New Joiners - Animals #741

I love how this image contains a parent Coot and its young one following close behind. I'm struck how these young coots look nothing like their parents. The out of focus green vegetation in the foreground is pleasing and does not distract from the reflections in the water at all.

What an experience this must've been to come across a fox such as this one. the golden light is great and compliments the subject well. A shallow depth of field was the right call to minimize any distractions in the background. The snow mound in the foreground adds some nice shapes to the frame.

This is such a powerful image due to the subject involved and the fascinating expression that's captured by the photographer. I absolutely love how the Wolf is framed by the legs and body of another in the foreground. The falling snow is also a nice detail upon close inspection. Amazing moment!

The interaction between the mother and her baby is informative. The protective nature of the mother Gorilla is on full display based on her posture and expression. Also of note is how the tawny coloring blends in so well with the surrounding rocks. The textures of the Gorillas and the rocks are also quite evident here.

This Cat image has some fantastic, golden bokeh in the background thanks to the photographers' use of a shallow depth of field. The diagonal line coming out of the lower right corner of the frame leads your eye directly to the subject. The position of the paws and bright whiskers are also captivating.

This Calf image is a pretty portrait but also makes good use of story telling. The wooden enclosure, hay, and ear tags give the viewer a sense of the subject's surrounding and overall living conditions. The highlights are overexposed on the top of the frame, but this was a wise choice to ensure the midtowns were not under exposed in the rest of the frame.

This image contains a convergence of human elements and nature. The windowsill and glass in the background offer a nice contrast to the resting butterfly. You get the impression the subject is attempting to look out and through the glass based on its posturing. I also like that the glass isn't perfectly clear.

This is a very pleasing Horse portrait. The wind swept mane is on full display and I rather like the white border frame that's been applied by the photographer. The black tones are rendered on the lighter side to a pleasing effect as part of the black and white conversion. This would make a nice print. .

Eye of the tiger is a well known song and something that comes to mind when I look at this image. The crop is interesting as it contains three quarters of the face and part of the mane. The whiskers stand out and also provide some balance with the right side of the frame.

This is an adorable image of an Arctic Fox, but it also tells a story of captivity which is of interest to the viewer. The extended tongue adds a pop of color and is captured at just the right moment as it perfectly contours the mesh wiring. This appears to be a playful individual.

The surrounding low key feel adds lots of shadow and contrast which provides a sense a power and mood in support of this Boa snake. The green tones that surround the image compliment the subject well as does the supporting wooden perch. The vignette is dark but not too dark.

This is probably one of the best Chicken portraits that I've come across. The narrow and vertical crop emphasizes the shape of the head and the captured expression is priceless. The out of focus lines in the background are pleasing and do not serve as a distraction from the subject.

This isn't an image that would've screamed out to me for a black and white conversion, but it works extremely well here. The monochrome looks emphasizes the textures and patterns in the water as well as the dark and light feathers of the gull. The white surf line also strengthens the composition and helps divide the frame.