China's Autumn Tigers & Giant Pandas

Siberian tigers and giant pandas are living animal icons of China—both critically endangered due to shrinking habitats (and intense poaching in the case of the tigers)—and the subjects for our incredible photo shoots in north and central China. Fall colors in northern China rival major autumn foliage displays anywhere in the world. Our September trip is timed for the predicted height of color as a luminous, photogenic backdrop to the tigers and a more subtle golden suggestion of seasonal change with the pandas kept at a lower elevation.

Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, is our gateway to the Bifengxia Giant Panda Breeding Center. Here in this vital breeding facility we shoot the iconic pandas in a variety of camera-pleasing situations. The Bifengxia center is the location to which the majority of the pandas housed at the Wolong Giant Panda Breeding Center were translocated after the devastating Sichuan earthquake of May 2008. We have scheduled several orchestrated photo sessions where the pandas will be transported from the breeding center and placed in nature amidst a photogenic autumn-cured meadow. We’ve also arranged to have them positioned in particularly photogenic landscaped locations within the 144-acre breeding compound. At other times we are free to explore the breeding center and photograph at our leisure.

We have three full days of photo opportunities to shoot pandas—climbing trees in their compounds, rolling and tumbling, eating and relaxing—and, weather permitting, groups of cubs in the outdoor panda nursery.

Siberian tigers are the largest subspecies of tigers in the world—and one of the world’s most endangered big cats. In the extreme northeast corner of China we photograph scores of these huge predators at an unbelievable zoo/breeding center virtually on the edge of Siberia—the eastern fringe of the Siberian tiger’s shrinking habitat.

Photographing from retired city busses with openable windows, our group drives into the large compound (approximately 30 acres) containing many of these immense cats. Often we are surprisingly close to them as they walk past our vehicles. Our proximity presents exceptional opportunities for portraiture as well as photographs of them as pairs and small groups. During the morning the tigers roam their compound jumping up on large boulders and investigating our busses—anticipating a meal. Then feeding starts! Now, the tigers living in an exceptionally high density come alive as food is brought into the compound. This is the time when we photograph intense snarling interactions; the friction that takes place should produce exceptional imagery as they clash over food.

Depending on color conditions we also stop along the roadway to shoot fall-colored landscapes typical of northern China during our travels.

Join us to photograph these two fantastic iconic animals of Asia, plus the incredible Great Wall at Mutianyu.