New Joiners - Animals #529
Caron Steele

New Joiners - Animals #529

August 2021

I love the motion blur in this image, which works even better with the pin sharp features on the horses face and the jockey. The colours really pop and the composition is spot on with the subject looking into the frame.

Crowd and
Expert winner

The colour on this image is absolutely sublime and really adds to the atmosphere and feel of this photograph. The composition is fantastic and the focus is pin sharp, with a shallow depth of field ensuring that subjects in the background aren't distracting.

I love the shallow depth of field in this image and the fact that the subject is small in the frame. The colours really pop, especially on the flower and the crisp focus on the butterfly makes it stand out even more.

I love the expression on this pooch and the eyes are really piercing, especially with the catch light in the blue eye. I'd consider cooling down the image slightly in terms of the white balance to ensure the whites are natural.

Entry 10404090
36th
21
Entry 10409832
18th
5

This image is truly eye catching and I love that you've included the environment in the image as it simply wouldn't work nearly as well without it. The path acts as a leading line and the cow in the foreground gives a great sense of depth and perspective.

Entry 10415785
2nd
15

What a precious capture! The composition is good with the subject looking into the frame and the depth of field is spot on, giving some context to the surroundings without introducing distracting elements. I'd consider increasing the exposure slightly on the foreground to bring out some of the finer details.

I really like how the foreground elements act as a natural frame which really draws your eye and attention into the two main subjects. The image works well in black and white and the focus is good, especially as you're shooting through fencing!

Entry 10419655
10th
15

The warm, pastel colour palette works really well here and I love the shallow depth of field to draw your eye in. Try to ensure you give the subject space on the edges of the image so there's no accidental cropping and more space for adjustments if needed.

100 Images entered

Entry 10401662
14th
10

The composition works really well here with the subjects centralised due to the asymmetry. I like the muted colours in the sky and the focus is really crisp and sharped, helped further with the wide depth of field on the aperture.

Entry 10419962
30th
2
Entry 10419973
13th
9

This image works really well with the content expression on this lovely koala. The depth of field ensures that no distractions are introduced to the background and there's lovely bokeh. Processing is a personal preference but I would consider ensuring the colours are natural whilst still vibrant.

Entry 10421357
7th
10

I know all too well how challenging the light is in the rainforests of Uganda so you've done a great job here despite the 'non optimal' settings. I love how the branches in the foreground frame the subject perfectly and the colours are gorgeous.

Brief

See more contest details

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’.

90 Photographers

8,903 Ratings

Meet the expert judge

Entry 10401968
24th
5

This goes to show that you can capture awesome images with a phone! The composition is spot on and I love the shallow depth of field to help isolate him from the surroundings. The colours really pop but aren't pushed too far in terms of saturation.

Entry 10409700
59th
6
Entry 10412072
23rd
5
Entry 10412307
57th
3
Entry 10417767
12th
4
Entry 10421849
20th
13

I love the smooth, bokeh background on this image which helps isolate the subject fantastically. The colours are muted but aesthetically pleasing and the focus is good. I'd consider cropping in slightly from the right to make the subject look into the frame more.

I love the comical pose of this lion as you can clearly see he has a quirky personality. The colours are natural and aesthetically pleasing and I like the low angle so that you're shooting eye level. A great overall image!