Early morning in Ladakh, sub-freezing overnight temperatures made getting out from under the covers the first challenge. Throwing the curtains open to the day frequently revealed a friendly face peering in! 🙂 Wake up call, Ulley Village, Ladakh. It probably says something about the capability of recent digital cameras that this is a single frame, not a composite or HDR image. The dynamic range of the camera (Fujifilm XH2s) was able to handle the well lit snow outside the […]
Whilst my stay in the Ladakh region of India was mainly focused on photographing snow leopards and other wildlife, there was also the opportunity to interact with the local people who were welcoming towards us. Whilst eco-tourism is a relatively recent development, the raising of Pashmina Goats for their prized fine wool has been a feature of village life for generations. Traditionally a family’s wealth would be defined by how many goats they owned and consequently the goats are […]
As alluded to in a previous blog post, today’s post relates to the Snow Leopards of Ladakh, India. My journey to the region in February, 2023, was primarily to seek out, and photograph, the elusive snow leopard. This animal has an almost mythical reputation, “always present, rarely sighted”. As the apex predator of this mountainous region, individuals range over large areas in search of prey, notably Urials and Ibex. Both predator and prey are superbly adapted to […]
February, 2023, winter in Ladakh in the north-west of India and the quest is to find and photograph the elusive snow leopard. At an altitude of approximately 4000 metres and with overnight temperatures dropping as low as minus 20 Celsius, you need to be prepared. Wildlife is often viewed at a distance, neccessitating the use of long telephoto lenses and a bit of luck too. Whilst the leopard was our main target (and will be the subject of […]