When you edit your photos, give your eyes time to fully explore the background. Distractions can potentially ruin an otherwise good photo. In this instance, the partial reflection of another swan in the top left of the frame is an unwanted and avoidable distraction. A small amount of cropping would quickly resolve the issue and strengthen this shot.
Despite the cute subject and atmospheric conditions, this shot fails due to there being too many distracting out of focus grasses obscuring the subject. The closest grasses compete too much with the dog for attention - had these been just gently moved out of the way, the image would be much improved.
What a great bit of behaviour to witness and capture - the double catch helps make this is a really impactful and interesting shot. The photographer has set-up their camera perfectly for capturing this type of action, setting a high ISO to generate a fast shutter. Photographers make their own luck by creating good opportunities for themselves. Very well done!
It is nice to see a less conventional, obvious shot. Admittedly, this type of image won't appeal to everyone. It is a 'Marmite' shot - you will either love it or hate it! The shallow depth of field. with the cat's whiskers still just about recognisable, works well in my opinion. A very subtle image that makes you look twice...
What a fantastic shot - I suspect there are not too many 11-year olds taking nature photos this good. Technically, it is a well-captured shot. My only slight grumble is that the crop is a little too tight, with the bird's tail being clipped. A little more breathing space around the subject would improve the composition overall.
This is a really well-captured nature shot. Focus, exposure, depth of field and composition are all spot-on in my opinion - excellent technique. I love that beautifully diffused backdrop - the redstart really 'pops' from its surroundings. The mouthful of caterpillars adds a further point of interest. Nicely done.
It is unusual to see an infrared animal shot, but I think this image is very effective. Placing the subject centrally has created a nice feeling of symmetry. I'm not sure if the vignette is an in-camera issue, or added in post processing, but I'm not sure its needed. The telegraph pole in the background is distracting - if it were your shot, would you clone it out?
This image is beautifully sharp, detailed and lifelike. The soft sidelight is attractive and the background trees and cotton-grass help create a wonderful sense of place and environment. It is a shame the fallen tree in the foreground has drifted out of focus, but overall I think this is a very attractive and well-captured nature shot.
100 Images entered
97 Photographers
This is a beautiful bird and I love the intimate, low perspective that shooting from a kayak has allowed. The water dripping from the bird's beak add interest, but in my opinion the composition is a little too tight - personally, I'd like to see a little more breathing space, and more of those lovely, colourful reflections.
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Welcome to Photocrowd’s ‘Animals’ contest for New Joiners! These contests are a chance for new members to introduce their photography to the community, and get a taste of how Photocrowd contests work. They can be entered by anyone within their first 28 days of joining Photocrowd. After 100 images have been submitted the contest closes and the Crowd will start rating the images. The Expert Judge will also be judging the images and writing reviews at the same time. All the winners, both Crowd and Expert, will be announced after 3 days of judging. Make sure you also check out our two other New Joiners contests - ‘People’ and ‘Landscapes’.
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I've photographed these magnificent birds myself during visits to the Galapagos, and they are wonderfully impressive subjects. This is a nicely framed shot, but sadly the photo is not critically sharp. I suspect this its due to the slow shutter speed used being insufficient to eliminate camera motion.
