Predators

This image stood out from the very first time I saw it. I love the aggressive interaction between the animals which has been captured well and with loads of drama. The dominance of the left hand animal is clear, and those exposed teeth and pinned back ears add menace. The exposure is great and the shutter speed well chosen to capture all the movement. I also like the post processing which has brought out all the details in the animals and focused the viewer’s attention in the right areas. The background is perhaps a little distracting, but that is a very small niggle for what is a superb image.

Crab spiders are awesome predators which catch their prey on flowers such as Oxeye Daisy where they blend into the petals and ambush unsuspecting insects which are attracted to the flowers. The use of colour here to give the animal a sense of place is really nice, drawing the attention to the animal itself which is captured in a very intimidating pose. The focal point and depth of field are both spot on, the viewers gaze brought straight to the eyes and mandibles, the legs and body gently fading away into the colourful background. This isn’t a view I would like if I were an insect!

This is an image showing a high degree of skill and demonstrates very strong composition. I love the shallow depth of field and the way it concentrates attention on the snake’s eyes, while the tongue loses none of its deserved impact and retains a centre role in the image. I also really like the lighting which highlights the texture of the animal’s skin, and perfectly sculpts the coils of the body as they gently melt away into the background.