New Joiners - Animals #571

Its always nice to see less conventional looking compositions, and originality is important when photographing well-photographed subjects like this gull. I do like the inclusion of all that sky above the bird - the negative space really helps create a feeling of space and isolation.

I love the simplicity of this shot. The low shooting angle, combined with a long focal length and shallow depth of field, really helps direct the eye to the animal, which stands out nicely against the mostly out of focus vegetation. Placing the subject centrally works well in this instance, but sadly (on closer inspection) the animal just isn't sharp enough to make my top ten.

I think this elevated, quirky perspective is really striking. We see so many photographs of dogs entered in New Joiners, so it has to be a good shot to standout. I love the eye-contact, depth of field and how the colourful flowers and lead frame the animal. I would just pull back the highlights on the dog's nose to make them less distracting.

Pelican's are such distinctive and comical looking birds. The colour of the water really gives this shot instinct impact and the wooden posts help frame the subject. Placing the pelican centrally works fine in this instance and it is a clean and attractive shot.

This is a very earthy, natural looking portrait. The dull light and dark background suit the subject well and the photographer has focused carefully and captured lovely detail in the young stag's face and coat. The square aspect ratio works well too.

The overhead viewpoint is very effective. I love the eye-contact and instant connection between subject and viewer. There is a strong feeling of symmetry, and the black and white treatment really simplifies the shot, placing emphasis on texture and detail.

This is a beautifully sharp portrait, captured at a natural looking low-level. It is well timed, with the snake flicking out its tongue to 'smell' the air. Yes, its surroundings are bit busy and there are a very distracting hot spots near the snake's head. But overall, this is a well-captured shot of a challenging subject in tricky light.

This is an excellent first attempt by the photographer to capture a kingfisher, which is often an elusive and challenging subject. This is a nicely composed shot and the subject really 'pops' out against the diffused backdrop. Image quality is the issue here. I'm not sure if this is a big crop, but the kingfisher lacks fine detail and critical sharpness. It may be over-sharpened too, which has further affected image quality.

This shot is maybe not as sharp or as well constructed as it could be, but it really made me smile when it popped up on my screen. The cat's upright and alarmed expression really helps produce a comical and fun pet portrait. I don't know if the photo is staged or is opportunistic, but its sure to make you giggle!

What an eye-catching and colourful bird. The photographer has done well to capture such a sharp image, given the light's quality, focal length, and the limitation of shooting through a window. The crop feels a little cramped and awkward too me, though, with the inclusion of just a tiny amount of the bird's leg. I tighter or wider viewpoint might have looked more intentional.

This is a striking shot - nicely seen, composed, and processed. The dunes themselves make a strong image, but the inclusion of the camel provides interest and an anchor point for the composition. The low light and deep, dark shadows provide wonderful contrast and depth. A very nicely constructed shot.

This is a nice, sharply focused shot, but the processing lets it down slightly. The photo is slightly too bright. This will be due to the heron's dark background fooling the camera's metering into overexposure. Thankfully, highlight detail appears to have been retained, so the photographer just needs to pull back the highlight and exposure sliders during editing to make the image look 'correct'. A quick and easy job that will make the image look much better and appear more natural.

The work doesn't stop when you press the shutter release button. It is important to study your image after you download it and refine exposure, crop the image if required, apply noise reduction (if a high ISO has been used), and tidy up any sensor spots. The dust spots on this image are very distracting and the image is noisy too. A few minutes processing is all that is required to help shots like this fulfil their potential.