New Joiners - Animals #702

One of the things I love about photography is that it can capture those fleeting moments in time and preserve them forever, as we see here. A yawn is over in a few short moments, but the photographer has timed the shot perfectly - you can feel yourself yawn as you look at this image. Technically, it is well composed, the exposure is well balanced, the background uncluttered, and the point of focus just where it needs to be. A deserving winner and a photograph I would have liked to have taken myself.

This is at first glance a rather unusual choice, and an image that many may pass by without a second glance. Photography is not only about dramatic lighting and frame-filling portraits, but it can tell the viewer a story. This is just such an image. The central characters are clearly the group of cats feeding on something in the street. Their location in front of the puddle I find really appealing, and their overall position in the frame is well judged. The urban street with its crowded housing and hanging washing provides depth and interest. I also like the symmetry of alternate ginger and tabby colouration. The image poses so many questions. Are these stray cats being fed by a kind resident, or are they loved pets out on the town? Are they a tight group or individuals that come together only when there is food to be had? It's the sort of image you can look at repeatedly and always find something new to enjoy.

Cats make great subjects for this close up approach, but there are a few things that you need to make sure you get right to make it work, as this image demonstrates. The most important thing is to ensure that the point of focus is clearly on the eyes and that the cat is looking directly down the barrel of the lens. This creates the connection with the viewer. A shallow depth of field allows the rest of the cat's features to melt away, enhancing the concentration on the eyes. Also critical is what is excluded from the frame, and this tight crop featuring only the eyes, nose and mouth is perfect. Notice how there is no distracting space around the edges of the frame, but it is filled with the cat's head. The central positioning is also key to provide the necessary symmetry, and I like the black and white conversion which further simplifies the image and makes it more effective.

Sounds obvious, but lighting is everything in photography, and this image is a good example of the photographer using lighting conditions to their full effect. Photographing subjects into the sun can revolutionise your photography when done in the correct circumstances. I love the backlighting in this scene - the trick is to make sure that the light is relatively soft and warm, the rising and setting sun at either end of the day provide such conditions. Here, I suspect that the image is taken as the sun is setting on a summer's evening, the light perfectly channelled down what appears to be a tractor track through an arable crop. This has not only added complimentary warm tones, but has provided the perfect frame and natural vignette for the dog which is beatifully backlit by the setting sun. I really like this image, it's just a shame there are a few distracting grass stems in front of the dog.

There are quite a few elements to this image that I really like. The choice of a square crop works well here, as does the central positioning of the deer in the frame. Those staring eyes are the star of the show and really connect with the viewer. I also really like the symmetry created by the angle of the head; the deer's eyes, ears, and nose all perfectly aligned and centralised. The soft and uncomplicated background with its delicate tones and textures provides the perfect frame for the subject. I love using out of focus foreground elements to help frame my own images, and this is a great example of that technique. Lovely image.

Swans make really good photographic subjects as they have such an elegant shape, and are confiding and common. I have seen thousands of images of them as a result, and have photographed them frequently myself. What I like about this image is the curved ripple line which sweeps around the silhouetted swan and curves back up towards the central line of dark trees - it frames the swan and almost makes it the pupil of a watery eye. The colours are also really nice and the photographer has resisted the temptation to over saturate them in post production. I would have cropped in a little tighter to reduce the amount of sky and improve the overall balance of the photo.

Not a photograph for those that carry a fear of spiders! Jumping spiders, with their big eyes and rather square heads, make interesting macro subjects and this scene has been really well captured from a technical perspective. I like the angle of the spiders as this gives a more three dimensional feel to the photograph. The lighting is really nice and there is plenty of detail on display through the focus stacking technique, which must have been challenging with a moving subject. I also like the feeling of drama the image conveys: at first glance this looks rather endearing but, when you realise what is actually going on, it makes you recoil slightly and pity the spider being clasped.

This one made me smile! Any photograph that elicits an immediate response in the viewer and can convey the character of the subject as this image does, is a successful photograph. This really is a case of less is more: the viewer is denied seeing too much of the subject, and is transported to the peace and quiet of the garden and the sleeping dog who is enjoying the calm and the warm sunshine as it slumbers on the seat. Technically, this is really accomplished, but what I really enjoy is the depth of field - this makes sure that your focus is on the dog, but also conveys the surroundings and completes the story without these becoming the main focus. Really clever shot.

Cropping is a very important element of successful photography, and something that is often over-looked. Here the choice of crop is critical to the success of this image, the panoramic ratio giving the image a widescreen, cinematic feel. This really helps to dramatise the sceen and put all the emphasis on the group of Zebra which are positioned so pleasingly in the frame. I love the way the snow has created a clean and uncomplicated background, the photographer skillfully exposing this in a way that allows detail to be retained but not distract. The contrast is provided by the animals themselves who find themselves in very unusual weather conditions!

I really like the contrast in colours between the lizard and the background as it makes the subject stand out. I also like the out of focus background which keeps the viewer's attention on the brightly coloured lizard. The pose is well captured and the overall compostion nicely balanced. I particularly like the fact that the photographer has sought a low angle to create a more intimate connection with the subject. The image is a little soft and it is difficult to determine precisely where the camera's focal point is, but it looks like the animal's cheek area is the sharpest, leaving the eye a little softer. With portraits like this, I think it is important that the focal point is the eye, as this is the connection with the viewer. Also, try upping the shutter speed a little as 1/200 second is a little slow and could allow some motion blur to potentially creep in.

For me, this image is all about the composition, which has been really well balanced. Placing the crab in the bottom right of the frame would normally look odd and not work at all. However, the line of vegetation coming through the middle of the frame holds the image together and draws your eye through the scene to the breaking surf beyond. Both these additional elements balance the positioning of the crab perfectly. The image looks rather pixelated and soft, which is a shame as I would have like to have enjoyed more detail.

There are many technical elements to this image to be admired. It is nice to see that the exposure has been well balanced and the photographer has not allowed the whites to become over exposed in the rather bright lighting conditions. The point of focus is exactly where it needs to be and there is sufficient depth of field to reveal some nice detail in the butterfly for the viewer to enjoy. I find the vegetation coming into the top right of the frame distracting and would have either reframed the shot to exclude it or removed it in post production..

The choice of black and white conversion has simplified this image and focused attention on the strong composition. I like the low angle which has allowed the inclusion of the sky with its interesting clouds that provide nice texture and contrast for the horses. The strong horizontal lines of the fence holds the image together. The stars of the show are the five horses which are nicely spaced across the frame. A slight pity the left-hand animal's head is disappearing behind another horse, but a small issue. I also like the dramatic feel the post production has achieved.

Kingfishers are always a popular subject with their striking colours and photogenic features. This is a really nice example of a perched portrait. I really like the lighting in the image, and the background which blends beautifully in tones that compliment the plumage of the bird. The perch also forms a pleasing diagonal across the frame, emerging from the bottom left corner. The placement of the bird is also well done, being in the right hand third of the frame and looking into the space on the left.

Modern technology has made capturing birds in flight easier, but it is still one of the more difficult areas of bird photography. Here, the photographer has chosen the settings carefully to achieve the image they were after - critically, the shutter speed is fast and that has avoided any motion blur from creeping in. I like the position of the heron in the frame as it takes flight from the bottom left corner, spreading its wings diagonally across the frame and heading into the space on the right. The point of focus is critically on the bird, and the depth of field has allowed the environment to feature but not overwhelm. I would have levelled the hedge line at the top of the frame.