Baby Animals

So much comfort and emotion radiating from this image. The tight crop may have cut mama chimp out of the frame, but it accomplishes the task of getting us up and close up with the baby chimpanzee, cutting out any distractions, focusing our attention entirely on the baby's cute features. From its face, cozily squished-up against his mum's chest, to its hand, gripping firmly at her fur: everything in this image screams love, comfort and connection. Great use of contrast to enhance tone richness and good overall sharpness are cherries on the cake. A fantastic capture - well done!

I have seen many images of deer over the years, but never one that exudes so much sweetness and vulnerability. The back light highlights the animals' silhouettes and the grass below in a way that is pleasant and almost fairytale-like, at the same time casting a beautiful golden haze over the woodlands behind. The aperture of F5 is just enough to keep all the subjects in focus, whilst at the same time blurring the forest behind them into a dreamy haze. The shot wouldn't have been the same without the presence of the tree in focus on the left hand side, which adds important detail and frames the animals during their breastfeeding ritual. What a great capture - well done!

This image immediately caught my eye whilst scrolling through. With a subject that's rarely captured and an overall modern and vibrant feel, this shot definitely stands out from the majority of entries. The luscious green leaves, well defined by their bright green edges, stand in pleasing contrast against the black background, whilst the aperture of F8 allows for both animals to be in perfect focus - funky hairstyles included! Lastly, managing to capture the left bird with its beak open was just what this image needed in order to be the best possible version of itself. A fantastic capture - well done!