MY QUEST TO CAPTURE THE BEAUTY OF BENGAL TIGERS
Tiger mother Scissor & her 7 month old cub sit in road
Bengal Tigers: Majestic, Mysterious, Breathtaking
It was 2008 when I saw my first Bengal Tiger in the wild. I had travelled to Bandhavgarh in Madhya Pradesh where I was to send Christmas & New Year hoping to see this majestic Big Cat. After a tortuous 30-hour journey by train to get there, I embarked on my first game drive. I remember our jeep traveling up a small hill, when out of nowhere a huge Tiger almost leapt across the road. The excitement was palpable, as locals recognized the Bengal Tiger as Bokha, a legendary Tiger at the time.
That brief but awe-inspiring sighting of this powerful predator was to be my first & last during my week in Bandhavgarh. I think that’s one of the reasons why many years & 10 Tiger safaris later, you know that a sighting of a Bengal Tiger is not a given. It requires patience, persistence & a good amount of luck. However, when you do it is utterly magical.
A male Tiger looks back in our direction
My latest journey into Bengal Tiger territory
It was during a shoot for The Real Black Panther, a Nat Geo Wild documentary, that I met Shaaz Jung & Mithun Hunugund. It was Shaaz’s footage & photography of a legendary black panther called Saya that encouraged National Geographic to make the documentary & for me to travel to the forests of Kabini in the south of India in the hope of seeing the black panther. You can read my interview with Shaaz by clicking on the link.
I was blown away by the beautiful forests of Kabini, home to Bengal Tigers, Indian Leopards & Dholes. It was like the Jungle Book for real. I was inspired by photography of both Shaaz & Mithun and loved their tiger & leopard photos, with some of their best captured in the lush emerald greens of the monsoon season.
It was seeing the art of what was possible with their photography & a growing frustration that after many safaris I still hadn’t captured a photo of a Bengal Tiger that I was happy with, I contacted Mithun about doing a private safari with him. Since 2018 I have now done 4 private safaris with him- that latest to Dudhwa & Rajaji in April this year. This is a more expensive way of doing a Bengal Tiger photo safari, but I believe that Mithun’s top-class naturalist & photographer skills, his knowledge of the different national parks & guides is getting me closer to the perfect Bengal Tiger photo.
Female Tigress Scissor sits in middle of road in pre dawn blue mist
The allure of a Bengal Tiger & leopard photograph: Why big cats fascinate
Post a successful photo safari to Panna & Pench in October when I was lucky to have some great sightings of both Bengal Tiger & Indian Leopard, Mithun was keen for me to try two new parks- Dudhwa & Rajaji.
One of the primary reasons for advocating for both parks was the landscape. He had been traveling to both for several years and he now regards Dudhwa as his favourite for Tiger photography, and Rajaji offers something unique for leopard photography.
One of the reasons why I was often frustrated with my tiger photography was the number of distracting elements in the shot. Tigers are without doubt one of the most beautiful big cats to photograph, with their bold & glistening stripes, but so many shots can be ruined by branches or the harsh light. Photographing a Tiger when the landscape or other additional elements in the photograph enhance, rather than distract from the final image is often very rare.
Mithun assured me that I would be blown away by the landscape in Dudhwa. He was right. From the first morning drive I could see the potential, with the early morning rays of light illuminating the beautiful Sar Forests. I knew that to have a tiger sighting in this environment would be very special.
I was equally enamored with Rajaji, which is situated in the foothills of the Himalayas in Northern India. I was lucky enough to have a great sighting of a mating pair of leopards Heera & Diana on my first game drive & one of the most beautiful leopards I have ever seen- Leopard Queen Maya on my last. My time here was incredibly rewarding with some very special moments with leopards in such a lush, scenic & dramatic setting.
Patience, Persistence & the perfect shot: Fine Art of Tiger Photography
Whilst I didn’t get a sighting of a Tiger roaming through the Sar Forest in Dudhwa, I did come away with a couple of my favourite Bengal Tiger photographs to date.
