Wildlife Photography across the Water: From the Archives-India-Ranthambhore

Tuesday 24 February 2009

From the Archives-India-Ranthambhore

I have travelled to India many times, In 2000 i spent 3 months there and then went 2-3 times a year after, It became addictive, There is nowhere like it on earth and i hope it continues to be like that, You will not find a more diverse place with its cultures,people and places,It has everything from mountains to deserts,wetlands and forests, I have visited Ranthambhore,Kanha,Badhavgargh Keolado,and Kazirnaga national parks in search of Indias fantastic wildlife, I think i should take each Park seperatley as they are all very different and offer different things Ranthambhore NP in Rajesthan is my favorite Tiger reserve,Its not the easiest place to get Tiger shots-that falls to Bandhavgargh but there is something about the place that draws me back, Its a big place,very arrid-semi desert and extremely hot, I tend to go around march-may time,The later you leave it the hotter it will be but that will carry favour for you as the water dries up it will bring the tigers out looking for it-where there is heat and water there will be tigers, Nothing is guarenteed but i have always come up trumps here and on some trips have seen tigers daily whilst on others you may wait 4 days before seeing one,Tigers are not the only thing on offer here,Its the best place to see and photograph Sloth bear, It has large numbers of deer both Sambar (similar to our red deer) and chital which are similar to the fallow deer, Lots and lots of cheeky monkey's will keep the cameras clicking and stunning scenery,the park is built around a fort that is built high up on a rocky hill and it has large lakes with temples built around the place,The downside with all of this is that its the closest tiger reserve to Delhi-around 6 hrs by train so it gets busy and its also very expensive, But its not far from Bharatphur-keolado NP which is one of the worlds best bird reserves,Jaipur the pink city and also Agra is a short train journey away where you find the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort,They call this the golden triangle and its gives you options to make for a diverse trip, I stay in the Ranthambhore Regency-ask for Ravindra who will sort all your jeep and drivers out, Guides i would recommmend would be Rajesh and Hymraj-just remember a good guide is worth his weight in gold, I now have a friend who has set up his own business out there so if you are looking for a trip to Ranthambhore and the surrounding region drop me a line and i will forward it on

Dave

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Bio's

David Courtenay, a self taught wildlife and nature photographer, has been capturing images for over 30 years. He has had a passion for wildlife since early childhood and remembers being glued to the television whenever Survival, Wildlife on One and other natural history documentaries were shown. In the 2006 he swapped his established career for the life of a wildlife photographer, such a move demands a measure of uncompromising passion and commitment.

David has travelled extensively throughout Europe as well as spending more than 7 months in India working with local guides and trackers in search of Bengal Tiger, Asian One horned Rhino and Asian Elephant. He has also photographed Wildlife in Australia, Malaysia, Thailand, Sumatra, Africa, Canada and America. Working closely with Conservation companies he tries to raise funds to help Wildlife that has been put on the endangered list by poaching and habitation loss

Martin Dyer has had a passion for avian wildlife since childhood, particularly raptors. Photography was also another keen interest and it was with the specific availability and control of the whole process that digital offers that Martin was then able to combine the two in 2003. Based in the UK, Martin is a regular visitor to Scotland, specifically the Isle of Mull to watch the Eagles resident there. Other trips to Europe and around the UK are usually part of Martin’s agenda in a typical year.

However, as a firm believer on making the most of the local patch, Martin has spent a lot of time and hard work creating a wildlife garden which is reaping the rewards with many new species and varieties of wildlife. A keen member of a number of wildlife photographic groups, Martin is keen to expand his portfolio into other areas of wildlife, and has already established a wide portfolio of images of fungi.