Ok, sorry for the delay! Nice entries everyone, I know it's not easy to have to take the shot the same week instead of digging through your archives, but I think that makes this fun!
Without further adieu, I'm happy to report the winner is tessfully! Nice job!
I like the movement in this. It really looks like the bird is flapping, maybe to brush the snow off.
The DOF is perfect for this kind of shot. The birds eye is sharp and the bokeh looks really nice. Composition is good too (rule of thirds, subject coming into the frame).
What I think could be better is maybe more action from the bird, like being in mid-takeoff with wings fully spread. Not much else to find wrong (and even then not all that wrong) with this image. I like it.
Second place is normhead
Third is Bill2849
Great job everyone!
Here are my comments on the rest of the photos:
normhead:
Nice shot of that camp robber (right?). I've lost cheese to them before myself!
I really like the frozen action and extended wings. They are frozen sharp but motion is still conveyed. The cheese is a nice touch too.
My criticism would be the busy background and the DOF being a little too deep for good separation from the branches. The twig coming from it's head is a little distracting.
mtux
This looks like an interesting performance! I like the action and fire but I wish you were closer and/or facing her. Action is certainly conveyed, so that is good.
On the negative side, maybe too much motion blur on her which I realize was probably the result of trying to get the fire motion. That's a good reason I think but I want more fire to keep the viewer's attention.
Tamia:
Ice and water are favorite subjects of mine. I like the lines from the upper corners, it seems like you were thoughtful with their placement. Action is definitely being portrayed where the water is a little blurred. It's got some movement and it's well exposed which isn't always easy with snow.
On the downside I find there isn't a clear focal point to the image leaving my eyes to wander aimlessly. I'd also like to see a slower shutter speed of this with a little more blur. That could still illustrate the motion while giving the water a nicer cleaner look.
Saltwater Images
Wow, looks like you overcame adversity to get a shot at all! The action is frozen and you captured that expression well.
As for negatives, the challenges you faced are evident. Harsh yet still weak overhead light doesn't help. I also wonder if this shot is just a little late. It's just after the action which I can assume was a punch. It seems like the punch would seem more "actiony". A square crop might help too, lots of open space on the right.
Bill2849
That's a pretty neat image. I like the creativity and I like that it's still a pretty discernible scene. There is a lot of movement happening and some apparent background action adding to the buzz. I think long exposure can express this kind of action well.
As for a criticism, the subject which I assume is the bus gets a little lost in all the action. It's tough to make out exactly what I was looking at at first.
noelcmn
That's a pretty good pigeon shot. I like the diving posture and the shape of its wings. The focused eyes and ready claws put it in a very non-pigeon like pose to me. Kind of unexpected. The tight crop works and accentuates the bird's shape. There is some bokeh adding separation of the subject.
On the down side the background is kind of busy. The bokeh helps, but it is still distracting. The wing tips are a little blurry from motion, which in theory is ok, but I think this would be better all crisp.
patrick9
Hmmm. I do like the shadow line coming from the corner, but this shot doesn't really make the cut. Perhaps if you had taunted the goose a little more and it charged you, it would have resulted in some good action!
scomatic
Beautiful raptor! The composition is good and I like it's position with the wings spread.
The negatives are the busy background and that it's slightly blurry (can't tell if it's focus or movement).
Saltwater Images:
I think I like this one better than the first. The composition is stronger and the background is better. There is also more action.
It would be better if there was less motion blur and again, it seems like this is just after the punch. I'd love to see one like this but with the glove connecting with opponent.
Helena:
That's a nice burst of color and I like the line from the corner of the frame. The plain background is nice for isolating your subject.
Unfortunately if you had not said so I wouldn't have identified it as a butterfly. I think a faster shutter speed would have worked better to freeze all the action or at least freeze enough to make the butterfly look like a butterfly.
Originally posted by patrick9 
Post #1 by mattb123
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