New Joiners - Animals #785

The obvious strength of this image is the gorgeous light and the perfect exposure the photographer has balanced so well. Added to this the correct point of focus directly on the animal’s eye, and the shallow depth of field, and you have a technically accomplished shot. But the element I rather like is the out-of-focus character in the background. Whether or not its inclusion was intentional is unclear, but I think it adds interesting depth to a rather straightforward close portrait shot.

There are circumstances when placing a subject centrally in your image creates the strongest composition - this is one of those. I love the balance that this central placement delivers, it emphasises the symmetry of the head-on view of the fly. See how even the leg positions are mirroring each other. When using a macro lens to photograph small subjects close up, a shallow depth of field is inevitable, so the point of focus is critical. Here the photographer has correctly ensured the eyes are sharp, the shallow depth of field emphasising their dominance. The bright colours of the insect are a good contrast to the background tones, creating clear separation between these elements.

This is another great storytelling image that has a nice flow to it. The horses are clearly the main focus, that tight group forming a strong initial draw to our eye. The relatively short focal length of the lens has ensured that the depth of field is large and the whole scene is in sharp focus. This allows us to explore all the other elements, there is so much to discover about the onlooking crowd. I love the way the fence sweeps across the frame separating the main characters from the onlookers. The black and white conversion gives this a rather dramatic cinematic feel that I rather like.

I must admit to a deep-seated love of Short-eared Owls having them virtually on my doorstep every winter. Here the photographer has made the use of that gorgeous afternoon winter light when this species starts to go on the hunt. This image is a masterclass in how to do flight photography correctly. As already mentioned, the light here is warm and soft and provides the perfect illumination for our subject. The long lens and wide aperture has helped to isolate the owl from the background, although I note that the photographer has used some softening of the background in post production to help the separation. The choice of shutter speed is spot on, the correct use of high ISO facilitating its use. I like the wing position here as it balances the composition well and the tight crop has been nicely judged. The thing that makes it all work so well is the direct eye contact with the bird. This creates an immediate connection with the viewer and holds our attention.

This is a composition that I have seen many times before, but this is a really good example of getting the compositional elements just right to make it work well. The secret is the perfect symmetry - note how the photographer has placed the head and body of the peacock in a precise central position, the bottom of the frame cropping the bird at its widest point. This creates a delightful triangular shape around which the rest of the image sits. The feather radiate perfectly from this point and all end up in the four corners of the image. There is so much detail in this photograph too, everything is sharp meaning that nothing is lost and we can enjoy every feather.

Viewers of this image should take note of one critical element here - the low angle of view that the photographer has adopted to capture the image. Getting eye level with your subject is so important in the majority of circumstances. There is no substitute for it in creating an intimate connection with your viewer, especially if you also have direct eye contact as is the case here. The wide open aperture and relative distance between the photographer, subject, and background has allowed a relatively shallow depth of field for the shorter focal length lens employed in this image. This has created enough separation between the elements to ensure the background adds interest but does not distract. Also note the fast shutter speed, critical to capture a sharp shot with fast-moving subjects.

This image is one of those photographs that is so nearly there, and it has some really good qualities to it. I love the position and shape of the cat, its body twisted in a pleasing shape, the eyes locking onto the photographer’s lens and creating a vital connection with the viewer. The dark shaded background of the doorway draws our attention to the subject immediately, the doorframe also framing the cat. The crop needs some work, but is an easy fix - the pinkish towel in the left of the frame is too distracting and a tighter vertical crop to eliminate this would really elevate the image and create a much stronger composition.

Simplicity is one of photography’s superpowers, and this photograph is all about that simple, but strong composition. The whitewashed wall provides an uncomplicated canvas for our feline subject as it snoozes the day away. The darker concrete anchors the frame in the bottom portion. But it is those shoes that really make this image work, their dark contrast against the light wall draws our gaze and ensures our eyes move from left to right across the frame. I also like the large amount of negative space at the top of the frame, it somehow just feels ‘appropriate’. The black and white conversion adds simplicity and emphasises the image’s strengths of shape and form.

The light on this squirrel is beautifully warm and soft, and this has made the colours really pop out of the screen. The close shot, long focal length, and open aperture have created good separation between subject and background, helping to keep our attention in the right place. The focal point is on the animal’s eye, critical with tight portrait images. The vertical crop works well here, but I would be tempted to reduce the negative space in the top of the frame a little with a tighter crop.

I love the storytelling element to this image as this Mahout walks his elephant down the street. Compositionally, this photograph is so strong; the elephant is obviously the star of the show, taking a strong central position, but the Mahout on the right is balanced delightfully by the scooter rider on the left. The road meanders nicely through the frame and draws our eye logically through the frame. The conversion to black and white works so well, the exclusion of colour has simplified the composition and allowed more focus on the central characters.

I love the use of the strong contrast and the overall bold composition of this photograph. The contrast between the light and shade in this frame has been cleverly used, the light shift having sharply defined lines that cut diagonally across the frame in a pleasing and rather dramatic way. There is no getting away from the main subject, that shaft of light acting rather like a stage spotlight on a lead actor. What makes this really work so well is the strong shadow of the shield bug. This adds to the drama and gives our subject a rather sinister undertone that I find quite appealing. The conversion to black and white adds to the drama and focuses all our attention on shape and form.

The critical element to this image is the judgement of exposure. Photographing subjects in the snow can often lead to underexposed results, not the case here. The photographer has balanced the exposure skillfully, ensuring that the whites are bright and this has produced that subject/background separation that is so important. All our attention remains on the dogs, as intended. I like the overall composition, the two dogs balancing each other well, the harness coming from the top left corner of the image. The depth of field captures lots of detail in our subjects, but avoids background distraction. The shutter speed also shows a practiced hand, being fast enough to produce a sharp shot.

The contrast between the warm tones of the mallard and the cool tones of the ice are what drew me to this image. I also rather like the dark reflection of the bird on the ice. I’m not generally a fan of images taken from this elevated perspective as it tends to disengage the viewer from the subject, but it works here for the reasons given above. The square crop doesn’t work for me, I would crop in tighter with a landscape orientation, placing the bird off-centre to the left. This would emphasise the image’s strengths.

Being a dog lover, I always appreciate a pet image with a difference. What I love about this is the ground-level view from the camera that has created a very different perspective. This conveys so much interest and character in the animal as it chews on its stick. The wide angle of the lens and this close perspective has given a rather gawky feel to the scene that perfectly matches the moment captured. Exposure, focal point and depth of field are all spot on. A slight shame the paws are cutting the bottom edge of the frame, but a great image nonetheless.

Rather than using a macro lens to take this shot, the photographer has chosen a wider-angled lens that has allowed a greater depth of field to be captured, delivering more detail in the caterpillar. The close proximity of the lens to the subject, and the darker background, has created good separation between the two elements. This has ensured that all our attention remains where the photographer intended. The focal point is directly on the eye, an important element with images like this. The lighting is warm and soft which creates a pleasing feel. I would have been tempted to crop in a little tighter to remove some of the foreground.