New Joiners - Animals #727

Macro photography is a great way to bring small insects to life and show just how alien like they appear when scaled to a larger size. This Wasp image makes you want to take a step back as you feel almost too close. The focus falls right on the face as the rest of the body melts away into the surrounding frame.

Great Horned Owls are quite difficult to see any time of day let along in flight. Attaining a tack sharp image of this owl coming straight on toward the camera makes quite the impact as this isn't a typical situation. The eye contact is sensational and bring in an element of connection along with all the action.

Seeing any shark in an underwater image is always an exciting moment for most and that includes me as well. The cool tones provide a proper sense of the overall atmosphere and you get a feeling of being right there in the middle of the action. I'm also drawn to what appears to be a small fish floating just below the shakes mouth.

This Flamingo image is painterly like in its feel and can work well as a print. For me it's all about the complimentary colors here as you can't go wrong with a red and green combination. The behavior on display is educational to the viewer and the shadows add a nice touch upon closer inspection.

There's a sense of starkness and minimalism in this songbird image, which I think may be a Meadowlark. These attributes result from the black and white conversion and incorporation of surrounding, negative space. This image also gives off a historical or dated look as if it was taken 50 years ago.

This cat image is all about the perspective created by the photographer. It takes me a while to figure out what's going on here and that's a good thing in my opinion. The vertical crop emphasizes the narrow view and provides a sense of dimension. The surrounding shadows add drama and a natural vignette.

Orangutans are incredibly expressive primates and probably not too distant from our own species in terms of evolution. You can see why when looking at this image. The facial expression and hand gesture are priceless and bring a smile almost immediately to your face. This was a moment worth capturing.

There is a good deal of chaos going on in this Koi image, requiring a longer look by the audience and that's what makes this shot more interesting. The various colors and different expressions by the individual fish seems to blend together and create an abstract feel. I also like how the fish are moving in opposing directions throughout the the frame.

The mood surrounding this White Tailed Deer shot is amazing. The peachy backlight of the rising sun in the distance, the mist floating over the field, and the grasses framing the deer come together just right. Placing the subject in the center of the frame works well from a composition standpoint.

The composition in horse image is very strong as it breaks all the rules in a good way. While the horse's face is placed near the edge of the frame, it also provides a sense of balance to the mountains in the distance. Further, the subject is below the nearest ridge line and does not intersect the diagonal line.

I absolutely love the repeating pattern that's established in this Rooster image. The gold and red tones compliment the bird's eye perfectly. The focus point falls on the main subject in the foreground while rendering the rest of the scene soft and out of focus in a pleasing manner. Well done!

The environment surrounding this cow provides a sense of space and its preferred habitat, which is educational and also aesthetically pleasing to the audience. The image also has three distinct layers starting with the golden grasses down below then up to the subject with mountains, and finally with the sky. A lovely scene indeed.

I love how both the female and male Mallard are incorporated into the composition. While the perspective is intimate, it's not too close or cramped from my standpoint. There's also a strong diagonal line separating both birds and the frame, while another line connects the eyes. Further, the grasses provide a sense of habitat and framing.

I rather like the high key or pushed exposure utilized by the photographer to bring out the details of the raptor and its perch. The bird's color and texture blend in nicely with the bark of the tree. The look back posture works well as does the eye contact with the viewer. A vertical crop here is the right call.

The lineup of Turtles in this image is comical and immediately grabs the viewer's attention, especially the the two in the middle of the frame. The log cuts the frame nearly in half and it works from a composition standpoint. The reflections near the bottom of the frame also standout.