New Joiners - Animals #632

The warm colour palette on this image is gorgeous and I love how well the eyes pop from the image with the reflection. When composing your image, try to ensure you include the whole subject unless you're specifically going for a portrait or detail image.

The colour pops so well from this heron and I love the subtle red on the eye too. It can be tempting to push the saturation too far when post processing this kind of image but you've resisted the urge with great results.

I really wanted to award this image: the colour and light is beautiful, the pose is aesthetically pleasing and there are no notable technical flaws. The bar across the bottom of the image is something that can be easily missed but unfortunately on this occasion stopped it from achieving its full potential.

I like the almost high key feel of this image with a gorgeous creamy colour palette. The eyes pop so well with the contrast and the whiskers are so crisp and sharp but I wish the eyes were also in focus. On images like this where you're filling the frame, increase your depth of field to ensure the entire profile is in focus.

The light on this image is truly incredible and it's exactly the conditions we chase as photographers. I love the backlighting causing any dust or insects in the air to turn into bokeh and the detail is so crisp on this image. I would've considered a shorter focal length to show the horse in context of the surroundings as I feel it would've only enhanced the image further.

What a charismatic squirrel! I love how you've captured this portrait and it goes to show that even the most overlooked species can be fabulous to photograph. The shallow depth of field draws you into the face and eyes so well and frames the shot perfectly.

The light in this image is lovely and diffused, avoiding any harsh contrast whilst still adding to the detail on the fur. The composition is good with the subject looking into the frame and I love that you've included the surroundings to give context.

This image works really well in black and white, adding to the contrast and intricate details on the fur. I would have personally cropped even tighter to remove the lighter strip on the top right and the leg on the left, but this is a personal preference.

The metal bars around the subject work so well as a natural frame and also a leading line, drawing you into the image. The orange pops so well along with those vibrant eyes with great reflection. Processing is a personal preference but subtle changes to saturation are often more aesthetically pleasing in the long run.

I love the expression in this image and how well you've framed the shot. It can be difficult to get a clean image when working with captive animals but you've achieved it well here and the shallow depth of field really draws you in.

'X marks the spot' is the first thing that comes to mind on this image and compositionally, it works so well despite the subject looking out of the frame and technically breaking rules! The exposure is spot on and I like the muted colour scheme.

You've captured this behaviour fabulously and the subtle yellows really pop from the surroundings. The shallow depth of field ensures that there are no distracting elements introduced from the background and despite the light looking challenging, you exposed the image well with no blown highlights or lost details.

The yellow on the bill pops so well on this image, especially against such a desaturated background. Photographing two subjects in the same image can be challenging when it comes to composition but this is spot on with great asymmetry.

I love the unique perspective on this image and it works well in black and white to enhance the contrast and fine details on the feathers and eye. With animals, try to achieve a shutter speed of at least 1/500th of a second but if the light is challenging or the subject is static, you can get away with slower.