New Joiners - Animals #503

I really like the way the photographer has intelligently used the tree to frame the subject. Unfortunately, the out of focus branch cutting across the bottom left corner of the frame is hugely distracting and undermines the shot overall. Very unlucky.

This is a very beautiful, elegant image, with an oriental feel to it. The tiny droplets of dew add scale, interest and sparkle and the red maple leaves create a striking backdrop. I might be tempted to just reduce the brightness of the shot very slightly, but tweaking the exposure slider. A striking and well captured close-up.

A nice pooch portrait, which suits conversion to black and white. However, always allow your eye to explore the subject's surroundings before triggering the shutter. A step to the right would have allowed the photographer to exclude the distracting building in the top right corner of the frame.

It is always refreshing to see different views of common subjects. This is a well seen and timed image. The simple composition and symmetry of this photo combine to create a very pleasing shot. The subtle processing style and undersaturated tones suit the image.

The photographer has done really well here to capture the horse's movement despite the poor light - increasing ISO speed and selecting a wide aperture proved the right choice. I like this shot as it is, but wonder if it might work even better converted to black and white. I might also play with a very slightly tighter crop.

This is a well composed environmental portrait, showing this magnificent stag in context with its mountain habitat. The only thing that lets this photo down is the image quality itself - its grainy and pixelated. Otherwise, this photo would comfortably make my top ten.

What a lovely woodland scene and another good, well-captured shot with bitingly sharp detail. Whenever I photograph animals, I normally will try to include a little negative space in from of the subject to absorb their 'gaze'. Without that space, it is easy to follow the squirrel's line of vision out of frame, which is a risk with this shot.

This is a very sweet shot. The puppy's pose is good, the focus is nicely on the eyes, and the shallow depth of field has softened the subject's surroundings. However, the photo is a little underexposed and too dull in my opinion. This is easy enough to rectify in post processing, though, by adjusting the exposure slider.

Working with large apertures and a shallow depth of field requires good technique and precise focusing. Results can be very striking, though, with just the point of focus recorded sharply, while everything else within the frame drifts into softness. This high-key shot of 'Flapjack' is attractive and well captured. It is a shame, though, that one of the cats ears has been clipped by the top of the frame. .

This is a very fun perspective, looking down toward this well camouflaged frog. The leaf its resting on provides a strong lead-in line, while the background leaves add interest and texture. A well seen and and nicely captured shot - well done!

This is a well captured photograph of a stunning animal. The pose is great and the fox is framed nicely by its surroundings. While it is not bitingly sharp - possibly as a result of a high ISO being needed and noise reduction being required - it is still a very attractive and successful shot.

This is such a simple but effective composition. Although I might have been tempted to place the corn snake slightly higher in the frame - looking down into the space to the right - I think this shot works very well. The clean backdrop focuses the viewer's eye to the reptile's eye and 'gaze'.

This shot is a little bit different, isn't it? The tone of the image works well and the photo has an overall nostalgic flavour. I would like to see the girls arms more clearly, rather than be patly hidden by her body. That aside, it is a creative portrait that any farming family would enjoy.

It is always very tricky trying to capture natural looking images of captive subjects. The photographer has done very well here, though, using a large aperture to throw the fencing out of focus. The midday light is a little harsh, unfortunately, particularly the light reflecting from the pelican's large bill.