New Joiners - Animals #716

This image is all about detail, and there is plenty on display here for the viewer to appreciate. I really like the warm tones of the animal’s fur, and the beautiful textures of its horns. The out of focus background ensures that all the attention remains on the animal. Focusing, exposure and post processing all show a practiced hand.

Sometimes you just have a hands-down winner, and this is one of those occasions as there is so much to admire in this image. Technically, it has been executed really well and the composition is exceptionally strong. Three is a perfect number in photography and this group of monkeys are just so harmoniously balanced, the connection between them blindingly obvious to the viewer. The conversion to black and white has elevated the image to another level, the removal of colour emphasising the textures, shape, and form. The post processing is very skilled and has allowed the viewer to fully appreciate all the detail that has been captured. This is an exceptional image.

I love the textures and tones in this image provided by the rugged background, the side lighting picking out their form through light and shade. The big horns add that vital interest and focal point, and I like the way they are both looking in the same direction adding an element of symmetry. I would have cropped in a lot tighter with a square format to exclude the sky which adds nothing. For me, the image is all about those rocks and the lovely warm tones.

Capercaillie are one of the most characterful birds on the planet, a trait that is emphasised during the breeding season when the males put on an elaborate courtship display and aggressively protect territories. This image has captured this extroverted behaviour, the throat feathers puffed out, the tail fanned as it disturbs the silence of the forest with its distinctive clicking and scratchy call. I like the vertical format here which has emphasised the erect posture of the bird while still retaining a sense of the environment. I also appreciate the placement of the bird on the snowy mound which helps to separate it from the background. The bright patch of sky above the birds head is a bit of a distraction, but a lovely image nonetheless.

There is something about highland cattle that make them appealing subjects. Perhaps it is those outrageous horns, or the shaggy coat that hides their eyes and gives a sense of mystery to them? I like the overall composition of this image, the dividing line between land and sky converge pleasingly on the cow which is placed nicely off-centre. The focus is on the animal, with the background melting away, and the overall scene is well exposed. A slight shame about one of the hooves being out of frame.

This is one of those photographs that grew on me over time. What appeals most is the composition, the tight crop cleverly excluding any irrelevant elements and focusing on the shape of the bird, and the structure and texture of its plumage. The way the feathers circle around the frame and lead the viewer from the bottom right around the frame to the bird’s eye is rather joyful. I also like the black and white conversion which has removed the distraction of colour to concentrate on shape, form, and texture.

I took a long time to consider this photograph as I was slightly conflicted over it. I really love the bold, high key approach that the photographer has taken here - it appeals to my own artistic approach to photography. Black and white birds make perfect subjects for this method, and I think the composition is really strong, the relationship between the two avocets really well balanced with pleasing symmetry. The over exposure technique has removed all distracting elements and focused purely on the shape and form of the birds and their contrasting plumage. Whether it is the post processing technique, or the image is cropped heavily, I’m not sure, but there is a softness to it that made me question a top ten place. However, there are so many elements that make it work and deserve its place.

A nice example of a well-executed action shot. There are some good technical elements to this; the shutter speed was sufficient to avoid any motion blur and keep the subjects sharp, the aperture and focal length combination has left the busy background out of focus to help isolate the elephants, the exposure is well judged, and the timing of the shot right. A slight shame that the angle has resulted in the left hand elephant angled away from the viewer, but things rarely come together perfectly in these situations.

There is a lot of good technique on display here. Everything is in sharp focus and a decent depth of field has allowed the capture of so much detail in the cheetah’s face and fur for the viewer to appreciate. The background is simple and uncluttered, drawing all the attention to the animal. Direct eye contact generally makes for a more arresting image, but I rather like that wistful gaze into the distance we see here. I also enjoy the conversion to black and white.

What’s not to like about a close up portrait of a tiger’s head, especially when it has been taken with accomplished technique as we see here? The critical element is the direct eye contact, and ensuring the focus is directly on the animal’s eyes. This creates that essential connection with the viewer, that feeling that ‘the tiger is looking at me’. The soft, even lighting has ensured that loads of detail in the fur has been captured and that all the colours are there to be enjoyed to the full. I would be inclined to crop a little tighter to exclude more of the grasses to the right of the frame.

There are some subjects that automatically photograph well, and lions have to be one of those. I see many lion portraits taken in harsh light during the middle of the day, but not in this case. I like the soft lighting here and the way the lion’s colouring is complemented by the tones in the out of focus background grasses. The composition is pleasing, the photographer balancing the animal in the frame well, leaving space for the lion to look into. Exposure and focusing are spot on, and the post processing sympathetic.

One of the elements I most enjoy about this image is the use of the subtle, soft back lighting. I use back lighting a lot in my own photography as I like the atmosphere and drama it can add to a scene. Here, it has created areas of rim lighting that help to separate the tiger from the background and emphasis its outline. The pose of the animal is nicely balanced, the legs in pleasing positions, and the tail offering symmetry with the head. I like the fact that a little space has been left on the left side of the frame for the cat to walk into. The animal is nicely in focus and the balance of exposure well judged for a literal portrait.

Photographing birds within a wider scene to show the viewer some of the environment in which it can be found is so much more difficult than a simple close portrait. There is so much more for the photographer to consider compositionally. With the subject much smaller in the frame, all the other elements have to be well balanced to create an image that is pleasing to the eye. The placement of the partridge on the rocky ridge has allowed a clear separation between it and the background. The background is sufficiently out of focus to emphasise this separation and draw the viewer’s attention to the bird, while retaining enough detail to tell the viewer a bit about the environment. I like the lines of the hills and the road as the converge on the bird. I would have been tempted to crop a little from the left of the frame to avoid the edge cutting through that rock. It would also have placed the bird on the intersection of thirds, balancing the image more pleasingly.