A Tiger Safari Is More Than the Safari Drive

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA, When I plan a tiger photography safari in India, I am not only thinking about what happens once we enter the national park. I am thinking about the entire journey around it: how photographers arrive, how we move through India, where we stay, what is included, how much space we have in the safari vehicle and how I can support each photographer in the field.

That is the approach behind Tiger Trails.

The current journeys include accommodation, meals, drinks, required internal flights, airport pickup, relevant private ground transfers and safari access within India. Experienced local naturalists work with us in the parks, while I personally host the journeys and provide photography mentorship throughout the trip.

For photographers travelling with camera bodies, long lenses and other equipment, having those arrangements coordinated makes a real difference. It means less time working out domestic travel and transfers and more time concentrating on the reason we are there.
Photography support is also built into the experience rather than treated as an occasional workshop.

In the field, I work alongside photographers on camera settings, exposure, shutter speed, composition, positioning, changing light and animal behaviour. The level of support depends on the photographer, because someone still building confidence with wildlife photography needs something different from someone who has been photographing wildlife for years.

Between safari drives, we can sit down with the photographs from the field and work through them together. That gives us the chance to see what worked, identify anything worth adjusting and take those lessons back out with us on the next drive.

Vehicle space is another part of Tiger Trails that I consider important. Each safari jeep is limited to two photographers.

Long lenses take up space, and wildlife does not always stay where you expect it to. Having only two photographers in the vehicle gives both people more room for equipment, clearer shooting positions and greater freedom to respond when an animal changes direction.

The current Tiger Trails options take photographers into Central India’s tiger country, including Kanha and Bandhavgarh. Bengal tigers are naturally a major focus, but the parks also support other wildlife including leopards, sloth bears, wild dogs, Indian gaur, spotted deer, elephants and birdlife, depending on the location and natural wildlife movement. Wildlife sightings are never guaranteed, and that is part of working with wild animals. Experienced local naturalists bring their knowledge of the parks, tracks, calls and animal behaviour, while I concentrate on helping photographers make the most of the opportunities we do have. The practical side of the journey matters just as much.

International flights to and from India and laundry are not included. Single occupancy is available at an additional cost, while current booking terms are provided with each departure. For anyone comparing India tiger photography safaris, I would look beyond the headline price.
Ask what travel within India is included, how many photographers share each safari jeep, who is providing the photographic guidance, whether that guidance continues away from the vehicle, and which costs you will still need to arrange yourself.

For me, Tiger Trails is about making those pieces work together. The logistics should support the photography, not compete with it.