New Joiners - Animals #622

This is an attractive alpaca portrait. The brightly lit, out of focus background really helps the animal pop from its surroundings. Focusing and depth of field are spot-on and placing the subject off-centre helps produce a more engaging composition. A well captured shot.

So many elephant images look static and similar to one another. Therefore, it is nice to see an image like this with a bit of motion, life and interest. It's a colourful photo, showing the animal nicely in profile with lots of water motion. The animal's tail is a little too close to the right edge in my opinion, but overall this is an engaging shot of a well-photographed subject.

I really like this image. The photographer has done so well to find a clean view of the bird through the branches and clutter. This is such a nice natural and authentic looking nature shot. The out of focus branches help frame the woodpecker, while its bright red crest provides stunning contrast with the subdued woodland colours. The square aspect ratio works well. This is a really well executed shot.

This is a very sweet portrait, and the low perspective and telephoto length really help the sealion standout against the sand and sea. The midday light is a little harsh, but the photographer has controlled exposure well. For me, the framing is a little too tight, though, with the animal's flippers needlessly 'amputated' by the edges of the frame.

I really like this wide-angle environmental perspective, captured using the extensive depth of field provided by using a camera phone. Toads are such cool creatures and this image is very striking. The subject's eye could be sharper, though - the toad's throat and side appear to be the sharpest areas.

This is a very sweet pooch portrait. Focusing and exposure are spot-on and the shallow depth of field helps direct the viewer's eye to the puppy. A slightly lower viewpoint might have worked better, though. The puppy's head does blend-in with the dog bed somewhat, but a lower shooting angle would have contrasted the dog against the darker background instead.

The background really makes this shot in my opinion. The texture of the out of focus water is very painterly in appearance, and helps the wood duck really pop from its surroundings. This shot boosts great eye-contact too. The bottom third of the frame is a little messy, but this remains a very pleasing shot.

When I judge New Joiners contests, one of my most common comments is that an animal has been framed too tightly. Filling the frame with your subject does not guarantee impact - context and space can be key ingredients. In this instance, the photographer has unfortunately amputated the leopard's tail and not provided any space in front of the cat to absorb its gaze. I feel this image would be more successful with a little more breathing space. This remains a nicely captured portrait, though.

Capturing tack sharp images of birds in flight is rarely straightforward - your technique and reactions have to be spot-on. This is a great effort, with lovely eye-contact. You normally see snowy owls photographed against a white, snowy backdrop, so it is nice to see the bird contrasted against a woodland backdrop for a change. Well done.

When you depress the shutter, you are often so focused on your subject that you fail to see needless distractions creeping into frame. This is completely understandably, particularly when subjects are moving and you are having to react to behaviour. However, when you download your shots, take time to explore and study your photos. In this instance, the animal creeping into frame at the top of the composition is a huge distraction. A tiny bit of cropping would soon resolve the problem and result in a much cleaner, more concise composition. Remember, cropping is an important part of the compositional process.

It is easy to focus so much on your subject, that you forget to 'see' the bigger picture. In this instance, the zebra's inky shadow is a key point of interest, providing balance and depth to the shot. However, the shadow has been abruptly cut-off by the tight framing. A slightly wider composition would have been more effective in this instance.

The photographer has done so well here to use the out of focus highlights and foliage to frame this heron. They've positioned themselves carefully and thoughtfully to create a really pleasing and intimate looking composition. The long branch going into the water, just in front of the heron, is a little distracting, but overall this is a very well captured and constructed image.

This is a great action shot. Even the heron looks a little shocked at how big its catch is! In my opinion, the crop is a little too tight - I'd like to see the heron's reflection in full. The shot is also a little underexposed in my opinion - I would brighten the file during processing. The blue backdrop really compliments the subject. However, the heron's head could be a sharper - the photographer hasn't quite nailed the focus in this instance.

The background can make or break a nature shot. In this instance, it definitely makes it! The nicely diffused out of focus highlights help the squirrel standout. Meanwhile, the subtle backlighting helps define the subject's profile and fur. Focusing and exposure are good. A nicely captured shot.

I really like the warmth of this shot. The berries and out of focus autumnal foliage beautifully compliment the robin's orange breast. The photographer has captured the action nicely, although maybe a slightly faster shutter was required to freeze the birds's wing (which is slightly blurry). The robin's eye isn't critically sharp, which is why this photo isn't placed higher.