Verdict: Could do better...
Yours truly...
I recently joined the Society of International Nature and Wildlife Photographers (SINWP), and one of the first things I did was to apply to join their mentoring programme. The criteria they use to rate the images are as follows:
Impact
Creativity and style
Composition
Image or print presentation
Centre of interest
Lighting
Colour balance
Technical excellence
Photographic technique
Story telling and subject matter
I submitted my top 20 images, and this is the feedback I received. I've made all the suggested changes (where possible), so these images are the new and improved versions!
01: Close-up of giraffe silhouetted against black background
Verdict: Love this image, Nick
02: Close-up of right eye of Grevy zebra
Verdict: Again, a lovely image, you just need to remove yourself from the eye
03: Brown bear lying relaxed on rocky outcrop
Verdict: The image just needs to be a little darker as it's a bit wishy washy
04: Intermediate egret wading through lake in sunshine
Verdict: Like it, just watch the highlights on the back of the stork as the detail is being lost
05: Bengal tiger with catchlight in water hole
Verdict: Great shot, shame there is movement in the head, making the image look unsharp
06: Malachite kingfisher on dead branch facing camera
Verdict: If you can, tone down the background highlights a little more as they are distracting
07: Elephant giving itself dust bath on hillside
Verdict: Love it, great capture, good movement in the image
08: Lilac-breasted roller perched on dead tree stump
Again, a lovely image. In my mind, there is too much tree stump, try cropping to just below the branch (about 25mm).
09: Adelie penguin jumping between two ice floes
Verdict: Another cracking shot, good use of movement and D of F
10: King penguin stepping over rock with another
Verdict: Like it, but if you can take the snow / water down a little in the background that would stop the eye from wandering
11: Juvenile dolphin gull walks on sandy beach
Verdict: The image is too light and needs adjustment, also the head of the bird doesn't look as sharp as it should be
12: Close-up of Chilean flamingo head in mono
Verdict: Like the shot, but would like to see it in colour. You also have a ghost line just appearing on the top of the bird's head.
13: Marine iguana among roots staring at camera
Again, a great capture, just tone down the highlights and the background a little, would again stop the eye wandering from the main subject
14: Bear about to catch salmon in mouth
Verdict: Cracking shot, but the image appears too light and looks washed out
15: Brown bear about to catch a salmon
Verdict: Prefer 14, but the image appears too light and looks washed out
16: Close-up of golden eagle head with catchlight
Verdict: Yes, good head shot. Not mind-blowing and not one of your strongest images.
17: Male azure hawker dragonfly flying through undergrowth
Verdict: Put the image back into Photoshop and go to levels and add 27. The image then jumps off the page.
18: Pig peeping out from behind wall
Verdict: Ha ha. Love it. The image again is too light. Go to levels again, also darken the background to stop the pillars being a distraction.
19: Baby spotted owlet close-up
Verdict: There is camera movement in the image. Again, as above.
20: Grevy's zebra watercolour
Verdict: Like the shot, but not the effect. Also watch the horizon line and you also have a dead pixelated line around the head, which is noticeable in the dark area of the image.
Comments: Hi, Nick, you have some brilliant images here, just watch the camera movement and put them back into Photoshop and play with the density a little more to give the images more depth. But keep up the good work.
If you’d like to order a framed print of one of my wildlife photographs, please visit the Prints page.
If you’d like to book a lesson or order an online photography course, please visit my Lessons and Courses pages.