New Joiners - Animals #706

Great Blue Herons are incredible predators and eat a huge variety of animals ranging from fish, turtles, to rodents. Hats off to the photographer for being patient and catching this moment of action. The prey item appears to be a rat, so I'm not feeling too sorry for it. Bon appetite!

What a serendipitous moment that's captured here! It seems to be two friends posing for the camera and how can you not smile when seeing this. Beyond the feel good factor, this image also tells a story of mutual dependence between the Jackdaw and Red Deer. The tight crop works as you want an intimate and up close perspective of the two subjects. A unique image!

The rich colors in this bird portrait are striking. The red eye stands out and compliments the out of focus, warm background tones. I also like the composition as there's enough room to incorporate all of the head feathers with the bird looking out of the lower right side fo the frame.

This Leopard portrait is quite captivating because you're drawn into its stare even though the surroundings are quite busy. In terms of the surroundings, I actually think the chaotic branches and limbs add a bit of complexity to the shot. The blue sky incorporates a bit of color to help with all the neutral tones.

I really love the sense of motion that's conveyed in this Wildebeest crossing scene. Not only are there dusty and watery contrails, the animals have a bit of blur, but not in a detracting manner. The overall setting has a surreal feel, similar to that of Dante's Inferno. I wouldn't want to be in that water!

There's a lot of color and energetic activity going on in this duck frame. The rippled reflection of the Mallard in the center nicely serves as both a reflection and a leading line. The out of focus ducks on either side add a bit of interest and offer a sense of place.

While the image quality could be better, I really like the pushed exposure creating a high key look that surrounds the tit. The yellow and blue tones in the bird really come to life with a stark surrounding as does the head on or "angry bird" expression. The feather gap in the body suggests the bird might be incubating eggs.

The wood and wire frame that surrounds the pigs are nice touches as they give a sense of place and also tell a story of these domesticated animals. The red color of the wooden board compliments the pigs' snouts and overall tone. There's also a general feeling of grit to the image, which is a positive.

The engagement factor in this squirrel image is very strong. The head on look and rather comical expression take center stage, while the piece of food offers a nice touch of color. The angled, golden light hits the face just right by illuminating one side and creating some soft shadow on the other.

This Big Horn Sheep shot incorporates some surroundings that offer the viewer as sense of its preferred habitat. The layers stand out to me as well by moving up from grass to mountains then to the sky. It helps that the subject's head is in front of the snow line. Exposure technique is strong here as the ram is tack sharp.

The black and white conversion works wonders for this image as it emphasizes the skin texture on the Elephants. The eyes are visible on most of them as they form a circular pattern throughout the frame. I'm most captivated by the youngster in the lower left corner. A complex and enjoyable shot.

Sea Turtles are amazing subjects to capture underwater. The wide angle lens is the right choice here as it adds a bit of depth to a very tight scene. The turtle's flipper leads you into the center of the frame with its formidable stare. The air bubble coming out of a nostril is a nice detail.

The extreme contrast between the egret's bright feathers and the dark legs and bill is quite pleasing. There's also a sense of emptiness or space that creates a unique mood as well. The texture on the wooden boardwalk is also a nice touch as it stands out, but not to the detriment of the bird.

The Raccoon's eyes immediately draw the viewer into this image. The fiddlehead ferns covering its nose makes the frame all the more interesting as well.. The composition is strong as it emphasizes a diagonal line formed by the raccoon and surrounding foliage, from tail tip to the upper right corner.

I rarely see images that contain amazing light and cattle. The golden back light is really brought to life by the surrounding dust. The head on engagement works and there's a really pattern of lines formed by the ditch and cattle. It's a good thing this group decides to stop for a pose.