Close Up and Personal With a Tiger

Photographing wild cats like Siberian tigers can be exhilarating when there are no enclosures between you and the tiger! I had the opportunity to do this in both the summer and winter at Triple D ranch in Montana. Ultimate trust is put in the handler's ability to control the cat. He did this with food which was lunch for the hungry tiger. He cautioned photographers, who were a mere 15-30 feet away, to not make any sudden moves towards their photo bags because the tiger would conclude you were getting a treat for her! So a shoot like this requires a lot of setup preparation to ensure you are prepared to shoot several hundred frames with as little as possible movement. The shot shown here was taken in a moment when the cat looked away from it's food towards me. Fortunately it preferred the lunch it was offered over me!!

There's a big adrenalin rush when photographing potentially dangerous animals without enclosures. In future blogs I'll share experiences with bears, a snow leopard and a young cougar.

Wildlife in Winter

Photographing wildlife in winter can be a chilling challenge! Camera and lenses need to be warm enough to prevent fogging and you'll need lots of fresh batteries due to reduced battery life in cold weather. You'll also need a pair of photo gloves...like the ones from LowePro.

Dress warm so you can focus on the subject and not how much you are shivering. Be prepared to get on the ground for low shots at the animal's eye level.

This photo of an arctic fox was taken at Triple D game rance in Montana. They had built a snow habitat for the fox to make it comfortable. It was snowing on and off during the shoot, so I had to time shots to minimize snow interference. Arctic foxes rarely stop and occasionally will strike a pose...like the one above. White-on-white subjects can be difficult and most camera meters will render them gray. So try opening up your lens 1/2 to 1 stop for whiter whites. Don't use a flash as it will make the fox's eyes look like a she-devil! Good luck with your winter wildlife shoot. Next up...my second winter experience with a Siberian Tiger.

Lynx Kitten in Minnesota

This lynx kitten was photographed at a wildlife rannch in Minnesota. These types of facilities cater to photographers and have extensive experience with a broad range of animals....young and mature. Babies are typically photgraphed in early spring and summer...this Lynx kitten in July. In future blogs I'll talk about different animals, where I photographed them and the challenges with each photo session. This kitten was a joy to work with....playful and full of surprises!!

Introduction

I am a nature photographer with extensive experience photographing wildlife in locations which do not disturb animals in their natural habitats. Stay tuned for photos and tips on how you can do the same! Samples of my work are at www.larrygilbertphoto.com