New Joiners - Animals #485

This shot would appeal to any dog owner. There is a look of love and loyalty in the animal's eye. The black and white conversion works well, simplifying the shot and helping place emphasis on shape and texture. The shallow depth of field helps direct the viewer's eye directly to the animal's.

I love the simplicity of silhouettes. Subjects need too have an instantly recognisable outline in order to work. The elephant and geese standout boldly and the glistening water adds atmosphere and contrast. I wonder if a slightly warmer colour temperature might suit this image well?

Capturing some sort of behaviour will always bring your nature shots alive. Nature is often brutal, as this shot neatly illustrates. Despite the harsh light and dark shadows, the photographer has captured and processed the shot well. The nicely diffused background helps keep the viewer's attention on the subject.

This image is so sharp that the hummingbird looks like its about to fly off the screen! Technically, this is an excellent shot. The rapid shutter speed has frozen the birds motion and the birds eye and head is pin sharp - not easy when shooting a fast moving, tiny bird! Well done. The red flowers create a neat frame.

I love lizards and this is a very nice capture. This type of mixed, contrasty light can be very hard to handle, but the photographer has controlled it well, and used the out of focus highlights in the background to effectively create a frame for the subject. I love the detail and colour recorded. Well done!

What a fantastic subject and a great close-up. Despite the limited depth of field that occurs at higher magnification, the crab's eyes and shell are nice and sharp. A slightly lower perspective may have helped produce a more interesting, intimate viewpoint, though.

I really appreciate the simplicity of this composition. The texture and colour of the water is wonderful and creates a stunning backdrop for this flying pelican. I love the use of negative space - capturing a subject small in frame can convey so much more about the subject and its environment than a frame-filling portrait. I would say, however, that the bird could be a fraction sharper - when photographing birds in flight, try increasing ISO sensitivity to generate a faster shutter.

Photographing a bird in flight is never easy - regardless of whether it is wild or captive. This is a well-executed shot. The owl's big, piercing eyes are nicely in focus and the shape of the wings is good. The desert background creates a warm, flattering backdrop. Maybe including a little more space in front of the subject, for the bird to 'fly into', would have strengthened the shot further.

What a moment to be able to capture in your own backyard! Hawks are accomplished predators, with beautiful, but wild eyes. The snowy, white backdrop helps the subject standout boldly, while the carpet of feathers help tell the story of one bird's death for another's survival. Great opportunism to capture this shot.

This is such a fun shot, isn't it? Great vision and timing to capture these three penguins walking in unison. The closest bird is very slightly out of focus. On another occasion, select a slightly smaller aperture to generate a larger zone of focus to ensure all birds are sharp.

Photographing a black subject against a white background can cause issues with exposure, with TTL metering systems often being deceived. However, this shot is perfectly exposed, so well done. The falling snow adds interest, but a little more negative space in front of the subject say have produced a stronger composition overall.

This is a very sweet portrait. I really like the composition, with the bird peering down into the frame. The colour and detail in the plumage are lovely. This would have made my top ten if it wasn't for the distracting bluish splodge in the top right corner of the frame.

I love the timing of this shot. The animal's expression is wonderful - almost comical - with its eyes closed and tongue out. The choice of shutter speed has frozen the fallen snow beautifully to help create a fantastic seasonal image. The shallow zone of focus keeps the deer 'pop' from its background. Grab capture!

It is the light that really makes this shot, spotlighting the cat and creating wonderful depth. The shady background helps the animal standout and the branches help frame the cat. The focusing is pinpoint precise and you just can't help but get drawn to the animal's piercing eyes. The fly perched on the cat's nose adds an extra point of interest.

I love the golden light bathing this tiger's side, adding colour and depth. The composition works well, with the animal looking into the negative space on the left of the frame. The grasses in the bottom left corner are slightly distracting, though. Consider removing them by cropping or cloning.