Maiwand

I am not normally very keen on the 'head on' pose Bob as I feel that it tends to squash and flatten the birds features; this time however you have such a stunningly sharp image that you get away with it. A real quality shot. However as you have such a sharp image I do think the composition will benefit from a big crop on the perch trunk. This will then give you the chance of showing a much larger image.
Ron

A really fine shot and I think you have done a super job.
It seems to me tho. that the image needs perhaps a little more contrast to try to give a tad more emphasis to the castle and a crop to a section of the right side to move the imposing castle away from the centre of the frame.
I hasten to add that this is just my opinion and is,in no way, intended as a criticism.
Ron

Wonderful pure crisp and clean colours captured here Joline. Excellent.
Hope you dont mind just a thought but I do wonder what this would look like in portrait made. ?? I thought perhaps to crop away the lone balloon at the lower left and show the remaining four as a rising column on a much tighter portrait crop against that fabulous BG.
Just, of course, my personal opinion and in no way a criticism.
Ron

Birds are a lot harder to capture than most folks imagine Annette. Loads of different aspects to consider but, as start, in broad outline, get as close as you can and always use a tripod and take several shots each time.
Ron

Great shot Joline showing these lovely flowers. Point of focus seems to be just a tad adrift. It appears to be sharpest on the large green leaf at lower left instead of the flower heads. Its still a lovely image for all that ad I hope you dont mind my comment.
Ron

An excellent image of the Stonechat Lillian. Superbly focussed and exposed. IMO ( and it is only that ) I think you were right not 'clean up ' the BG by cloning out the extra twigs. This is after all a wild bird shot and not a studio portrait. Those twigs do not impact on the superb image of the bird ( which is of course the main subject ) and they help a little to establish a location. If a perfectly clear BG occurs in the shot then so be it but better not to cause it to happen.
I would repeat that this is just my opinion and in no way to be a criticism.
Ron

Fine crisp candid capture of the soldier Alan. I think perhaps ( if your lens allows ) it might have helped to diffuse the BG a bit if you had used a larger aperture- perhaps F5.6 - and this would also have allowed an increase in shutter speed.
( easy to be clever with hindsight is'nt it ? )
Notwithstanding that its still an excellent shot.

Ron

Fine Robin capture Louise. Try using a slightly smaller aperture next time to keep ( if you can ) both legs in focus. BG is nicely thrown OOF but I think depth of field is almost too narrow on the bird.
Ron

Fine captures Ray. V 2 I feel is definately the better. Sparrow shot I feel is soft but is probably nothing more than good old camera shake. Good support /monopod/ tripod/beanbag and easy on the shutter button. Remember too that you should really be using at least 1/400th with that lens. If the wretched light will allow
Ron

Two fine shots Lillian.I think my preference is for V2 as it shows so much more wonderful detail on the facial disc.The shot could do perhaps with just a tad of treatment with the brightness/contrast tool. Get just a little more definition in the body plumage.
I could not agree more with your remark that you ' put the shot on because YOU like it '. That to my mind is always the right approach. Its a great pleasure of course if others enjoy your work and its a great reward, but essentially it should always be what YOU like.
Ron

Good pose and perch on this lovely bird Louise. Just a tad soft on the focus-- handheld 100 to 400 ??? -- time to get out the tripod. They are a damn nuisance but they are invaluable and would help here I am sure.
Ron

Think you have it about right Lillian V1 better for focus and V2 much better for a natural colour. Might be worth checking on your White Balance too.Changing the balance to suit the light conditions is always worth the effort.
Ron

Great shots all. Love the colour in V 3. Cant help thinking however that with a side on view and a carefully selected shutter speed you could have given the impression of speed and movement so much more graphically. The head on shot does tend to freeze the frame solid.
As always I stress this is my personal opinion only and never intended as criticism.
Ron

Lovely shot Neil. Some excellent light has really highlighted the ducks. The water colour is superb; having said that however there is quite a bit of empty space both top and bottom filled with nothing but water and I wondered if the image would achieve more impact if a goodly part of it was cropped off. Just my personal opinion of course but I feel that making this into a real letter box format would provide a more striking composition. The quality is all there.
These thoughts are in no way intended as criticism and are just a personal view.
Ron

What a crying shame Adrian that super shots like this have to suffer with such bland BG's because the light is so poor.
Have you tried to introduce a gentle colour tinge by useing the magic wand tool. If you pick up the tool and click in the picture you will find, because the BG is so uniform, that you will select the bulk of the shot. If you then press and hold the shift key and click in each of the spaces below the bird you will intoduce the ants to that area. Once completed feather your selection. Then go to your colour picker, select a very gentle shade (of blue perhaps) and useing the paint pot fill in each of the areas with the colour. Time consuming I agree but with shots of this quality I am sure you will find it will give the whole composition a lift.
Just a thought of course and in no way intended as criticism.
Ron

Lovely shot and pose but on my screen it looks just a tad on the flat side. May I suggest a touch of levels and or contrast would give it just a bit of a lift. Detail looks fine but just wants a spot of emphasis.
Just my opinion of course and in no way a criticism.
Ron

Cracking good shot Luke. Superb little Bluey. I think that I find V2 the better composition. V1 is excellent but for my eye the tap is far too bright ( not a lot you can do about that, its new ! ) - and is far too prominent and eyecatching in the frame; its more like Tap and Blue Tit rather than Blue Tit with Tap. V2 seems to me to very much better. The tap is very obvious but it still allows the bird to, quite rightly, take pride of place.
This is just my opinion of course and is in no way a criticism of the lovely shot.
Ron

Another wonderful capture of your garden friend. He is a beautiful looking bird. I wonder Sylvia if it would be worth considering toning down the lower part of the tree trunk. There is such a big light difference between the higher part of the tree perch and the lower part that it causes the lower part to be a bit eye catching. Maybe a gentle application of the burn tool would help ? Its just a thought and notwithstanding that its still a cracker of a shot.
Just my personal opinion of course and in no way intended as criticism.
Ron

Excellent shot Catherine with a great narrative.
Unfortunately we cant see your picture in large view but it does seem to me that the detail on the Sheep is very good and that you could perhaps give the whole image a bit more impact by cropping closer to it. Details and features of the valley are very interesting but it would not detract at all from the image if you were to crop out a good half inch or so all round. This would enable you to feature the sheep far more prominently.
I hasten to add that this is just my opinion and in no way intended as criticism.
Ron

A beautiful lady Steve and a fine happy portrait. I think you could ( if possible ) improve matters by carefully cloning back some of those facial highlights, maybe ues the healing brush tool.
As always just my personal opinion
Hope you dont mind.
Ron