New Joiners - Animals #793

Unfortunately most photographers will walk past a scene like this without take the shot as it's not aesthetically pleasing. I'm glad this was captured and we all need to see images like this as they document nature in its rawest form. Life is precious and fragile and slips away more easily in the wild.

Incorporating human made elements help tell the story of certain species such as Mute Swans, which live in close quarters and interact with us a good deal. The stone archway frames the parent nicely and the glistening water adds in some subtle color and helps divide the frame with the Cygnets on the other side.

The patterns and colors stand out in this frog image. So much so that the frog is just a component of the overall composition and that's just fine. I love how the subject blends in to the frame and requires a deeper study as well as the connection points and lines.

These birds are just so darn cool and quite the predator when witnessed in the field. What the bird lacks in color, it absolutely makes it up in shape and that's what's on display here in this profile image. The out of focus background color blends well with the subject's brown tones.

Red and green are complimentary colors and always blend perfectly together as you can see in this Hummingbird image. Normally I don't like the inclusion of feeders, but it's done tastefully here. The bird is small in the frame allowing for some incorporation of the surrounding environment. The wing blur is a plus as it suggests fast motion.

I wouldn't have thought a black and white conversion would work on an image like this, but it certainly does. The Egret's bright whites easily help it stand out in the frame, as does its centered position which is a bold move from a composition standpoint. The water line splits the frame just right.

Leopard Seals are strong and intimidating predators, but this individual appears to have a soft side and that's the strong point of the image. The expression here is priceless and immediately draws the viewer in to what must be a smile on their part. The surrounding cools tones compliment the snow as well.

This Sheep is quite cute in my opinion and it's framed well by the surrounding fence that adds interest. The image just wouldn't be the same without the framing as it helps tell the story of this animal. The rectangular opening isn't straight and creates a slight diagonal line that crosses through another line created by the Sheep's ears.

One good lick deserves another I suspect. This is an up close and intimate portrait of a Cow deciding to be a little goofy and that's ok. The tongue position and expression bring a smile to your face. I don't mind that some of the animal is cut out of the frame as all the important elements are still included.

It can be very difficult to pull off a split image capturing below and above water, but it's done well in this Stingray image. You get a sense of movement and the additional Rays in the background form a highway like system. The clear, turquoise water fades nicely up into the distant sky.

There are so many forms of interesting Antelope in Africa such as this Bontebok. The animal brightly patterned and the look back expression seems to compliment its comical look. The bright highlights on the face help the viewer move up to the eyes and engage quickly, which is a plus.

I'm not even sure what I'm looking at here, but it's definitely of interest. This is a wild looking amphibian and it appears to be leaping in the air versus swimming the water. The low key effect provides a studio like look and focuses all attention where it needs to be.

Human interaction with nature is always worth documenting as these scenes show how our worlds collide. This is clearly a feeding frenzy and the chaos feels real as you dive in the image. The birds appear to be the stars of the show for the surrounding audience and they have no issue with it.

Close up photography is a favorite genre of mine as you have the opportunity to exaggerate the size of certain elements. In this Dog portrait, the extended tongue dominates the frame and also adds a pop of color. I'm also glad the subject's head doesn't intersect with the horizon and is entirely above it.