New Joiners - Animals #569

I love bold, simple and graphic images like this. The white wall has created a high-key result that resembles a studio image. The gecko's shape, markings and design are beautifully highlighted and the black and white conversion simplifies the composition further. An effective and eye-catching image.

Great crested grebes are such elegant and attractive birds, and their courtship routine is renowned. This is a lovely image. The photographer has done well to capture both birds acceptable sharp - not easy using a long focal length when depth of field is shallow. The timing is good and the photo has been processed well. A shot deserving to be in my top 10.

This is quite a striking shot. The image has clearly been desaturated in processing to produce a dark, almost monochrome result, which I think works well. The branches and leaves create a neat frame, and placing the monkey centrally with a square aspect ratio has given the image a symmetrical feel.

This is a nicely constructed and captured image. I like the use of depth of field. While the eye is firmly directly to the bobbing seal in the foreground, the out of focus animal in the background adds interest and provides a little balance. The depth of field is just right - the background seal is sharp enough to be instantly recognisable, yet diffused enough not to compete with the main subject. Well done.

This is a composite image of four frames showing a barn owl dropping down onto its unsuspecting prey. No details or technical info are supplied, so I'm unsure if this is a wild or captive bird. However, it is an effective and interesting shot. The individual images are sharp and well-captured. Looking at the file close-up, I would guess the owl has been cut-out and then overlaid on the black background.

Visually, this is a very beautiful shot. It is well-timed and technically good. The diffused background colours compliment the kingfisher perfectly. However, I'm assuming (no info was supplied to say otherwise) that this shot was taken at a dedicated kingfisher diving pool using live bait - which, ethically, I'm uncomfortable about.

A big part of photography is storytelling. Timing and capturing the 'decisive moment' is a key skill and this is a very sweet photograph that conveys a lot about a mother's love. The bright, high-key result and black and white conversion suits the image. The background is a little busy, but not too distracting thankfully. I would clone- or crop-out the out of focus branch in the top left corner, though.

Who can resist a robin? They are such photogenic birds and this is a nice portrait - the eye-to-eye perspective is natural and the nicely diffused background really helps the subject 'pop'. I just have one very minor niggle. There is a dust spot to the right of the bird that the photographer missed during editing. Always make sure that all 'dust bunnies' are cloned out before printing or publishing your images.

This is another very nicely timed image. The photographer has captured some lovely interaction as the parent bird feeds its young. The image is clean, well constructed and technically good. The light is a little dull, but otherwise this is an attractive image. Well done.

This is a really nice image. Photos of bellowing stags during the rut are fairly common, so shots need to be good to standout. This photo is well timed and the low-level perspective really helps make the image - the out of focus grasses creating a soft, attractive foreground. Meanwhile, the leafy backdrop provides context. Nicely done.

Not all images have immediate impact. This is a soft, subtle photo which doesn't hit you right between the eyes at fist glance. However, the longer you look at it, the more you appreciate the textures and tones within the frame. The composition could be improved by placing the subject off centre. I would also brighten the image very slightly - it currently looks a fraction underexposed - but otherwise a very pleasing portrait.

Taking photographs of small animals in grassy meadows is always challenging. Subject's disappear behind tufts of grass and leaves, or their eyes get obscured by distracting blades of grass. The photographer has done well here to capture a clean shot of this hare. I like the negative space in front of the subject. A simple, but pleasing portrait.

Butterflies are tricky subjects. The photographer has positioned themselves well, placing the camera parallel to the insect to place as much of it as possible within the narrow plane of focus. The background is a little busy, but diffused enough to not be distracting. A good effort, particularly considering the limitations of the lens.

If only this shot was sharper. The timing is great and I like the inclusion of all that lovely negative space. Unfortunately, on closer inspection, the fox just isn't sharp enough. A smaller aperture might have helped to generate a slightly larger depth of field, while a higher ISO would have helped maintain a fast enough shutter speed.