New Joiners - Animals #778

The tenacity in this Coyote image grips you as soon as you look at it. The exposed teeth combined with the piece of meat hanging from its mouth bring the predator aspect of this animal to life. The eye contact is strong, creating a strong sense of connection and appreciation for the subject. Great work!

The technical execution of this Lion portrait is very strong. There is a pleasing soft like sharpness across the head and most importantly on the eye. The narrow aperture leaves the rest of the background in a pleasing blur to include an additional Lion in the distance. A somber look for such a strong animal.

The golden backlight really brings this songbird image to life. The textures and shapes of the foliage are pleasing and the subject is quite pretty as well. I rather like how the exposure is balanced without placing everything in a silhouette since that would take away from the overall composition.

Pigeons are a much maligned species in urban areas, but there's a lot of beauty based on close inspection as you see here. The red eye is captivating and its complimented by the green and purple iridescence in the neck feathers. This is a bird I wouldn't mind seeing in the park.

The usage of flash as a main light without any ambient light can create a dramatic output as you see here for this Cat portrait. The light source is coming in primary from the upper right and hits the eye and whiskers just right. The side light also casts shadows and emphasizes texture.

The soft light creates some unique subtlety and lack of contrast in a pleasing manner. These conditions suit the relaxing and contemplative look of the Orangutan. The fingers and finger nails wrapped out the mouth elevate the portrait as this appears to be a candid moment. The wide aperture also limits focus to where it needs to be.

There are some great green tones and textures in this close-up image of a snake. The eye is ominous but typical of a venomous reptile. There are a few highlights that also capture my attention, but they're not overly distracting. It's worth taking some time to examine all of the unique details here.

You rarely come across photos of small songbirds taken at such a wide angle. It creates a unique perspective as the bird doesn't appear flat, but has a sense of depth to it. The background branches are evident, but not sharp enough to distract from the Robin. Well done getting that close.

This Macaque image is another great use of repetitive patterns in a composition. The interaction between the parents and siblings is strong. The diagonal formed by the wooden perch adds interest and the blue tones dominating the frame give a sense of comfort to the viewer. The highlights in the sky are evident but not distracting.

I see this Monkey image as artistic due to the composition. The foliage surrounding it acts as an amazing natural frame and helps support the subject. The dappled light hits the Monkey's face nicely and creates some shadows and natural vignetting at the edges of the shot. The center placement also works fine.

The low key feel of this Mouse image increases the sense of drama and power. The incorporation of the nuts are important as it provides as sense of place and connection with the subject. While the Mouse isn't tack sharp, it's sharp enough for the frame and the overall scale.

This is my favorite story telling image of the contest. I absolutely love the contrast between the pink lady with her umbrella and the nearby Buffalo. The pink attire stands out against the green rice plants and feels so out of place in a scene such as this one. A photograph of a photograph.

The ability to zoom in or capture only a part of an animal in detail can be a great approach in animal photography. This image shows off some fantastic detail on a Falcon's wing to include the primary and secondary feathers. The inclusion of the foot also helps the viewer connect the dots.

This is another fine example of good story telling by the photographer. Capturing a baby Monkey behind a sterile and seemingly cold cage is powerful. It is a contradiction between young innocence and the realities of our world and relationship with other primates. I have an emotional response when viewing this and that speaks volumes.

It's great to see a Rhino image as their numbers have declined a good deal in the wild due to poaching. The usage of a repetitive pattern by incorporating two into the frame is a strong compositional choice. It makes an otherwise standard image into something of much greater interest.