New Joiners - Animals #553

This is well seen and captured image. The photographer has done well to react to this one wildebeest looking directly at the camera, while the others walk past. It is a striking image and the others animals create a compelling backdrop. I would opt for a slightly tighter crop, though. I'd lose the foliage in the foreground, and greenery in the background, to make this a simpler, but more effective image.

I do like the impression of motion this image boasts. Whether it is intentional or not, the photographer's choice of shutter speed has blurred the geese's wing, while it looks like the photographer has panned their camera too. The result is very abstract with a lovely flow and sense of movement. Not everyone will like the effect, but I do. I think a slightly tighter crop would benefit the image and I would also reduce the orange colour cast.

Don't ever underestimate the importance of your subject's background - it can either make or break a shot. In this instance, the out of focus red foliage really gives the shot some pop, and transforms an otherwise fairly standard kingfisher portrait into an image with impact. A nicely captured photo of a beautiful bird.

This is a very cute photo, but unfortunately poor exposure has ruined the image. The image is too light (overexposed), causing a loss of detail in the goat's white coat. I'd recommend learning to use your camera's histogram to help avoid exposure problems.

A simple, but effective shot. The clean, diffused background ensures the kingfisher stands-out. Placing the bird on the left of the image, looking into the frame, creates a strong composition. The focus and exposure are spot-on. A well captured shot.

This image is full of motion and interest. The letterbox aspect ratio suits the subject and the photographer has done well to record so many flamingos in-frame as they take flight. Critical sharpness is lacking, though - maybe due to the file being cropped and/or the camera's relatively low resolution.

It is always tricky to evaluate a photo properly without any shooting information or background story. To me, this image looks manipulated - the foreground grasses don't appear to belong to the rest of the image. Meanwhile, the cat's eyes lack critical sharpness - essential in a portrait image like this.

I love the contrast between the bird's bright red plumage and the almost monochromatic wintery backdrop. I would crop this image tighter to exclude the distracting tree trunk on the left of the frame. However, that isn't the problem. Unfortunately, the bird lacks critical sharpness. The point of focus appears to be on the branches directly below it, toward the bottom of the frame.

The lighting in this shot is attractive, and the short focal length and large depth of field create a lovely environmental result. It is a shame that the eagle didn't chose a more natural place to perch and a few of the foreground grasses are a little distracting, but overall this is a very attractive image with lovely context.

Crab spiders are cool little creatures, and this is a great find by the photographer in their garden. They are well camouflaged and wait motionless and patiently for their prey. This image is nicely captured with a cameraphone - it conveys a sense of scale and provides context.

Depth of field is exceptionally shallow when shooting at higher magnifications, so the photographer has done exceptionally well to capture both damselflies sharply in focus. And the diffused backdrop helps the insects pop from their surroundings nicely. Personally, I think a vertical composition would work better in this instance - I feel there is too much empty space either side of the insects. The photographer should also tidy-up the distracting dust spots to the right of the reed. Nevertheless, a nicely captured shot.

This is a very attractive portrait, with the white sky providing a simple backdrop and helping to highlight the leopard's shape and markings. For me, the subject is too central in the frame, though. More negative space in-front of the cat would have helped absorb its steely gaze, and also place the leopard neatly off-centre for a more stimulating composition overall.

This is a nicely timed shot, with the photographer capturing all four pups looking toward the camera at the same time. The image helps highlight their excellent camouflage, with the backdrop being so similar in tone to the wild dogs colour and markings. A well executed shot.

Shooting at this level of magnification is technically very challenging and the photographer has done really well to capture such a good spider portrait. Unfortunately, the reflection of the ring-light - repeated in each of the spider's eyes - is ugly and distracting. A more diffused light source was required.