New Joiners - Animals #652

This is a beautiful subject, but it is the blossom and context that really makes this photo. The branches and pink flowers create a strong frame. While it is a shame that the tip of the sunbird's beak merges with the branch behind, the photographer has positioned themselves well to achieve a clean view. Focusing and exposure are spot-on too.

What a lovely, vibrant nature shot. I love the timing of this image, with the wader's wings outstretched providing a great view of the subject's wings and feather detail. The shot is bitingly sharp and that mushy, diffused backdrop really helps the subject standout boldly.

I love the timing of this shot, with the hare 'airborne' as it runs toward camera. This is a well captured shot, but unfortunately it lacks critical sharpness, which is why it doesn't make my top ten. This might be due to focusing, an insufficient shutter speed, or excessive cropping.

Skippers are tricky subjects to photograph. Not only are they flighty butterflies, but they usually hold their wings upwards and spread out, making it awkward to capture them sharply throughout. The photographer has done really well in this instance. Most of the insect is within the plane of focus and the light is soft and attractive. The diffused background and negative space help produce a natural and pleasing result.

This is a spectacular shot of what must be an extraordinary event to witness. Herd crossing must be noisy and chaotic, but the photographer has successfully captured the hustle-bustle of the migration. I like the tight framing and the repetition and pattern this has created. With this type of action, it is always worth playing with shutter speed - a slower exposure will generate a degree of creative subject motion which can convey an effective sense of movement. This is a very striking image, though.

This style of tightly framed macro portrait provides instant impact. This is a well captured shot. Sadly, the photographer hasn't shared any technical info, but I'm guessing this is a focus stack to generate extended depth of field. The detail is extraordinary- you can even see the photographer reflected in the subject's eyes. Well done!

There is something about this shot that I really like. Although the composition doesn't feel completely balanced - and the bright, light area of blur toward the centre off the frame is a little distracting - this is a very natural and engaging portrait. The shallow depth of field really direct's the viewer toward the subject's eyes. And the gorillas expression appears to tell a story. The out of focus foliage create a good sense of place.

I'm not convinced about this crop - the heron's legs are cut off a bit abruptly and awkwardly for my taste. However, I do like this shot overall. The light is nice and focusing is spot-on. The head-on view creates a quirky and interesting shot. I might be tempted to crop the image a little tighter to produce a simpler final result.

This is a classy looking shot that almost resembles a pencil drawing. By removing the distraction of colour, the photographer has neatly placed emphasis on subject detail, texture, shape, and profile. It is a nicely captured and intimate photo that I'm sure would make a lovely print.

This is a really endearing environmental portrait of two inquisitive sheep. The woodland and barn provide context, and the warm tones convey a sense of autumn. While the closest animal could be a little sharper, I think the photographer made the correct choice opting for a shallow depth of field, as the animals standout well against their diffused surroundings.

This is such a simple, but effective composition. The water provides a clean and colourful backdrop and the negative space in-front of the subject offers balance and room for it to 'fly into'. Technique and timing are good - I love how the tip of the bird's wing is just kissing the water's surface.

Editing is an important part of digital photography. How you process your shots can make or break the photo. With software like Adobe Lightroom being so sophisticated today, it is easy to overdo things or make unnecessary adjustments. In my opinion, the photographer has been too aggressive with shadow and highlight recovery. The result lacks contrast and has an HDR look (which doesn't normally suit nature shots). FYI, there are plenty of great tutorials on YouTube from leading wildlife photographers that will guide you through the most essential processing steps.

This is a very sweet shot of three fox cubs. Recording multiple subjects sharply in one frame is always challenging. Depth of field appears to grow progressively shallower with longer focal lengths, and while the two cubs on the right are acceptable sharp, the one on the left is out of focus. It is a shame, as this is a nice enough image otherwise.

I like this photo. It boasts good eye-contact and lovely detail, and the black and white conversion simplifies the frame. I would opt for a tighter crop, though, pulling down from the top left corner to remove some of the sky and the farm buildings on the left which are quite distracting. This new crop would create a much more concise and pleasing result.