New Joiners - Animals #513

This is a nice, atmospheric shot of wild ponies in the New Forest. Removing colour from the scene simplifies the shot and the squarer aspect ratio works. The photographer has done well to keep the animals 'separated' with no ponies overlapping one another.

One of the advantages of using a mobile phone to take close-ups like this is the larger depth of field they possess due to the smaller sensor size. They are great devices to capture environmental portraits that convey a great sense of context than a standard close-up. Well done.

This is such a well timed and unusual image that it well and truly deserves to make my top ten. It looks like the Anhinga has bitten off more than it can chew in this instance! A great bit of behaviour. Well done.

I really like there idea of this shot, isolating the animal's eye, mane, and placing emphasis on texture and detail. The eye needs to be a touch sharper in my opinion, though. Also, it is important to tidy-up sensor dirt during processing - the 'dust bunnies' in the top right of the frame are distracting.

This is such a fun shot! The image is bitingly sharp and the curious squirrel, peering into the camera, creates a very engaging and humorous photo. The flowers and trees provide context and the shot overall has oodles of 'ahhhhh' factor.

It's the light's quality that really makes this image. The warm, soft light is attractive and the composition - with the Canada goose looking into the negative space on the left - is effective. Use Dehaze in Lightroom with care, as it can make naturally soft scenes appear too contrasty.

This is a nice, vibrant shot. I love the light catching the fresh green leaves in the background of this heron portrait. Compositionally, I would have preferred to see a little more space in front of the subject, rather than the bird looking directly out of frame. But this remains a nice, well-captured image.

What a nice, close encounter with a stunning animal. The tightly cropped portrait works well as does the slightly elevated viewpoint with the fox looking upward into the lens. An eye-catching shot with really strong eye-contact. A slightly smaller aperture would have rendered the animal's nose pin sharp too.

This shot is very atmospheric, with the rising sun silhouetting the swan as it glides across the water. However, I'm a bit distracted by the foliage creeping into frame on the left, and also along the bottom, of the frame. A slightly tighter crop would improve this image in my opinion.

Jay's are stunning birds and this is so nearly a lovely photo. Unfortunately, the photo lacks critical sharpness. In this instance, I suspect the shutter was too slow to completely eliminate camera motion. Next time, try using a higher ISO speed to generate a faster shutter. The crop is a little too tight as well, with the subject's tail cut off abruptly.

Swan's are beautiful birds, but their bright white plumage can often cause TTL metering systems to underexpose results. This shot is beautifully exposed, though, and the photographer has captured a lovely moment as the swan preens itself.

What a beautiful, colourful subject this parakeet is. This is a very competent shot - nicely composed, well exposed, and beautifully sharp. A simple, but effective portrait. The background foliage and colours helps highlight the bird's camouflage.

A lovely bit of behaviour that is well anticipated and successfully captured. I might consider a slightly tighter crop to help simplify the background, but otherwise this is an interesting shot. The photographer has coped with the mixed lighting well, retaining good detail in both the highlight and shadow areas.

Very nearly a lovely pooch portrait, but crucially, the point of focus is on the dog's nose and mouth, not its eyes. In most situations, it is essential that the animal's eyes are pin sharp, otherwise the photo is far less engaging.