New Joiners - Animals #673

I can't recall seeing a similar image to this and I love its uniqueness. The composition is well thought out and the photograph does an excellent job of telling the viewer a story about the animal and the precarious journey it is making by crossing the road. The pose of the animal is good - I particularly like the leg and tail positions which give a sense of energy and urgency to the crossing. The rear left leg is blurred and a faster shutter speed would have avoided this, but I think this is a phone shot and I'm guessing the manual control for this was limited.

This image demonstrates great use of contrast to isolate the subject from the background. I love the way the subject has been properly exposed for the most part, rendering the shaded background almost black. The low angle of view is imperative to make an image like this work as it provides the required connection with the viewer. Sufficient shutter speed has been employed to make sure that there is no motion blur in the bird, its prey, or the lovely water droplets which show up so well against the dark background and add dynamism to the image. I also like the symmetry provided by the reflection. I even like the fact you can see the heron's nictitating membrane closing half across its eye. Part of the plumage to the rear of the heron looks a little burnt out, but a minor issue only. Well done on capturing a very successful image.

This is a nice example of a Bald Eagle in flight. I like the upper wing view, the bird is pleasingly banked towards the photographer who has captured plenty of detail in the intricate plumage. I also like the composition within the frame, the wing tips stretching out into opposing corners of the frame. The split-toned background doesn't distract and hints of winter with its cool tones. The focus is on the eye and the beak being slightly agape really adds to the image. Good job.

This image just oozes character, that old eye injury telling a real story of this alley cat. The composition is also really clever, and I like the concrete jungle feel as the cat slinks along the wall of the city streets. Focus is on the eyes, critical to make this image successful. The portrait orientation is the perfect choice. A real story-teller of an image.

Zebras make great subjects for high key black and white photography as this image demonstrates. I like the controlled exposure of this shot, with detail retained across the frame, while the background is rendered white isolating the subject nicely. The pose of the animal is good, the eye contact providing a connection with the viewer. Conversions to black and white should enhance an image, and this is the case here - the conversion is a good choice. The space on the left of the frame is unnecessary and unbalances the photograph a little. A closer crop would work better in my view. Nice image.

I love photography for its ability to show things that the naked eye would struggle to see. Macro photography is a good example of that, the magnification bringing all sorts of hidden detail to life as is th case here. I like the head on view of this bumblebee, the contrast of dark and warm tones in its hairy body deliciously brought to life. The speckles of pollen stuck to its head tell a story about this important pollinator. The focus is critically on the eyes which ooze detail, the rest of the frame melts away nicely. The stem it is clinging to is quite distracting and obscures the face of the bee which is a shame.

I really enjoyed photographing the Elk in Jasper National Park, Canada when I was there, and this image transported me back to that day in the rain that I spent with a group of animals. I like the use of the vegetation and darker background which layer the image nicely and frame this young Elk. The soft, diffused light allows loads of detail in the fur to come through, something that's difficult to do when the light is harsher. The focus is critically trained on the head and eye, and there is sufficient depth of field to render the animal in sharp focus, while the background melts away nicely. I like the fact that space has been left on the left of the frame for the Elk to look into. A very pleasing image.

The colours of the eye and the bill are really interesting features in cormorants, and this close up captures them well. I also like the little droplets of water that still cling to the bird's plumage which presumably has just surfaced from a dive. The framing of the head is nicely balanced in the frame and the post production is sympathetic, bringing out the colours well. A pity the direction of the light puts some of the neck in shade - perhaps a bit more detail could be brought out in post?

Squirrels make such compelling subjects that immediately connect with the viewer. There are a number of things that I really like about this image. Firstly, the background is uncomplicated and some nice warm tones which compliment the animal's fur and concentrate all the attention on the squirrel. The position and shape of the squirrel is also pleasing, fitting as it does between the two tree branches on either edge of the frame which hold the whole image in. The tail has a nice curve to it, ending up nicely in the bottom left corner of the image. I also like the catchlight and blob of colour in the eye. The focus is bang on the eye as it should be, and the exposure is also spot on, although the bright highlights in the bottom right could be toned down a little in post production. Nice image.

One of the elements that makes a successful image is the story that it tells. This image achieves this and transports the viewer to the beach where these turtles are coming ashore to lay their eggs. The low angle of view is so important here as it connects the viewer to the animals and allows the environment to be included in a pleasing composition. The photographer has balanced the exposure well to ensure there is detail in all the elements of the frame. The saturation in the sky is a little overdone for my taste, but a very successful image regardless..

Puffins are such an endearing bird and immediately connect with the viewer. They almost seem to have a human quality to them with their clown-like faces. The exposure and focus of this image is spot on, and the post-production sympathetic. I rather like the inclusion of the campion growing outside its burrow, framing the bird as it emerges from the entrance. I think the composition would be improved by cropping the image tighter and losing some of the unnecessary space to the top and left of the frame, this would balance the lack of space on the right better.

Swans are one of my favourite photographic subjects, and I work extensively with them on my local lakes. Their beautiful shape and monochromatic plumage provide some fabulous opportunities for creative work. Here, the photographer has captured the controlled aggression in this Swan really nicely - it is not easy to balance the exposure when the white plumage is backlit by harsh light like this. But backlighting really brings out the details of the feathers and their structure, as can be seen here. I also like the shape of the bird and its tight composition within the frame. Try using a faster shutter speed to really capture the crystal-like quality of that water surge in front of the swan as this can be the icing on the cake with these shots.

Elephants are popular wildlife subjects and I have seen my fair share of photographs of them. Most go for a wide view and want to show all of the animal, but there are some great images to be had by going in close and photographing part of the animal as we see here. The lighting is quite harsh, but it is coming in from the side which means that it helps to show the textures and patterns in the skin through light and shade. You get a real sense of the rough skin and hardiness of the animal in this shot, and I like the composition which highlights details in the eyes, ears and trunk. I would be tempted to crop in a little tighter and lose some of the space on the right, but this is just the way I see it. Well done, this is a very successful image.