Taj by auntietk

Photography • Animals • posted on Jun 07, 2014

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Description

Cougar Mountain Zoo Issaquah, Washington I've combed Denise's gallery (MrsRatbag), comparing this tiger to the ones she's previously named. Stripes and dots and patterns and colors ... and I believe this is Taj. (Denise, if it isn't, please correct me!) Several times I said to the tiger (or the macaw or whatever), "Denise said you're a good subject! Will you look over here for a minute please? Denise sent me to say hello to you!" I got some pretty good results with that technique! Apparently your name carries weight in certain circles, Dee. :)

Comments (23)

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bodo_56

1:18AM | Sat, 07 June 2014

When i saw the thumbnail i thought for a moment it was a painting - outstanding portrait, i love the colours!

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JuliSonne

1:28AM | Sat, 07 June 2014

WOW....what a magnificent animal. I love cats of prey!!

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giulband

2:11AM | Sat, 07 June 2014

Very intense look !! Beautiful capture !!

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durleybeachbum

2:13AM | Sat, 07 June 2014

He looks so gentle but we know better! This is a great portrait.

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helanker

2:32AM | Sat, 07 June 2014

He looks so clever .-) A really beautiful shot, Tara :)

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jayfar

3:23AM | Sat, 07 June 2014

A superb portrait Tara.

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wysiwig

4:02AM | Sat, 07 June 2014

What a magnificent kitty! Superb close up.

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FredNunes

6:26AM | Sat, 07 June 2014

Gorgeous portrait!

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Krittermom

6:39AM | Sat, 07 June 2014

Out standing portrait . Perfect detail as well as the Perfect expression . I love this lazy, I am bored look these big cats get. They are so beautiful. You have done him justice.

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lisalisette

7:35AM | Sat, 07 June 2014

Well I love this photo.. what a beautiful shot of this wonderful tiger :)

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EJD64

7:41AM | Sat, 07 June 2014

I like the look on his face. Nice Tara.

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kgb224

7:52AM | Sat, 07 June 2014

Superb capture Tara. God bless.

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Wolfenshire

8:24AM | Sat, 07 June 2014

Telephoto is the best way to get up close to this kitty. Yea, no catnip for you big kitty.

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Faemike55

10:23AM | Sat, 07 June 2014

This is a very beautiful portrait of Taj, Tara

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bentchick

1:46PM | Sat, 07 June 2014

What a cutie patootie! I want to kiss his nose, but I'd like to keep mine, so I guess I won't be doing that! Fav!

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Adobe_One_Kenobi

6:55PM | Sat, 07 June 2014

Yep that's Taj, the ginger man-eater :) From what i know, he's a big softy :)

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MrsRatbag

9:52PM | Sat, 07 June 2014

That's Taj all right; he always looks worried, but he's just drawn that way. Personally, I think he looks like Will Ferrell. I was surprised to find out he's the smallest of the four tigers there; Bagheera is the largest, and he's the official alpha, though he's younger than Taj and Almos. They have a constant rivalry; the four tigers will never be able to be together, since there is that striving for alpha, and someone would have to be seriously hurt. They always know exactly where the other is in the opposite habitat. They switch them out every day, between the lower and upper habitats, so no one gets "stuck" in either one. It was also surprising to hear that they seem to prefer the lower, smaller habitat; I would have thought they'd rather be in the upper one with the falls and rock mountain. How they decide what the tigers "like" I will never know either, but apparently they do. The world of captive big cats is a whole new world indeed. I'm just happy to get to know these big boys. Wonderful shot of the zoo curator's favourite big boy!

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RodS

11:32PM | Sat, 07 June 2014

HOLY FRACK!! I'm assuming you were using a telephoto lens?? What an incredible shot, Tara! Talk about up close and personal..... Jeeze what a magnificent animal - there seems to be a wisdom in those eyes that we cannot begin to fathom.

RodS

11:33PM | Sat, 07 June 2014

Well, DUH..... I should look at the EXIF info...... 200 mm...

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anahata.c

1:44AM | Sun, 08 June 2014

I'm back after an absence, and this is just beautiful, Tara. I don't know if this was a complete or near-complete photo, or if you extracted; but the crop is wonderful in either case, as you brought him directly to us as you often do in your closing-in shots. And there's a slight tilt, which always gives expression to a face. (One of the hardest types of portrait to warm-up-to is a face and body straight on. It's so monolithic, it makes a person or animal appear as if they're a monument.) Subtle tilt, and what a full 'explosion' of his visage: All that tiger-dom right in our face. Yet it's soft. And I don't just mean because of distance, lens, etc, but it's just---soft. Not 'softened'---which it could or could not be---but soft in feel. A big fearsome beast, feeling soft and approachable. That's magic and artist's vision, not technique. A magical piece. Denise thinks he looks like Will Ferrel? Oooooo-kay, lol, I'll bite! Maybe more Tommy Lee Jones. Whoever he looks like, a totally face-filled photo isn't easy for most photographers, but you've been zero-ing in for so long and so expressively, this seems like it came off the top of your head, whatever time you put into it. Beautiful and full and magical. (As so many people point out in Denise's magnificent gallery, they look so cuddle-able; but you don't wanna get too close: Their instincts are fierce and they can maul you in seconds without thinking twice. Thus they inspire intimacy mixed with devout respect. Which somehow creates awe.)

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