Pet portraits

This portrait of a kitten struck me because of the human hands and the way they're wrapped around the kitten in a loving and protective manner. The hands themselves are very graceful. The use of shallow depth of field works perfectly here to really bring the focus right into the kittens beautiful eyes. I think this image works well in black and white but could also hold up in colour. The use of negative space above the head gives the cat's head a good position. I also love the paws coming out through the hands.

This is a compelling image. The skill taken to get the cat's eyes in focus while running is good. I like the placement of the cat on the left side of the frame. I just wish there was more going on in the rest of the frame. Even if it's still all snow, maybe there's some texture to the snow or something that would enhance the outdoor scene. It's a great shot of a cat that makes him look like he's a much bigger and more powerful cat.

This super cute bunny adorned with flowers is engaging for many reasons. The use of shallow depth of field really helps bring the focus to the eyes. Also the monochromatic quality makes the image have a glow to it that makes it feel rather other worldly. The addition of the flowers gives this image more personality and makes it stand out from the crowd. I would have retouched out the whiskers where they cross on top of the eyes if possible.

This feels like a studio shot; a good one at that. I can see that it was lit by strobe, using a soft box. The catch light in the eyes is good and helps bring the viewer's attention in. The tongue is perfect. This is a happy dog about to get something good to eat and I feel that. I can see some pixelation happening in the blue background that I would want to avoid. I might add a slight vignette to this image to make it feel more rich.

I love this image and had originally considered it among my top 10. The movement of the dog through the bushes is engaging. You feel the wonder of being a dog. The eyes are very expressive too and I love the bits of snow on the coat. I would have cropped out some of the image on the left side to make a more dramatic composition. There's a fair amount of color contamination or fringing in the dogs coat. This happens sometimes with fur and can be taken care of in Photoshop.

I like the straight forward portrait of your cat. The composition is good and the white on white is also engaging. I would like to see the focus on the eyes a bit more. It looks like the area just behind the eyes is the sharpest. Keep this work up! It looks like the shot was taken with a strobe light and it's lit well. I like the fact that you pulled the cat far enough from the background to eliminate any distracting shadows from your main light source.

I love this image for the playful story that it tells about the forever watchful pup. The curtain on the head makes this shot for me. Even though you can't see his eyes, you can imagine the look he's giving you. Watch out for your focus and motion blur though. By putting the furniture and dog on the left side of the frame you've created an engaging composition as well. I also might straighten the image out so that the horizontal lines of the floor, windowsill and window are straight instead of leaning down.

The composition is great here. It may be simple but it's very pleasing to the eye. In a sea of flowers we see the dog peeking out in a fun way. It would have been even better if we could see into the dog's eyes. I like the shallow depth of field and the low angle as well. You feel like you're there with the dog. The use of black and white also helps make the dark dog pop out against the field of white.

This image has a lot going for it. The crisp filter used enhances the dogs scruffy coat and makes him stand out from the sandy beach. I also like the monochromatic quality of the image. The vignette is also good. I would love to have seen just a bit more empty space on the bottom left hand side of the image. It would be more balanced if the crop wasn't so tight. Also, I would have kept the blue filter off of the dog's tongue. His tongue would look better if it was its natural pink. If it was more pink your eye would go to the face even more quickly.

This has the makings of a great image. I love the fall setting and the dog is spectacular in his environment. The image looks like it's been over sharpened in the face area, giving it a pixelated feel that takes away from the moment. The dead branches on the left are also a distraction for me. I would have cut them down or found a wooded area that was bursting with life and colour. The composition is safe. What if you moved the camera to the right a bit? Or, shot from an even lower angle?

This image has a very current feel to it. I love the energy and movement. What I would like to see is the dog's face sharp. I'd also try shooting with a faster shutter speed to capture the dog's feet without them blurring as much. Some blur is okay, but the way the front and back legs are blurring together on the left is distracting. You've got the composition working for sure. What if you did the same thing but moved away from the concrete wall on the left and avoided showing the second wall in the background. Those walls take me away from the dog.

This image almost made the cut for me. I love this cute little guy. He's full of personality with his over bite. Good job with focus. I know it's not easy when you're shooting wide open. The use of shallow depth of field helps make him pop out of the frame. What I'm missing is more of the dog himself. I bet his pose is super cute too. I would also like to see you play with composition. The head right in the center takes away from how special this moment is.

This image has the beginnings of being a winner. The dog is beautiful, but his expression here is a bit sad. I like the water coming off him, but wish it wasn't in the downward pattern. It ends up being distracting and I wish I could change the shape of that drop. I love the effect and the feel of the water setting though. Is there a way you could have shot this dog without the choke chain? That's also pulling my eye away from the intrinsic beauty of this photo.