New Joiners - Animals #617
Caron Steele

New Joiners - Animals #617

December 2022

Expert
winner

The colour palette in this image is so vibrant and aesthetically pleasing, and yet it's not been over processed or pushed to look unnatural. The reflection is gorgeous and I love the overall composition, with great exposure and depth too.

The composition is good in this image with the subjects body looking into the frame and good negative space. Black and white is often good to enhance contrast and detail in an image so I would consider increasing it slightly here.

Entry 14764876
6th
25

The colour palette in this image is consistent and warm and matches the subject nicely. I would personally consider cropping the post out of the bottom of the image from the left lower corner to keep the fox looking into the frame.

Entry 14767061
31st
12
Crowd
winner

I really love that you've captured the light in the eye of the cheetah here, revealing that vibrant amber glow. The image really wouldn't hit the same without this small feature. I'd consider cropping in slightly from the left to get the subject to look into the frame more.

Entry 14773479
55th
6

This image is a fantastic example of not needing the subjects to look into the frame or the inclusion of full faces. It has a fantastic narrative, beautiful contrast and colours and draws you in by wanting to follow the direction of the horses. Fantastic!

Entry 14776937
21st
10
Entry 14777843
10th
16

The branches surrounding this lemur work really well as a natural frame, drawing you into the image and keeping you engaged. The shine on the eyes really pop from the image, but I'd still consider increasing the exposure slightly so we can appreciate all the smaller details.

Entry 14780287
11th
16
Entry 14780798
16th
46

The shallow depth of field in this image works really well to draw you into that fantastic contrast and detail on this subjects face. The subtle red peeping from the chest works really well with the surrounding colour palette. I'd consider increasing the exposure ever so slightly.

The contrast on this image is fantastic and really helps to make the subject pop. Choosing black and white has only enhanced this and it helps to remove any potentially distracting features from the surroundings. The composition is great and the pose is aesthetically pleasing.

Entry 14783497
25th
10
Entry 14787993
7th
18

I love the colour palette and light in this image, with gorgeous warm tones which can often only be captured in the first minutes of sunrise. The tree acts as a natural frame and the shallow depth of field really enhances the detail on the face.

Entry 14801364
5th
15

You've captured a precious moment here and I like the composition which removes any possible distractions from the surroundings. Whenever you're working with wildlife it's advisable to try and keep your shutter speed above 1/500th of a second, so don't be afraid to increase your ISO to allow this.

You've captured this moment perfectly with great shape in the wings and still a hint of movement, showing the sheer speed at which this happens. The shape in the water is fabulous with every droplet perfectly frozen and good exposure.

Entry 14812553
50th
13

The vibrant array of colours in this image is fantastic along with a perfect composition with symmetry across the two windows. The cat is striking, especially with the aqua blue eyes and definitely draws your attention in after exploring the rest of the image.

100 Images entered

Meet the expert judge

As photographers, we often resist photographing scenes like this, opting to capture more 'cute' or engaging shots. The reality is nature is harsh and cruel and to document the natural world, this side needs to be shown too. The contrast is fabulous in black and white and really hits home what the image is trying to convey.

90 Photographers

7,954 Ratings

Entry 14791440
14th
14

What a handsome boy! I like the aspect ratio on this image as it really synergises with the habitat and direction the subject is looking in. The colour palette is warm and aesthetically pleasing whilst still being true to the natural conditions.

Brief

See more contest details

Welcome to Photocrowd’s ‘Animals’ contest for New Joiners! These contests are a chance for new members to introduce their photography to the community, and get a taste of how Photocrowd contests work. They can be entered by anyone within their first 28 days of joining Photocrowd. After 100 images have been submitted the contest closes and the Crowd will start rating the images. The Expert Judge will also be judging the images and writing reviews at the same time. All the winners, both Crowd and Expert, will be announced after 3 days of judging. Make sure you also check out our two other New Joiners contests - ‘People’ and ‘Landscapes’.

Entry 14807892
41st
6

I love the comical expression on the left horse and how well you've captured this image in context of the surrounding elements. The shallow depth of field helps to ensure your primary interest is on the front horses whilst still retaining enough detail in the background too.

Entry 14813128
33rd
9
Entry 14818866
12th
13