New Joiners - Animals #748

This is one of those images that is so very nearly there in its overall construction. I love the bold choice of composition, the photographer deliberately cropping in tightly and excluding some of the animal. The position of the head in the frame works well, and I like the sweep of the front left leg as it fills the central area of the shot, it’s position and angle mirrored by its rear partner. It’s a real shame that the toes are clipping the bottom edge of the image. The exposure would have been tricky here as the lighting looks a little harsh. Indeed, the image is slightly over-exposed - the top of the head and rock to the right of the frame are distractingly bright.

I applaud the idea of this image, the deliberate under-exposure has created separation of the bird from the background and delivered a rather moody feel. The photographer has achieved a good exposure balance, allowing the light falling on the bird to dominate the frame and the viewer’s attention. This can be straightforward to do given the right lighting conditions, but you need to have the foresight and the technical control to expose an image in this way. I feel that a central composition is the wrong choice here, placing the bird in the left third of the frame would create better balance. Also, the post-processing has over saturated the end result making the colours rather gaudy-looking and unnatural. Both these issues could be improved by revisiting the edit to produce an image of real impact, but all the base ingredients are there.

What appealed to me about this image is the rather bold choice of vertical composition and the inclusion of a lot of sky. This doesn’t follow the conventional rules of composition perhaps, but I think that’s what makes this image work in this instance. The shape of the image and all that sky rather emphasise the seal and it’s upside down head position. I’m drawn to the whiskers and the shape of it’s mouth as it rests on its rocky bed. I also like the bands of contrasting colour that divide the frame into well-defined sections. The image could be lifted slightly with some levels adjustments, but the core elements are all there.

Zebras make excellent subjects for the high key and black and white approach as we see here. It is a great way to keep shooting interesting images during the harsh light of an African day. The animals all lined up and facing in the same direction gives this photograph a basis of balance, and the photographer has done a good job with the exposure choice and other technical camera settings. I’m not keen on the inclusion of all the dead space at the top of the frame and would be tempted to crop in a more panoramic way, giving the image a cinematic feel. The idea for this image is such a good choice in the conditions and has created something both striking and artistic.

I often write about how important eye contact with your subject can be in photography as it creates that instant connection with the viewer. Here, it is the staring reptilian eye that is the subject, that vertical sinister-looking pupil placed large and central in the frame so it dominates the photograph and the viewer’s gaze. I really enjoy all the fantastic detail that is captured here, and the way the photographer has worked with the less than ideal lighting conditions to pull this shot off. The slight over-exposure is a good move, rendering some of the water featureless and highlighting the reflection so it becomes an intrinsic part of the shot.

Pet portraits are not just about the subject itself, the background plays just as important a role. This image demonstrates this perfectly. The subject engages the viewer immediately with that direct eye contact. The central position of the dog in the frame is the perfect choice, balanced as it is by the converging railway tracks that emerge with expert precision from opposing bottom corners of the frame. This leads the eye perfectly to the subject and on through the frame to explore the background elements and that vanishing point above the dog's tail tip. The tones of the metal tracks and wooden sleepers provide the perfect balance for the shade of the animal's fur. The slightly grainy feel to the out of focus background elements adds a grit to the image which I rather like. The dog's front right paw is uncomfortably close to the bottom of the frame, but a brilliant and well composed image.

There are lots of things that the photographer has done well here. Firstly, the composition is nicely balanced, and I like the fact that this Roe Deer is not placed centrally in the frame, but off-centre to the right. This creates space on the left for it to walk into. The direct eye contact creates the connection with the viewer and holds your gaze. I much prefer images that are taken into the light as we see here. It creates a much more dramatic effect and brings the image to life, the light and shadow creating depth and separation. The little sparkles of bokeh that fill the background are a joy. The deer is also well isolated from its background, ensuring that all the viewer’s attention remains where it needs to be. Nice job.

