animal portrait for competition..which to choose?

Of the ones shown, I have to choose 2.


#1

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/qBXo​SX

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/oh5K​28

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/oh5i​1G

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/oAjo​LD

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/qPNF​sj

They are all great shots but # 4 is my fav. then # 3.

As above +1

1 and 4. Too bad the sheep is overexposed, it's a serious contender otherwise.

So far, the poll has an odd number of votes. Someone gets to add a vote.

#4 is going to give you the best chance of placing highly in the contest. But it is framed very tightly.....too tightly, I dare say. Might I suggest adding some canvas all the way around, with perhaps a bit more added to the top of the image than elsewhere? That would be especially helpful if the entries are to be matted and/or framed.

EDIT:
Ha! I see that you already added canvas, at least to the right side of the image. But it needs more added, in my opinion. A lot of judges have a real problem with "crowded" framing.

1 and 4 for me also. I also agree that I would go 4 and 5 if the sheep was better exposed. For competitions I find judges usually go with shots that show some kind of insight into animal behaviour/'feelings' rather than just a plain portrait. That sort of rules 2 & 3 out for me.

Jeevz wrote in post #17423615
For competitions I find judges usually go with shots that show some kind of insight into animal behaviour/'feelings' rather than just a plain portrait.

By that criterion, 4 and 5 are the best choices. They show--ta daaa!--relationships. A pretty animal as the subject might give a photo an edge, too. For me, these factors are outweighed by three merits of #1: composition; a creature most people don't often see (not available on ranches or in pet stores); and showing the creature's natural environment.

1 and 4. 1 is my favorite! 4 is the next best. They are all fantastic!

#4 for me. Agree with loosening up on the crop.

#5 would be a second choice if you could recover the highlights.

A vote for #2 here. All great shots, but the first and last are not quite there technically for competition. That leaves the three bird shots. #2 has it all - composition, color, contrast, plus some character with the bird having a little connection of sorts with the viewer. Heck - it's posing!

Any chance that you shot these in raw format and could change the exposure of #5 in post processing? If so, then I'd vote for #4 and #5. If not, then #4 and #2

OhLook wrote in post #17423534
Too bad the sheep is overexposed, it's a serious contender otherwise.

Jeevz wrote in post #17423615
I also agree that I would go 4 and 5 if the sheep was better exposed.

LV Moose wrote in post #17423669
#5 would be a second choice if you could recover the highlights.

philk54 wrote in post #17424682
Any chance that you shot these in raw format and could change the exposure of #5 in post processing?

Well, I guess I'm the oddball here. I just don't see a problem with the fact that a little bit of the ewe's head and muzzle, and a little bit of the lamb's hind leg is over-exposed. That doesn't ruin or spoil the shot for me at all. In fact, if it were my image and I liked it more than the others, I would go ahead and enter it, highlights notwithstanding.

Now if there was a little bit of noise grain in the image - anywhere in the image - that would completely ruin it for me. I guess we all have our aesthetic pet peeves!

Thanks everyone

The mother and lamb I do have as RAW and the blown highlight that I missed are already corrected as I type. Thanks for that.

I am no leading to #1 and #4, as many of you said, they should behaviour, though #5 is still a fav too

Mind you, future thread readers, don't let my reply stop you from voting and/or commenting

I would go with 4 or 5. 4 is a little tight but I like the subject more.