Critique of my own work:

In critiquing my own photographs, the major thing I notice (at this point) is that there are times when I am effectively using contrast, and times when I am not. As Kevin pointed out, my choice of using black and white for my "Kitty" photograph works against me. This is because the the cat blends into the environment too much. The cat's fur is too similar to the color or the ground/leaves, and in black and white, it is hard for the viewer to differentiate between the animal and the environment. In my "Cat" photo, I am able to use contrast more effectively because of the dark black color of the cat. The use of black and white works because there is nothing as black as the cat in the surrounding environment. The cat stands out, as it should, being the subject. Contrast is something that I am now more aware of, and I'll be sure to keep it in mind in my future photos.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/140059785@N05/