New Joiners - Animals #559

I love the idea of this shot. The bees create a fantastic natural pattern in frame-filling close-up, and the square aspect ratio works well too. However, sadly, the image is neither sharp or blurred enough. A longer shutter would have blurred the movement of the bees more and looked creative - or a faster shutter would have rendered the insects bitingly sharp. But, unfortunately, the level of motion doesn't look intentional as it is.

It is easy to dismiss fairly simple looking bird portraits. On photography forums, shots like this are often referred to as a 'bird on a stick' - a rather derogatory term. However, this is a perfectly lovely image. The branches create an effective frame and the blue sky provides a clean backdrop for this stunning bird. It is a lovely shot in my opinion.

Although the branch in front of the bird is a little distracting, overall this is a good shot. The out of focus blossom adds a splash of colour and context, and the dark backdrop helps the subject standout. Given the lack of light, the photographer has done well to capture such a beautifully sharp and nicely exposed result.

This is a lovely photograph of a stunning subject. The photographer has done well to capture a sharp image at such a slow shutter - I would recommend a larger aperture and higher ISO for shots like this. I'm not sure if this is a captive or wild subject, but I think I would have preferred a slightly wider view - showing the owl in context with its woodland environment, rather than such a tightly cropped portrait. Nice shot - well done.

If only the eyes were critically sharp in this photo!? The photographer should be congratulated for a great composition and 'seeing' the opportunity. Unfortunately, the focus is on the parent's arms, and not the baby baboon's face. Next time, take a little more care with placing the point of focus and take a series of shots to maximise your chances of capturing at least one perfectly sharp image. Unlucky.

When photographing animals it is easy to focus so much on your main subject that you overlook what is going on in the background. In this instance, an otherwise perfectly good shot of a penguin is undermined by the bird behind it. By changing shooting angle slightly - or waiting for the birds to be positioned differently - the photograph could have avoided the two birds overlapping within the composition. Always give your eye time to fully explore the frame before releasing the shutter.

This a really quirky shooting angle, which has produced an eye-catching perspective and image. The shot is a little noisy, but the aspect ratio, framing, and depth of field work well. The photographer has done well to react so quickly to the action.

Shooting close-ups at night and managing artificial light is a hard task. Flash needs to be heavily diffused to look natural and reduce the risk of hotspots and ugly catchlights. The photographer has done really well here, capturing a nice close-up of this tree frog. The leaves create a neat frame.

This is a really good macro shot of a tiny subject. Without stacking images, it is impossible to achieve a large zone of focus when shooting at this level of magnification. But the photographer has focused sharply on the spider's eyes and recorded some lovely miniature detail. The leaf and sky add colour and impact. Well done.

Animal portraits taken from close-up often produce eye-catching shots, distorting perspective and creating unconventional results. While the shot would look more natural if the deer wasn't wearing a harness, I like this image. I love the texture and detail of the snow around the reindeer's nostrils.

I love the pink reflections in the water and the overall simplicity and tranquility of this image. Placing the flamingo centrally is bold, but effective. The submitted file is a quite low-resolution, though, so the photo looks a bit pixelated when inspected closely. I would love to see a larger resolution version.

Want your shots to really standout from the crowd? Light is often the key ingredient. In this instance a chink of light, spotlighting the cat's eye, has transformed this moggy shot into a gorgeous image with stunning depth, definition and life. The black and white conversion works brilliantly, adding further simplicity to a well framed and executed portrait.

Foxes are stunning animals and this tightly cropped profile shot really highlights the subject's markings, detail, and beauty. The large aperture has rendered the background attractively diffused, and helped the fox pop from its surroundings. It is a well captured and processed image.

This is a very poignant shot that conveys so much about the animal and its captivity. It is an understandably sad image - a photograph that effectively tells a story. Mono helps to simplify the shot further. It is well exposed - the inky background highlighting the tiger and bars.

Heron's are such awkward looking creatures, but they have so much character and are hugely photogenic. This is a good effort - it is well framed and exposed, but not quite sharp enough sadly. Next time, try using a larger aperture - say f/5.6 or f/8. This will not only help throw the subject's background out of focus, but generate a faster shutter speed to avoid camera shake.