There are some really positive things with this image and I love the overall colour palette of both the bird and the background which compliment each other so well. The background is so uncomplicated and buttery smooth, ensuring that it plays a supportive role only and all the attention is on the gull. The bird itself is deliciously sharp and treats the viewer to plenty of detail. It is such a shame that the feet are lost at the bottom edge of the frame - details to remember next time a bird is in the viewfinder.

The thing I enjoy most about this image is the light on this reptile. Coming from an angle as opposed to directly behind the photographer has meant that there are areas of light and shade that have sculpted the animal and created a three-dimensional depth bringing this photograph to life. The angle of the light has also ensured that we are treated to lots of detail in that scaled and wrinkled skin. You can almost feel the roughness of it under your fingertips. I also like the fact that the post-processing has been carried out with a light touch, ensuring that the image retains a natural feel, even though it is a zoo shot. The composition is on the whole solid, but the loss of the tail through the left edge of the frame feels rather uncomfortable.

This is a great action shot captured in beautiful light. I love the warm golden tones of the reeds, contrasting nicely with the cooler blue hues of the water. The bird is captured in an almost perfect pose, both feet clearly visible above the water, its wings outstretched and not masking any of the body. That splash of water behind its right foot adds dynamic movement and treats the viewer to a moment captured in time that the eye can't see. I think the balance of the composition is spot on here, the panoramic crop a good choice to emphasis the drama. I am pleased to see that space has been left on the left side of the frame for the bird to run into. Here are a couple of tips that may improve things even further next time. Firstly, don't be afraid to increase your ISO to get even more shutter speed, high ISO really isn't an issue in good light and the magnification of large modern sensors amplifies any motion blur - the splash of water and right foot are slightly blurred with the motion and a shutter speed of 1/5,000 second would have done a better job. Secondly, I would clone out what is emerging from the bird's rear end as, although this is as it was taken, I think it detracts from the image. These things are minor and the photographer should be very pleased with such a successful image. A deserving winner from the selection, well done.

Sometimes images that are include both warm sunlight and cool shadows can create an interesting, almost two-toned effect. The fact that this deer is in shade has rendered it in cool tones that are in stark contrast to the warm autumnal sunlit leaves that make up the upper part of the background. It serves as to help isolate the subject from its background and draw the viewer’s gaze. I also like the vertical orientation of this shot as it helps to emphasise this stag’s stature and importance. I would have cropped more tightly to exclude the antlers of another animal that are in view to the left side of the frame. This would also help to exclude some of the white patches of sky that add nothing to the image.

It took me a little while to recognise why I was attracted to this photograph. It finally struck me that it has some interesting diagonals that give it a subtle energy. The way the legs tilt from the bottom right into the centre of the frame are nicely balanced by the trunk and tusks which slant in the opposite direction. The tail swinging out to the left is also a nice touch. I also enjoy the central split of the background, from the warm tones of the grass to the white of the sky. I would have cropped a little tighter to reduce some the dominance of the white sky a little. Also, take it easy with the vignette effect.

This image takes me back to my own trip to this area of Canada and my experiences with bears. Three is always a magic number in photography, and I like the way these two cubs act a bookends for their playful-looking parent. It is the way that there is a slight role reversal going on here that is the really interesting part - the parent is the playful one, while the cubs look as if they are taking the onlooking, protective parts of the scene. The overall composition is solid, as is the focus and exposure level. Good job.

Taking images of birds in flight against plain backgrounds such as blue skies is relatively straightforward, but these can be rather bland and uninteresting most of the time. In this case, I rather like the meadow of summer flowers that forms the backdrop to this kite as it adds another dimension to the photograph and places the bird in some form of context. This is a captive bird photographed during a flight display, but the photographer has done well to identify a background area that will allow the bird to stand out - but see how it gets slightly lost in the upper portion of the frame against the darker areas of bush. The technical settings have been well chosen to ensure a photograph that is sharp and well exposed, and I like the position of the wings and the bird in the frame. A slight shame about the darker background elements that distract a little, but a successful image.