New Joiners - Animals #747

Wow, what an amazing moment of action caught just at the right time! These Peregrine Falcons appear to be a couple and they're just about ready to exchange prey while in flight. The symmetry of the wing position on the top bird is quite pleasing as is the expression and outstretched talons on the lower bird. Fantastic job!

Getting up close and personal with your subjects can be a good thing as it offers an intimate perspective and viewpoint not often experienced by the viewer. There's a nice sense of depth in this Gull image and you feel like you're right there laying in the grass almost able to reach out and touch them.

This Ring Billed Gull is framed nicely through an opening which also doubles as a vignette. The rough surf in the background forms some diagonal lines that bring the eye back down to the Gull and add balance to the composition. Gulls are great subjects and should never be overlooked.

I love the intimate feel you get from this Elephant image. The larger Elephant displays a parental posture and provides a nice contrast in scale to the younger one. Once again, a black and white conversion is the right way to go here as it removes distraction and places focus on both subjects as well as their textures.

Red and green are complimentary colors, so this combination should never be turned down once it presents itself. The shutter speed is fast enough to capture the action but not too fast as there's some pleasing motion in the water droplets coming off the Flamingo. The water ripples and reflection are additional positives.

This image sticks out for me as I've never seen this behavior captured before and it's very interesting. Marmots are adorable animals, but it's not everyday you see them interacting like this. The pressed hand and upward gaze denote struggle between them. The shutter speed and auto focus were crucial to the success of the shot.

The ability to utilize repeating shapes is a time tested compositional technique and it's on full display in this Mute Swan image. I love how the curved neck creates an opening and frames the other. Upon close inspection there is another bird floating in the distance as well. A very well executed image.

The photographer made a bold choice on the pano crop for this Macaque image and it paid off in my opinion. It brings focus on the eyes and leaves other parts to the imagination, which can be effective. I also like how the entire frame is nothing but the animal.

The eyes have it in this Cat image. The faucet and stream of water add interest and another dimension to the overall portrait, which makes it more unique. The Cat's expression has character and immediately brings the viewer in. I'm also drawn to the whiskers as they're illuminated well and branch out into the frame.

The cuteness factor in this Llama image is through the roof and automatically brings a smile to your face. Being so close to the animal allows for a wide perspective and a pleasing distortion as the head appears larger than the rest of its body. A few pets are surely in order.

This Lemur portrait is very pleasing as it poses in a human like manner. The light is exquisite as it fall perfectly on the subject's face and illuminates the wood and gives life to the grain. The vignette around the frame's edge is pleasing and brings attention where it needs to be.

Being able to see three Cheetahs in the wild is an incredible thing let alone having them lined up so nicely. The diagonal line formed by the three of them is very powerful as are the tail positions which almost mimic each other. The light is rather harsh, but it still works while creating some nice shadow and contrast.

I rather like the processing in this Goose image. It has a dark, almost apocalyptic feel to it which contrasts with the Geese as they gently saunter through the scene. The birds are bright and exposed nicely while also in focus, making them stand out to the pale, out of focus surroundings.

This cat image caught my interest as I wasn't exactly sure what was going on at first glance. I'm still not exactly sure to be honest, but it's intriguing. This overall composition has a graphic art type of feel and would work well as a print. The stark background is necessary and the pale blue line isn't a distraction.

I appreciate images, such as this one, that tell a story and can also be informative to the viewer. The baby Sea Turtle is trying to make its way back to the sea and you can't help but root for it. A sense of scale is also on display here.