Tiger/Cub/Sub Adult/Bandipur

[Praveen Siddannavar]

This is one of the female cubs of Gowri, that is slowing moving into the sub adult stage. This was another interesting sighting, when we first spotted this tiger from a distance she moved quickly into the bushes. I asked pradeep our driver to stop and wait for a while, i was sure that the tiger will come out. During this time i had time to connect my TC and in about 5 minutes or so she came out and later comfortably sat in the shade beside the game track for almost 10-15 minutes.

It is important to keep distance, had we approached closer she would have disappeared into the bushes.

Camera - Canon EOS 1D Mark IV, 500mm + 1.4x TC

Av 10
Tv 1/320
ISO 640
EC - 0.3 step
Focal length 700mm
Bean Bag Support
Date and Time : 25th Dec'11 @ 4:53pm

[Suraj Sreedhar]

Nice image,I think u are the one who has photographed all the cubs of Gowri.

Thanks for sharing

[Mrudul Godbole]

Liked the way she is entering into the frame. The eye contact is nice. Wish you could have moved the camera a bit more to the left to avoid the out of focus bark on the right. Thanks for sharing.

[V S Sankar]

Nice pic of a Tiger again from Praveen.

I would like to discuss something other than photography here.Praveen has nicely explained how he managed the driver of his safari vehicle.I had experienced this in Tholpetty during my recent trip.Most of the time they drive like KSRTC bus drivers.(Not even stopping at scheduled stops!)

The drivers of the safaris may not be that interested in getting a good photograph.May be they are pre-occupied with other matters in life.In Tholpetty, I had to really force the jeep driver to stop so that I could take some good pics of a Tusker.There was also pressure from the other jeeps coming from behind.

I appreciate the hidden "technique" of Praveen in getting the driver in place.......

Regards

[Sabyasachi Patra]

Nice pose. The image doesn't look sharp. May be a higher shutter speed would have been better. Thanks for sharing.

Sankar,
The drivers in Tholpetty are actually intent on taking you around in the fastest possible time so that they can get ready for the next trip. The drivers of JLR are completely different. The amount of money that JLR charges, it is natural that the drivers are better behaved. If you carry a long lens, they will give you more respect.

Cheers,
Sabyasachi

[Praveen Siddannavar]

Sabyasachi I don't agree that the JLR staff only respect guest with long lenses. I may have started photography with DSLR recently but I have been visiting JLR Bandipur for ages. I have seen a waiter grow to Asst Mgr, Sr.Naturalist and more. Most of the staff are local boys bought up in farms and forests of Bandipur.

Over the years they have picked up English, understand forest to the core, have excellent tracking skills and more importantly few of them have picked photography skills, they position jeeps at appropriate angles so that photographers can get the best shots. I have personally helped them understand a photographers need, today most of the drivers/naturalists know how to position the jeeps to ensure that a photographer gets the best angle and shots. I have seen these staff rescue animal's, birds & snakes.

In addition now they are so well trained that they create the awareness amongst the tourists who travel through thru Bandipur to avoid stopping cars within forest roads, tell them not to litter & so on. I have seen a big transformation amongst these boys over a period of time. Same is the case at JLR Kabini.

Even the forest run vans at Bandipur are quite disciplined.

[Sabyasachi Patra]

I had said "if you carry a long lens, they will give you more respect" in a jest. However, it is true in the sense, the JLR staff believe that a person with a long lens is bound to be serious. They understand your needs. So they try to make you comfortable vis-a-vis other tourists. I never meant to say anything derogatory.

In the past - till three years back - I used to stay in another resort near the Forest Rest House, till one day I decided that I am never going back to that resort. Since then I am with JLR. While in that resort, during the safari, we saw tigers in two consecutive safaris. And the way the person positioned the jeep there was a tree in the frame. Since I don't crop, I didn't click. I told the person to move one meter ahead and he refused. The next day morning, another driver, refused to move ahead when we saw a tiger on our right in the bush. And the tiger moved ahead and crossed the road in front of us. Due to the elevation, and backlighting, I didn't like the scene and didn't click. Mrudul was with me and she too didnt click. I never went back to that resort, though I used to get a complete gypsy to myself. In JLR they try to make me as comfortable as possible as they can understand the seriousness of the person.

Cheers,
Sabyasachi

[Roopak Gangadharan]

Nice one praveen. the alert pose and the habitat have come out well, wud been better without the stump at the right.

TFS
Roopak