New Joiners - Animals #756

A shallow depth of field and a low intimate perspective help make this Ground Squirrel image impactful. The plane of focus falls nicely on the squirrel's head and hands as it is busy foraging. The out of focus flowers add splashes of color without allowing for any distractions in the frame.

This is is a stand out bird in flight image. The Redwing's head is tack sharp but there's some blur in the wings indicating fast motion. Also, there's food in the bird's bill and some pleasing light coming from the top right corner of the frame. The Redwing's position in the center of the frame grows on you after staring a bit.

At first glance, the gorgeous blue eyes of the Cat are not in focus, but it really doesn't matter as they play a support role to the mouth and whiskers, which are in the focus plane. The upward glance and perspective both make the photo come to life. The white border is also a nice touch.

I really enjoy the color combination in this lizard image as the tones compliment each other so well. The intersecting lines are on full display. It's also interesting to see how the subject is positioned in a vertical, elongated manner which brings it in sync with the surrounding, tall vegetation.

A photographer can't go wrong when bringing together red and green tones as they are complimentary colors. The slightly out of focus Butterfly provides support to the main subject and adds a bit more complexity. The moment of capture is spot on with the fully extended wings and a dorsal view

It must be very difficult and require a certain amount of planning to obtain an action shot such as this one. The Kingfisher is rendered sharp in what must be a very dynamic and fast paced sequence. I rather like how you can pick out each of the extended flight feathers.

This bird silhouette is well executed as the photographer placed the subject against the distant, bright sky to make it stand out. This also does the trick for the tree and foliage in the top half of the frame. I almost missed it but the lower frame is not just shadow, but rather a building in the distance.

The wing position and fish grab are highlights in this action shot of a Tern in flight. The contrail extending from the fish to the waterline is a nice touch of detail. The square crop works fine and there's a good amount of reflection included in the lower half of the frame.

This Mallard image is a bit unique thanks to the setting. The water color changes drastically across the frame in a strong diagonal line and its interesting to see the head reflection in the highlighted portion. The textures in the darker water stand out as does the perspective with the photographer shooting at a higher elevation.

There is a nice play on light and shadow in this Frog image. It is especially important that the subject's eye is illuminated and not in shadow. Further, there's nothing prettier than the eye of an amphibian in my opinion. Amazingly, the right hand appears to blend right into the rock.

What an adorable Cat image. The humorous and playful pose is more impactful as the subject is leaning sideways in contrast to the tall vertical composition. There's some added depth of field here and it was a good choice as the surrounding scene is quite pleasing. It's also great to see how the lines come together as the Cat intersect with the slope of grass.

The rim light captured on the Monkeys in this image is extraordinary and brings the shot to a whole new level. There are some textures on display upon close inspection as well as some interaction. The black and white simplifies the composition and places emphasis where it should be, on the light and shapes. Fantastic work!

This Raven portrait is executed almost perfectly. The light falls nicely on the bill, eye, and breast feathers. An expression is also on display, which is very hard to do with birds. Also, the various shades of black blend together seamlessly as you move throughout the composition, with the darkest parts reserved for the edges.

I don't particularly like images with mid-day blue skies but this shot is an exception. The cool tones play well with the fountain and falling water. The curve at the top of the fountain leads right to the Gull and the difference between the two in scale is an interesting contrast.

There's such an ethereal feel that's captured in this beautiful horse image. The surrounding landscape is a net positive as is the natural framing it provides. The horse is place well in the open pocket with the the distant mountains and sky behind it. Also, the shadow detail and connection with the subject is amazing.