New Joiners - Animals #655

I love shots that's show squirrels and their everyday antics which never disappoint. Kudos to the photographer for finding this species as I've also heard they are hard to come by in that part of the world. The small bug in the right half of the frame is a nice touch.

Talk about some interesting framing for this Little Owl image. I like how the photographer applied the vignette and burned the image to place emphasis on the circle shape surrounding the bird. The owl's expression is subtle yet still impactful to the viewer. The foot placement and view of the talons completes the composition.

This is a gorgeous Lion portrait that also contains a touch of social commentary and story due to its caged environment. The angled light lands exactly where it needs to be and puts emphasis on the subject's rather sad expression. The post processing is strong and this shot makes the viewer think strongly of how we should manage our relationship with these powerful anima.ls.

There's framing the subject and then there's using an actual frame for the subject, which is a great idea. You rarely see a hippo image with fish so why not take advantage of what a zoo can offer. This shot makes me want to reach out and touch this amazing creature.

I've never come across a clutch of snakes like this before and this image is making me jealous as I love snakes. Most of the snakes are in focus and their varying expressions compete for your attention in a positive rather than a distracting way. Snakes are rarely threatening to humans and I like that this image does not instill fear.

I love animal images that include humans as they help tell a story of our relationships in the natural world. The interaction is very strong in this shot and it's one that makes you wonder what's going on. The gesture is requesting the horse to be calm, which is what's already happened or has happened. The black and white conversion works here.

This is a very powerful image and shows the resiliency of animals. The flower collar adds a nice pop of color to the shot and works well with the pit bull's expression. I think it's great to see she's found a new home and makes for a great photography subject.

I like that this image utilizes out of focus sheep to construct the entire background of the frame and help support the main subject. The black and white conversion works here, especially since the sheep facing the camera is brighter and commands most of the attention. The grasses dangling from its mouth add a nice sense of behavior.

The Mute Swan is right where it should be in this image. While it's positioned near the center of the frame, the photographer was careful to include the circumference of the ripples in the water, which is essential. The elevated position used to take this image works well to capture all of the water textures.

This is an interesting photo of animal behavior that I've never witnessed and it's quite interesting to say the least. I usually come across one or two caterpillars at a time, but never this many. I suspect this may be typical of this species. The orange and yellow tones work well with the surrounding green foliage.

This is such a pretty image with lots of content that allows the viewer time to take things in. The surrounding vegetation is in focus, yet rendered soft so as not to provide a distraction for the horses. In terms of the horses, I love how they are placed in the frame and looking in opposite directions.