New Joiners - Animals #889

I really enjoy the stong textures and complimentary tones of this image. The subject is the obvious draw, but in an understated way - the eye and the delicate shadow around the body of the toad helping to guide us. There is also a nice diagonal formed by the folds of the mud running from bottom left to top right - this helps to guide our eye across the frame. The composition could be improved with a closer crop to remove some of the top and right of the image - this would emphasise the textures and improve the placement of the toad. Placing the animal on the intersection of the upper horizontal and right vertical thirds would have been my choice here.

The beautiful warm tones of the out of focus background provides the perfect canvas for the white fur of this lamb. The direct head on pose and eye contact creates an immediate connection with the viewer. These elements make an instant impact. The shallow depth of field has separated the background and foregound elements, creating a beautiful soft frame within which our subject sits. The bulk of the adult to the right feels a little dominant, and I would crop in a little tighter to reduce this and place the lamb slightly to the right of centre. I would also try and recover the highlight areas on the top of the head as these appear a little blown out.

This image has many positive elements to it. The contrast of the white fur and the darker surrounding elements ensures our attention is immediately drawn to the animal. The direct eye contatc creates a connection with the viewer - the eyes form the anchor for the frame. The focus is spot on and the slight underexposure a good choice, helping to reduce the distraction of the busy woodland scene. For me, the composition feels unbalanced - the tiger is too close to the left edge of the shot. I like the idea of using the crossing trunks on the right to frame the tiger, but they feel too dominant. A tighter crop would improve the overall balance and produce a stronger end result.

I'm a big fan of using out of focus foreground elements to frame an image, as we see with this photograph of a roosting nightjar. I like the strong diagonal that the branch forms as it runs from bottom left across the photograph. Note how the angle of the nightjar follows this lead, the cryptic plumage adding to this connection. The main anchor for the shot is the bird's eye, nicely framed by the brighter green of the out of focus leaves and the dark branch to the top of the frame. The image feels a little dark and I would revisit the edit to bring the exposure levels up a tad.

I really like the perspective of this photograph. Shooting this scene directly from above has delivered an angle that we would not normally see. What makes it work so well is the even-toned and textured background, the grey tones a complete contrast for the bright, warm tones of the animals. I love the curved shape of the mother, the kittens all aligned to near perfection - the three central characters bookended by the outer two as they follow the contours of the adult's outstretched legs. This is a skillful piece of work that cries out for a tighter crop in horizontal format.

The fox is such a colourful animal that most would not consider a black and white approach to the subject. This image proves that removing the colour in certain situations can add an extra element. What the approach has delivered here is the concentration on shape and form. The first thing that grabs the attention is the bold shapes of the arches in the background - these have been carefully positioned to create a nice balance. Then there is the shaft of sunlight across the courtyard which lights our subject like a stage spotlight. It also creates that strong shadow of the fox - another compelling graphic element. The frame is divided neatly into foreground, subject and background areas, the shallow depth of field concentrating our attention on the fox while still providing a sense of place without distraction. Finally, the facial expression as the fox yawns is the thing that seals the deal - that gapping yawn and full show of menacing teeth gives the whole thing a dynamic twist. The white border is a distraction and reduces the size of the image on the screen.

With tight portraits such as we see here, ensuring that the focal point is right on the eyes is critical as it creates an immediate connection with the viewer. I like the photographer's choice of aperture here, f/9 has allowed a slightly greater depth of field to capture more detail in the fur and facial features. The tight crop has removed any of the distracting elements of the busy surroundings. The esposure is also well handled - that area of direct sunlight on the top of the head could easily have become a little too bright and distracting. I'm not normally a fan of square crops, but it works well in this instance.

The flower head is a beautiful compositonal element of this image. I like the way its bright yellow petals lead upwards through the frame to the bee which sits perfectly on top. The darker green of the out of focus background ensures there is nothing else in the frame to distract attention. The open aperture and macro lens has led to a very shallow depth of field, but the focus is critically on the bee's eye. The exposure is also nicely balanced, retaining details in both shadows and highlight areas. I would crop a little off the right and left edges of the frame as this negative space is redundant.

The composition of this image is so clever. The placement of the horse's saddle and bright covers in that gap between the trees is deliberate. I love the way the curve of the animal's spine as it rests and stoops balances the lines of the distant mountains and the small rise of gound on which it stands. The image is also nicely layered with clear foreground, mid-ground and background layers. The central placement of the horse is superb, the red of the blankets is the visual anchor that can't be ignored. The photograph also delivers a strong narrative that is rather compelling. Nice work.

This is a great example of a classic bird portrait. The long lens has generated a shallow depth of field that has ensured that foreground and background elements are rendered soft and out of focus, creating a frame within which our subject sits. In contrast, the bird is pin sharp and draws our attention immediately. The composition is strong, the subject placed to the left of centre with plenty of negative space on the right for it to look into. I also like the contrast in colour between the subject and accompanying elements - this helps to isolate the bird and hold our attention on it. The twig immediately behind the warbler is distracting and I would either remove it or reduce the highlight areas in post-production to lessen its impact.

This image is a classic tight portrait of a gannet during the breeding period. The shot works so well owing to its symmetry - the vertically straight bill pointing downwards centred in the frame and flanked by those large eyes at either side always offers a balanced and pleasing composition. The shot has been taken in rather harsh light, the face would have been in shadow, the photographer compensating by overexposing to ensure correct exposure of the main elements. This has resulted in burning out the highlights at the top of the head.

The photographer has made clever use of out of focus foreground elements to not only introduce a splash of colour, but to soften the impact of the birdhouse and place more emphasis on the bluebird. I like the shallow depth of field and the way this has delivered that soft frame within which the bird sits. It also helps to keep our attention on the subject in a wider composition.

The black and white conversion of this photograph is its great strength. The removal of colour has concentrated all our attention on the textures of the fur and eyelashes - that deep, dark pool of an eye providing a strong contrast and visual anchor for the composition. The processing has really brought those features out and created a three dimensional feel. The eye is the star of the show and the immediate draw for our own eyes. The overall composition of the image feels a little unbalanced - the eye is too far to the left. I would have been tempted to go with a horizontal 4:3 or similar crop to remove the highlight area in the top left and place the eye centrally or slightly to the right of centre. This would improve the flow.

Part of the charm of this image is the rather busy and chaotic surroundings that the photographer has chosen to shoot through to create this photograph. There is a rather compelling narrative to the scene that tells the viewer a little about the habitat in which the bird was found. It works for one reason - the photographer has ensured that the point of focus has landed squarely on the bird's eye - the facial features all being sharp and in clear view. The breast is an immediate draw, the pop of colour impossible to ignore. The position of the bird in the frame is well composed and I like the little triangle within which it sits - formed by out of focus vegetation. The shallow depth of field has reduced the impact of these busy supporting elements.

This is a photograph that cleverly breaks the usual compositional conventions and places the subject boldy in the bottom right corner of the frame. I like images that bend the usual rules, and this works so well owing to the seed stem that flows diagonally across the frame from the spider in the bottom right corner to the top left where it fans out with its delicate filaments. The vertical orientation adds to the drama of the composition and is a great choice. The spider remains centre stage, the shallow depth of field and contrast in tone helping to concentrate our attention.