satie

Chinkara

A rare Indian Gazelle peeks through the jungles of Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan, India

A rare Indian Gazelle peeks through the jungles of Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan, India
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Jul, 2017

Views

1750

Likes

+613

Awards

Chatter Award

Peer Choice Award

Curator's Choice

Peer Award

+356

Absolute Masterpiece

+40

Superb Composition

+24

Top Choice

+21

Magnificent Capture

+18

Outstanding Creativity

Superior Skill

All Star

Virtuoso

Genius

Emotions

Impressed

Happy

Top Ranks

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 1

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 1

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 1

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 2

Top 10 rank week 1

Top 20 rank

Top 10 rank week 2

Behind The Lens

Location

Ranthambore National Park, India

Time

This image was shot on an overcast morning deep inside the dry deciduous forest in Ranthambore.

Lighting

Most people visit Ranthambore to see the tiger. Other rare species like this Chinkara, or Indian Gazelle, are normally ignored by visitors and guides. I was lucky to find two chinkaras in the forest. They are very shy and I kept a good distance from them. The dry and dark habitat provided a nice contrast to the chinkara's color, and I was happy when this one looked straight into the camera.

Equipment

This was shot with a Canon 5D Mark III and a 500mm lens with 1.4x teleconverter.

Inspiration

This photo was shot during a disappointing early morning safari in the national park. I was looking for tigers and had found none. My guide and driver decided to drive deep into the forest to an area not normally frequented by visitors. When we saw movement behind the tall dhok trees, we thought it was the abundant cheetal (or spotted deer). On inspection, the two "deer" turned to be Indian Gazelles. I had never seen one in the wild and was excited to see them. The animals were very shy and we maintained our distance from them. They would disappear behind trees to graze on the dry grass. When one of them walked between two trees and looked up at me, I took this shot. I like how the trees frame the chinkara and provide a view of the forest as I experienced it.

Editing

This photo got some basic post processing in Lightroom and Photoshop like white balance correction, some contrast adjustments. I added a slightly dark vignette to focus the eye on the chinkara and add a sense of mystery.

In my camera bag

When I am shooting wildlife, I have have my 5D Mark III and 1D Mark IV bodies with different lenses mounted on them. I have the 500mm, with or without a teleconverter, mounted on one body and the 70-300mm on the other. The jungles in India can be very dusty and it is not recommended to change lenses. Also, this gives me the focal range to shoot various types of scenes.

Feedback

What I learnt from this experience was to be ready to shoot when an opportunity provides itself. Not everything goes according to plan in wildlife photography, and being able to adapt can result in some successful images.

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satie

satie

Chinkara

A rare Indian Gazelle peeks through the jungles of Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan, India

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow satie

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