New Joiners - Animals #802

The color in this underwater sea slug image is off the charts and very beautiful. The usage of strobes illuminates the subject and renders the background completely black offering a low key look without any distractions. The slug's eyes stand out as does the horizontal purple line on the face which can double as a mouth.

This is a unique image as the photographer captures a Butterfly on a window with an expansive landscape in distant view. The curves and shape of the subject come to the forefront and the backing landscape provides a sense of habitat for the Butterfly. I don't mind the window imperfections either.

There's a lot going on in this Snow Monkey image and that's a good thing. The diagonal and horizontal lines intersect and support the subject that's placed in the center. It's important that the monkey's head is placed in front of a dark background helping it to stand out while also not intersecting with any lines.

The placement of the Atlantic Puffin in this frame is unconventional, but the right choice. Having the bird on the right side of the frame allows for the entire water contrail to be included which supports the launching posture of the Puffin and explains the overall behavior. It's nice to also see the rippled reflection.

This is a nice Bison shot, but what brings it to the next level is the dust bath shake up that's timely captured by the photographer. The overall tones on the subject and background are dark, which helps the dust and dirt stand out amongst the rest of the frame.

The usage of light by the photographer in this Cat portrait is exquisite as it captures a very haunting mood. The contrast in expression between the parent and its young one is on full display here. Also, the wrapping around the Cat parent gives it a human like look, making it even more foreboding.

Red and green are complimentary colors and come together so completely in this Flamingo image. Focus falls on the face and renders the back feathers slightly soft in a pleasing manner. The bird's head is placed in the upper right side of the frame while conforming to the rule of thirds.

There is a sense or feeling of delicacy at first glance of this rabbit image. Capturing the rabbit standing up and also nibbling on a single blade of grass is a combination of timing and solid execution on behalf of the photographer. I suspect the black and white conversion limits any color or tonal distractions.

Canada Geese are not to be trifled with and you get a sense of their tenacity in this image. The black and white conversion simplifies the image and brings emphasis to the birds and their reflections. There are also some line lines that divide the frame and create a layering.

Placing these Elephants in a line without any overlap is a positive. While the distant horizon is slanted a bit, it's important that all three are below the horizon without any intersection. The colors are not bold, but that doesn't take away from the painterly feel with the soft blue and gold tones.

This is an intimate portrait of a young Lion and it's very well executed by the photographer. The face is tack sharp and the engagement factor is quite high as the viewer is drawn right in to the eyes. The highlights generated by the whiskers and lower mouth also generate interest.

I like head on macro portraits of frogs as it's a way to showcase their incredible eyes up in an up close and personal manner. The depth of field is quite shallow here, but focus falls where it needs to be, right on the eyes and hands. I love the overall wet feeling created slimy fingers.

This is an artistic take on an animal image and I just love it! It's a busy frame, but that's what is appealing to me. The rippled water distorts the reflections of the reeds and the duckling in a very pleasing and painter like manner. The abundance of texture is also brought to light through the black and white conversion. Great work!

The golden backlight is very soft and pleasing and creates some rim light around the Impala helping to define its shape in the frame. There's a bit of behavior also on display as you can see the animal grooming itself for biting insects. The dark sections also create a vignette near the edges.

Repetition or the use of patterns is a strong compositional technique that's utilized in this image. The Mute Swans mirror each other's posture as well as color and texture. The height difference between the two creates a nice diagonal line as well. Lastly, the rich blue and orange tones are on fully display.