I took these two pictures at the Tiger Temple in Thailand, and although I love the action, the lighting was horrible. It was late morning and the sun was high in the sky. Outdoor light doesn't get more harsh or more unattractive than this. Unfortunately, there was nothing I could do except work on the pictures in Photoshop. I lightened the shadows and darkened the highlights in Adobe Camera Raw, and that helped a lot. Still, there is no substitute for beautiful lighting. The program for tourists is rigidly set at this facility, so there was no deviating from it.
I think it might be best to visit this temple during the rainy season when clouds are almost guaranteed. Then soft lighting would work to one's advantage, and this kind of garish contrast wouldn't be a problem.
The shutter speed I used for these shots had to be fast enough to freeze not only the tigers, but the water drops as well. For the two tigers playing in the water, I used 1/2000, and for the tiger leaping into the air, I chose 1/1000.