Our early morning game drive had barely begun when we noticed up ahead that a vehicle had stopped. That could only mean one thing. We moved at speed to join them to see a beautiful Tigress & her cub sitting in the road.
The Tiger Queen was called Scissor & she had two 7-month-old cubs, but one was much shyer than the other & hid most of the time in the bushes. The bolder cub sat with its mother for a while before joining its sibling but thankfully came out again. As the sun was yet to rise, the light was quite challenging, but this was a sighting to really get my pulse racing. The fact that there were only 2- 3 vehicles on the scene, meant it was also less chaotic, which was particularly important to ensure the cubs stayed relatively relaxed in our presence.
Besides getting some wonderful intimate moments with mother & cub, my favourite image was when Scissor sat up, ears erect, with some powerful eye contact & the long & winding road trailing out of view. It might not be the “perfect shot” yet, but my quest gets one step closer.
Portrait of Tigress Scissor as she sits upright in the road
Love Tigers & Leopards? Why not Invest in Fine Art Prints
Art connects us to something larger. For those who invest in fine art tiger & leopard photography, it’s about more than decoration — it’s about conservation, connection, and meaning.
Photographing the big cats of India has some of the biggest challenges in wildlife photography because they are so mysterious & elusive. You truly must be patient & persistent, but when that pays off the rewards & resulting images can be stunning.
Curious Tiger cub looks towards our cameras
Tiger mother Scissor grooms her cub
My strongest tiger & leopard images feature nuances of light, composition, and storytelling, and have been crafted to evoke emotion and spark curiosity. As a result I hope that any viewer feels a deeper connection and appreciation for the natural world. Please take a look at my collection India’s Big Cats for more images of majestic & elusive Tigers & Leopards taken over the last few years.
So, if you're looking for meaningful artwork that brings wild beauty into your life, I invite you to explore my fine art print shop or reach out directly with any enquiries. Every photograph has a story, and I’d love to help you find the one that speaks to yours.
You can also take advantage of my SUMMER offer which runs till he end of August with 15% off all new sales & to help support Big Cat conservation I will match 15% of sales on any Tiger or Leopard print sold.
Finally, if you Refer a Friend & they buy a limited edition print you get a £50 Amazon gift card.
Tigress Scissor yawns before moving into bushes
Photo Safari Tips for Rajajai & Dudhwa
Having a great guide is essential. I have now travelled with Mithun Hunugund several times to various National Parks in India including Kabini, Pench, Kanha, Panna, Rajaji & Dudhwa. Mithun has just launched his website MithunonSafari where you can find out more as to what he has to offer. I really recommend him & I’m already planning a new photo safari for next year
Rajaji was really easy to travel to as its a 45 minute flight from Delhi & 2 hours from Mumbai to Dehradun. The NP is then less than 40 minutes away. I stayed at a lovely homestead called Rosette Farmstead (@rosette_farmsteadrajaji) which was situated about 10 minutes from the park gates, so very convenient. The staff were great, food was very good & room were clean & more importantly, had air con!
Whilst I travelled to Rajaji in April, another great time to go is Jan-March when the landscape is filled with flowers called Blue Mink. To photograph a leopard in those flowers would be very special!
To get to Dudhwa from Rajaji was around 5 hours by car. However you could also break up the journey by visiting Corbett National Park which is on route. We stayed at Dudhwa Nirwana Resort again conveniently situated about 10 minutes from the park gates. Food was multi cuisine & the hotel also offers laundry service.
Both parks even in height of Summer were less busy than other National Parks which definitely made any tiger or leopard sighting less chaotic.
I really appreciate you taking the time to read this blog on the allure of Bengal Tigers. If you like this why not also check on my photo story about my experience in Panna National Park & their incredible Tiger conservation success.
Thank you!
Jules
