New Joiners - Animals #589

Photographs have the ability to convey so much emotion, and - in my opinion - this image does exactly that. There is a look of undiluted love and loyalty in the dog's eyes - a sense of sadness too maybe. The focus is spot-on and the shallow depth of field ensures the viewer immediately connects with the dog's eyes. The black and white conversion creates a timeless looking result.

Unfortunately, many otherwise good nature images are ruined as a result of the shutter speed not being fast enough and subjects being blurred. In this instance, a speed of 1/80sec is too slow to freeze the monkey's movement. Next time, try selecting a higher ISO to generate a speed upward of 1/250sec.

This is a very cute shot with lots of 'ahhhh factor'. Although the subject is a little too central in the frame for my liking, I love the look of the bokeh - with the shallow depth of field rendering the background vegetation attractively out of focus.

This is a really atmospheric image. I love those warm tones in the background, with the setting sun reflecting on the water. The shallow depth of field really helps direct the eye to the swan's head - and the sparkling beads of water dripping off the swan's beak adds interest. I might be tempted to brighten up the image ever so slightly, but this is an attractive portrait.

I love the atmosphere of and the shallow depth of field

The combination of ground level shooting angle and telephoto length has allowed the photographer to neatly isolate their subject from its surroundings. The squirrel really 'pops out' from its background. I like the simple composition, although the squirrel's tail is maybe a little tight to the right edge of the frame. A well captured shot.

Huge credit to the photographer for capturing this hummingbird in flight, and achieving sharp focus. The dull conditions has made it tricky for the photographer, though, and the lack of light has resulted in a slow shutter speed and blurry wings and tail. A very good effort, though.

This is a well captured flight shot - the bird is a nice shape and the subject's eye is sharp and lifelike. It looks to me that the subject's background has been replaced, though - the eagle's outline is very smooth and you can see a slight halo in places. Personally, I like to get things right in camera, rather than manipulate images.

This is a wonderfully timed action shot. The grebe has its head down and is generating speed as it nears takes off. The water motion behind the bird adds interest and balance. The light and shooting angle work well and focusing is spot-on. The only real negative is the slightly distracting light coloured object in the background, just above the subject..

Another well timed flight image. The light and contrast is dramatic - I love the touch of light on the osprey's eye and also illuminating its talons and prey. The composition is a little bit tight, with the subject's wingtip touching the top of the frame. But otherwise a very good image.

This is a really nicely captured close-up. Flight shots are always tricky, but particularly when shooting small subjects like butterflies at higher magnifications. The subject is sharp and detailed and the flowers in the background create an attractive and colourful frame. A top notch shot.

I like this composition and the context provided by the landscape behind, but ultimately the file quality lets this photo down. The image is very 'grainy', with fine detail obscured by the amount of noise. Unfortunately, the photographer hasn't included any technical information, which makes it hard for me to deduce exactly why image quality is so poor, given the good light.

The quality of this file might not quite match that of a SLR or mirrorless camera, but isn't it amazing what you can achieve with a camera phone?! Mobiles typically boast good depth of field due to their small sensor size, making them well suited to macro photography. I love the camouflage and detail captured.

Light is such a key ingredient, with the ability to transform a fairly run-of-the-mill image into a really attractive shot. This is well composed and captured photo, and the warm sunlight has produced rich, pleasing colours. If you were this dog's owner, you'd happily hang this image up on your wall.

Although the file quality is not high due to the aggressive level of cropping, this is a very well timed image and a great bit of behaviour to capture. The timing is just perfect, with the osprey's talons outstretched ready to mug the poor, unsuspecting cormorant. If image quality was better, this would be an outstanding shot.