Your bobcat photo, Rich, has a very good feeling of movement. And you know what I think makes a big difference here? Ordinarily I'd say the photo was soft, not enough focus. And that would be right. HOWEVER, because the cat's left paw is so clearly moving (blatantly moving) and the left eye is very close to being in focus, the overall softness doesn't bother me as much. If that left paw had not been in the photo, I think the photo's effectiveness would have been diminished. Very intense expression on the cat's face, room to move into the photo, non-distracting background -- all work very well.
Love the bubble! Again, non-distracting background, room for movement. It would have been an amazing shot had the bubble been sharply in focus, but oh, well . . . Tough shooting situation and I appreciate how well you did with it.
You got in fairly close, so the bird's a decent size. You got the catchlight in the eye. You didn't amputate any body parts! It's just too bad the lighting is so dappled and the head's in the sun and the body's in the shade. The background, too, is a bit busy and distracting and doesn't show off the cardinal very well. So of the three photos, I'd say this is the one with the least amount of impact. Nothing like the bobcat shot, wouldn't you agree?
