New Joiners - Animals #573

For someone who is new to photography, this is a really good effort. Roe deer are often shy animals, so the photographer has done well to get within picture taking distance. The warm, evening light really helps the image standout, and eye-contact is strong, with the buck looking right down the lens. A very nice image - well done.

I think this is a really well constructed shot. It is nicely composed with the hare staring into all that lovely negative space. The out of focus fields and tree in the backdrop create a lovely sense of context, which communicates more about the subject than a tighter portrait would have achieved. A very lovely image.

The square aspect ratio suits this head-on shot of an artic fox and helps promote a feeling of symmetry. The photo boasts great eye-contact, although they could be a fraction sharper. The out of focus background really helps the subject pop from its surroundings.

Although essentially this is a well-timed and captured flight shot, the file quality lets it down unfortunately. The photo is very noisy, obscuring fine detail. This is either the result of a very high ISO being used, or due to being a big crop. No technical info was supplied, so I can't be sure. However, even with noise reduction applied, I fear the shot isn't recoverable.

This is a really interesting shot, with so many turtles basking in the sun. The use of a polarising filter has helped create a crisp, colourful result, with attractive reflections. This shot could so easily be improved and simplified by cropping out the distracting post on the right of the frame.

Although you can just about see the wire fencing in the background, the photographer has done well to capture such a natural looking shot of this captive lion. The light is good and the image is well captured, with the shallow depth of field neatly directing the eye to the subject. The foliage creates a strong frame-within-a-frame

Photographs should tell a story, or encourage the viewer to imagine. This photo conveys a great sense of loneliness and sadness, with the animal staring towards the empty chair. Has this dog's owner sadly gone away and its now longing for its master or mistress? You can make up your own story, but its a well constructed shot. The grainy black and white processing suits the image.

This shot boasts lots of atmosphere, with the warm rim-lighting and sparkling water. The small aperture selected has rendered the highlights on the water as eye-catching starbursts. The only frustration is the distracting reed to the right of the swan. Otherwise, this is a striking and effective image.

I really like the low, ground level perspective - its natural and helps the snail pop-out from its background. The subject is possibly too central in the frame - I think I would have included more space in front of the subject and less behind it. Watch out for dust spots - there is one very obvious spot in the top right corner that needs cloning out.

This is a lovely shot of a technically challenging subject. Hummingbirds are small and fast moving and - with the photographer having to use a long focal length and large aperture - depth of field would be shallow. But despite that, the bird is bitingly sharp and the image well-timed and captured. The colourful background gives the image added impact. I might be tempted to just reduce the brightness of the light flower stems on the right of the frame, though.

This is a tender moment and I love the element shape the two swans create as their bills touch. The photographer has captured stunning detail in the male, with the water droplets and feathers appearing almost lifelike. The dark, blue backdrop really helps the birds standout. Ideally, it would be lovely if both swans were pin sharp, rather than just the male on the right. It appears the photographer has done some work around the female's bill - maybe some cloning or tidying up. This ideally shouldn't be obvious.

I'm not a big fan of adding vignettes to images - and I think this image is strong enough not to need gimmicks. It is nicely framed and boasts good eye-contact. Any dog owner would be pleased with a shot like this of their pet. However, the spaniel's nose is sharper than its eyes, and - ideally - it should be the other way around.

Visually, this is a very striking shot. I'd be interested to know if much post production was applied to this image, or maybe even just to the swan's surroundings? It's certainly very clean and simple image and the light, bright water helps produce an attractive high-key result. The splash of colour from the swan's bill creates a strong focal point.

This is a beautifully sharp and well composed shot of a typically timid subject. The out of focus foliage frames the reptile nicely, and the clean background helps the subject standout from its surroundings. A well constructed close-up - well done.

Photographing birds in flight from a boat a rarely straightforward. The photographer has done very well to capture such a good shot while compensating for the boat's movement. The timing is good, with the pelican's wings outstretched as it is about to land. The photographer has managed to capture the bird against an area of clear sky that really help's the pelican standout. I might be tempted to trim a little space off the left hand side to remove the out of focus bird in the bottom left corner. Cropping the photo in this way will also encourage the viewer's eye to follow the subject's gaze into the right of the frame.