B2 Everybody's favourite Tiger

[Ken Watkins]

Totally privilged to meet B2 again a truly magnificent animal, who has done his best to preserve the Tiger population of Bandhavgargh!

Here he is ambling down the side of the road, clearly not as flexible as he was on our last meeting 5 years ago but still magnificent.

Taken in Bandhavgargh National Park, India, 24th April 2011.

Canon EOS 1D MkIV

500mm F4 IS hand-held from Maruti Gypsy

F4, ISO 800, 1/400 Ev -0.33

Luckily we were amomgst the first few vehicles at this sighting, our guide seemed surprised at our request to get ahead of him:2

[Vivaldo Damilano]

I think this image made your trip worth while, really sweet. How did you get the low angle, brilliant Ken :cheers::cheers:

[Ken Watkins]

Vivaldo,

Thanks for your comments, to see B2 again probably was the highlight of our trip.

The low apparent low angle is probably caused by the use of the 500mm, one of my favourite photographers explained the reasons for this but I have since forgotten, plus of course a Maruti Gypsy is hardly a very tall vehicle.

[Roman Kurywczak]

Magnificent specimen Ken! Normally not a fan of side light from this angle but I feel it works nicely here. OK.....I'll say it.....slightly higher and that FG rock wouldn't be as distracting. VG details in the shadow side also. All in all....very nicely done!

[Robert Amoruso]

I would agree with Roman's comments on this one Ken.

The angle that the lens axis makes with the subject relative the the horizontal decreases as you get further from that subject, hence the apparent low POV.

[Morkel Erasmus]

lovely specimen indeed Ken!
I love the POV, light and flicking tongue...

you know my angle on "leaning" subjects, and here it seems that it needs rotation at first, but when I took in the ground level up front and the way his gait seems to slant I feel it's fine as presented. :w3

wouldn't mind this being in my files. I do feel you could have bumped ISO on your Mk4 to get a slightly faster shutter speed in case he decided to "speed up" :c3:

[Jamie Douglas]

Who put that rock there? ;) Darn nature. I love the low angle, eye contact and tongue.

It looks like he has a gash above his right eye?

[Harshad Barve]

One top class image but I guess you will have many other images without rock :w3
TFS

[Ken Watkins]

Lets get the rock out of the way first it does not bother me in any way the point of this is the Tigers head and obviously the tongue.


Obviously I could have chosen to remove it but I decided not too. If you take a look at this image you will find the same rock
http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php/83672


Morkel,

I am not sure wher your rotation point is serious or not, but believe me to the left side of this Tiger is a tree, the same one that appears in Harshads image mentioned above, I can assure you that it is upright, so it follows that the Tiger is probably upright,

B2 is not in the first flush of youth and his walking looked to me at least to be hard work, with a noticable roll from side to side.

[Dumay de Boulle]

Gorgeous pose and sidelight is great...I like it!

[Roger Clark]

Hi Ken,

I really like the light, and looking straight at you--wow. Nicely done.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the need for more room on top. Personally I like it tight as is.

But I do have the visual impression that the tiger is leaning left regardless of what is true (I had the same impression with Harshad's image).

Roger

[Ken Watkins]

Hi Ken

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the need for more room on top.Personally I like it tight as is.


Roger

Thanks Roger,

Me too!!!

[Jay Gould]

Mate, I wouldn't change a thing - big catch!!

Cheers,

[Morkel Erasmus]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the need for more room on top.

Now that you have, Roger...

Ken - if you have a sliver of space up top it would be nice :bg3:, assume this is full frame though? I was kinda serious about the rotation, Roger has also touched on how he perceived it...:e3...your choice to leave it or rotate it in the end...

[Sudhir Shivaram]

I missed seeing him during our rides. This one is superb. The colours and the low angle makes it for me. The stare keeps your eyes focused on it!!! Great one indeed.

Rgds,
Sudhir

[Ken Watkins]

Mate, I wouldn't change a thing - big catch!!

Cheers,


Jay,

Thanks for this "straight" critique

Sudhir,

Thanks very much, sorry you missed him.

[Roman Kurywczak]

Hey Ken,
I often say the same thing in the Avain forum.....sometimes low is too low. About a foot higher and you would have maintained eye contact.....and gotten seperation from the foot and the rock. Not a deal breaker by any means.....and in the heat of battle....not always an option especially in a vehicle! I'd imagine by this point you would be more open to critiques......not just "straight" ones that agree with your position. Flickr doesn't usually get negative comments....always an option of you don't want others opinions.

[Ken Watkins]

Roman,

Thanks for your comments, too low, I have ner had that before:w3

BTW my comment to Jay was just a little joke, following our "problems" a couple of months ago.

[Sabyasachi Patra]

Lovely eye contact. It is good that you saw him. We never know till when he will last. Some more space at the top would be great. Thanks for sharing.

Cheers,
Sabyasachi

[Ken Watkins]

Sabyasachi,

Thanks vey much for your comment I missed it earlier.