New Joiners - Animals #507

This is a nice, simple portrait, that is let down by a number of distracting background spots and marks. The image has been processed with subdued, desaturated colours, so the out of focus red flower (poppy?) in the bottom left corner really draws the eye. Above the cow are a number of black splodges. These should have been carefully removed in processing (using a Clone or Healing brush) to produce a clean end result.

This is great behaviour to capture - the photographer has done really well to spot the potential of this shot. Without a macro lens, the photographer has done very to get so close to this wasp constructing its nest. The right side of the image is a bit distracting and a tighter crop would strengthen the compensation. You don't need a costly macro lens to shoot close-ups of miniature things - an inexpensive close-up filter or extension tube will provide a high level of magnification.

When photographing animals, black backgrounds can create a simple and contrasting backdrop. However, it appears the photographer has tried to create one in post processing in this instance, as the dog has a rather obvious 'halo' around its profile where the background has been altered. Post processing techniques need to be applied with care in order to look authentic.

This is a good action shot, with the bird perfectly suspended in flight thanks to a fast shutter speed. However, it is the image quality itself that undermines this shot. It is very noisy - due to the high ISO used and also, I suspect, cropping. Unfortunately, too much noise obscures fine detail - as it has in this instance.

Behaviour, movement and action will always help nature images standout from the crowd. This looks like an angry confrontation and the photographer has captured the moment well, correctly prioritising a fast shutter speed in order to achieve a sharp result.

Nature is so vibrant, that converting to black and white can seem counterintuitive. However, it is a great medium for highlighting shape, form and detail. In this instance, it works really well, simplifying the image and emphasising the water motion.. A fast shutter speed was essential for suspending the action.

I'm not sure if this shot was taken in the wild or captivity, but the low, head-on viewpoint creates a really intimate and eye-catching result. The focusing is good and the water provides a simple and colourful frame. A nicely taken shot.

What a great action shot! You can almost hear the woodpecker 'drumming' when you look at this image. The flying 'sawdust' really makes this shot, adding interest and behaviour to the image. Using a tele-converter (or extender) is a great way to increase the power of your lenses and achieve frame-filling shots like this.

A lovely, sharp, detailed portrait of a gorgeous red fox. The focus is perfectly on the animal's eye and its body and tail help frame its head. I would just prefer a little more negative space in front of the fox to 'absorb' its stare.

A great action shot of squabbling herons. It is never easy achieving sufficient depth of field to capture two subjects sharply in one frame - particularly when using longer focal lengths with minimal depth of field. However, the photographer has done superbly well with this shot. It is well timed and well captured.

This is a sweet photo of a female mallard duck. However, animal images are often better captured at the subject's height, rather than looking downward from above. In this instance, the photographer would have benefited from getting lower and shooting from the duck's eye-level.

This is so nearly a great shot. I love the idea off the two gulls flying across the frame in opposite directions to one another. Unfortunately, the bird that the photographer is focused on has its eye shut and the two gull's tails just overlap, which is a little distracting. I think they both needed to be positioned closer to either edge of the frame for this image to work.

This is such a lovely photo, with nice soft, sunlight bathing this inquisitive looking hare. The simple composition, with the subject placed a third-way into the frame looking into the negative space, works beautifully. It is bitingly sharp and, the long focal length and shallow depth of field, helps the hare standout beautifully from its background. Well captured.

Young owls are very cute and appealing, so this shot has oodles of 'ahhhhh' factor. Ideally, you wouldn't be this close to a young bird or its nest, but hopefully the bird wasn't too disturbed by the tree surgery being carried out. What a lovely animal to come face-to-face with.

A well captured shot of an often elusive and hard to photograph bird. The cable, cutting across the frame from one corner to the other, works well compositionally and the kingfisher is beautifully sharp and well captured. The attractive, out of focus background helps the subject standout boldly.