural world."

[Bhargava Srivari]

Sabyasachi,

I believe that 'quality' is a relative term really. I wished you had used the 70-200 because the overall quality it produces is better than the lens you shot this with, and you possess that lens. However, now that I know this was shot at 24mm and as I totally agree with this composition, I am convinced that you made the right choice regarding the lens :)

To be honest, I can't see any wildlife lover being happy after seeing this picture which shows how ill mannered we can be!

Cheers

[Dipankar Mazumdar]

I like this image a lot. The higher elevation of the tiger, the bar of your jeep, the excited mannerism of the people on the other jeep, the barren trees on the background, all tell a story, like of a wild animal trapped and cornered in a degraded landscape.

Agree with the DOF and the FL as well,Only in case if there were more elements which add to the visualization like more gypsys etc., a wider FL would have been better.

Cheers

Dipankar

[Praveen Siddannavar]

Nice perspective, love this image & the DOF is quite good. However feel sad to see T17 so weak.
tfs

[V S Sankar]

Nice image Sabya which portrays many things.Enjoyed your quote about Serengeti and the exhortation to visit the wilds, once in a while is interesting.Most of our tourists come to enjoy some exciting moments wherever they go.It could be Ranthanbore or a mall in a big city.When we are in groups the behaviour changes than when we are alone or with only one for company.The excitement of seeing a wild tiger is expressed differently.If you are a photographer who want to capture a good sharp image,patience and near zero decibel levels are the traits exhibited.When you are not a serious photographer then spotting something special and declaring loudly to your friends and others becomes a priority.Whatever way you exhibit your reactions,all are important to sustain the conservation efforts taken by us.But a photographer's behaviour may be more acceptable.

Regards