Baby Animals

This image stood out even amongst the many shots of Cheetahs that were submitted to this contest. The close up allows us to really take in the beauty of this animal: from its unique face markings to its dotted fur, to the alertness of those big amber eyes. The soft colour palette is visually very pleasing, at the same time highlighting how well-camouflaged these animals can be in their own environments. The aperture allows focus on all the necessary elements (the whole of the cheetah's head) and soft blur on unnecessary background details, so that all of the viewer's attention can land onto the subject, undisturbed. This is a fantastic close up shot that certainly deserves recognition. Well done!

The first thing that catches my eye here are the shot's beautiful pastel tones. Most other images in the contest have a prevalence of green, brown or grey, so the warmth of this shot truly stands out against the rest. The baby Macaque's body position is interesting, and the outstretched, open hand adds that touch of dynamism that elevates the image. In fact, it's to the open hand that my eyes travel, following the Macaque's gaze, lingering on the details of the baby's little hand and fingers. The depth of field beautifully separates the Macaque, eye-pleasingly sharp, from the soft, blurry background. And lastly, the sheets in the top corners of the image nicely frame the subject, at the same time adding detail and colour that just so happens to match the overall warm & pastel colour scheme. This is a sweet and fantastically executed animal portrait. Well done!