New Joiners - Animals #531

I wish the photographer had included some information about how this image was captured. Is it a single frame or a composite? If it is a single frame, this is a beautifully timed and captured image, which I suspect would look equally impactful in black and white.

This is a nice pooch portrait. I love the snow on the dog's face and the point of focus is neatly on the animal's eyes. Unfortunately, the reed on the right on the image, pointing towards the dog's nose, is distracting, and there are a few out of focus blobs just above its head too. Together, they undermine the shot's impact.

This is a very attractive dog portrait. The diffused background helps the subject standout, yet still provides some context. There appears to be a little vignetting, which may or may not be intentional. I would prefer to the dog's tail not to be 'clipped' by the right side of the frame.

Snail's are a surprisingly difficult subjects to photograph, but the photographer has done really well in this instance. The lighting is attractive and this shot has a nice back-garden vibe. I'm not sure how the snail is balancing on that log without toppling off, though!? The grasses overlapping the snail, and also the little lump of earth on its back, are a little distracting sadly..

This is a good action shot of a fast, challenging subject to track. The midday light is quite harsh, which I suspect is why the photographer opted for black and white. I might have been tempted to frame it with less space above the animal, but this is certainly a shot the photographer can be proud of.

This is a bright, colourful shot with lots of impact. It is normally recommended to place negative space in the direction the subject is looking toward, and I think more space above the lizard would have benefited this shot. It is great to see photos of less traditionally popular subjects.

I like this shot - its simple, but graphic and effective. It works well in mono and the photographer has timed the shot well, with all the animals walking together in one direction and nicely separated. It almost has a fine-art feel to it.

Although I don't think this shot quite works, I want to celebrate the idea and creativity behind it. It is hard to capture innovative and original animal shots today, as the standard of photography is just so high. Therefore, it is refreshing to see a photographer being unconventional and creative with their approach. For my taste, there are a few too many distractions floating in the water that compete with the heron's reflection.

There is something about this shot that keeps drawing me back to it. I love the shadows and the upright pose of the standing gull. I think a slightly tighter crop would probably benefit this image, making it cleaner and removing a from distractions from the frame. A well timed and fun image...

What a nice opportunity and a well-captured image. This image really highlights the racoon's markings and camouflage within its woodland setting. The subtle, slightly desaturated processing isn't necessarily to my taste, but I do think it is quite effective in this instance.

Such a proud, elegant animal. Wildlife parks can prove good places to hone your camera handling skills and practise composition and technique. This is a good capture. The tightly framed portrait helps disguise the captive setting and the black and white conversion suits the subject. I'd be tempted to crop this shot into a square aspect ratio in order to exclude the slightly distracting bright strip down the left side of the frame.

I like this shot. It might be a common, well-photographed subject, but the low shooting angle creates an intimate viewpoint and the rain drops add interest and mood to the image. The photographer has timed the shot well, capturing the female mid 'quack'. A well captured and attractive shot.

This is a nice shot of a Monarch butterfly - the diffused background helps the subject standout and the side angle is intimate. However, the composition is a little tight, with the tip of the insect's wing clipped by the top of the frame. There are also a couple of obvious dust spots - these are easily cloned out, but ultimately the sensor should be cleaned.

Dragonflies are such busy and tricky subjects to capture. Patience paid off in this instance, though, with this male emperor posing while it devoured its prey. To my eye, this image is a tiny bit underexposed - I'd be tempted to tweak the exposure slider in post processing. A good behaviour shot.