New Joiners - Animals #657

Masterful control of light in this scene,. Shooting into the light (Contre Jour) is a technical challenge, but when done well, it can add depth and nuance to a scene and make it shine... as can be seen in this beautiful capture. Good work!

The way the Brahman cattle merge into the landscape is sublime, I love how they feel part of the topography, and the big sky works extremely well in reinforcing this. The icing on the cake is the speedy-looking dog in the foreground - presumably herding the cattle.

I love the sense of narrative in this charming domestic scene. The black and white tones have been handled skillfully, and there is a lovely contrast to the photo. It just goes to show that you don't necessarily need to be on safari in Africa to make compelling images of animals; even at home, there are opportunities.

Wow, what an impressive capture of this graceful Penguin in action. Such vibrancy and energy. This is a challenging shot to get right. Massive kudos for capturing it. I love the below and above-the-water-line perspective. Great work, keep it up!

The simplicity of this capture is spot on. The contrast between the delicate shapes, patterns and textures of the Mockingbird contrasted with the harsh crudeness of the cable is poetic. Rendering the image in black and white emphasises this contrast and creates an engaging and thought-provoking image.

What a sublime capture of a Common Blue. I love the overall colour palette with its wonderful cool blue hues. The focus point is spot on, and the clever use of shallow depth of field with a wide aperture of f3.2 artfully blurs the background.

This image is packed with attitude. It feels more like a portrait of an intriguing character than a wildlife study, which is part of its success. Technically photographing white feathers can be tricky, but in this instance, just the right balance of detail and lightness has been captured. The rich, dark background adds to the vibe.

What a fantastic shot. Lightning and frogs, an artful composition and clever use of colour all help create a striking, almost surreal sense of narrative in this intriguing picture. To see it captured on a smartphone is impressive too. Good work, keep it up!

I love the low-down ground-level perspective in this shot. The shallow depth of field helps draw attention to the subject but also creates a wonderful sense of context and the environment. The warm hues add to the vibe and help tell the story. Good work!

What a magnificent portrait of this fine bird. You've managed to artfully capture its majestic grace. If I'm being niggly the blurred light in the background on the left-hand side of the frame is a little distracting; perhaps this could be toned down a little. Otherwise a brilliant shot. Well done.

What a fine-looking sheep. I love the composition with the subject in the middle of the frame. It is a bold and confident approach that works well. Such contrasty light is tricky to work with, but it has been handled well.

What a fantastic angle of view on this fine lobster. Getting really close with a wide-angle lens that exaggerated the claws into monstrous proportions has created a powerful and dynamic shot. The distant landscape adds context and provides a lovely contrast to the crustacean's vibrant hues. Nice work!

Amazing. This stunning image really does reveal how closely birds are related to dinosaurs. It has been captured with a good deal of skill and timing. The sense of energy, momentum and movement is excellent. The tones and colours were perfect too. All in all, good work!

A powerful portrait of this magnificent animal. I love the black and white treatment; it, along with the strong light reveals the splendid textures of the creature. The black background is clever and adds to the regal vibe of the portrait.

I love the abstract design that this dancing jellyfish has created. The sway of blue and yellow swirling in the frame is simply sublime. The complementary colours of yellow and blue work very well. Photographing in aquariums is a challenge, but you've handled it well. Good job!