I would say go ahead and shoot to your heart's content. But now you are in a better position to evaluate conditions that might pose a challenge. The key is not to refuse to take a shot (or multiple shots), but to do what you can to mitigate potential problems and enhance the quality of your captures. You always have choices. Instead of saying to yourself "this won't work because it's mid-day sun", think of it more like "hmm, mid-day sun, that's a challenge, isn't it -- what can I do to surmount it?" Your solution may not win an award, but it's very likely you'll get a better capture than if you hadn't tried to work it out to the best of your ability.

Let's not knock the teacher and let's not knock the student but let's simply apply some common sense.

First of all, when you complete a class, course workshop or seminar, you should go away feeling encouraged, challenged, and stimulated, not discouraged and defected or confused. You should be looking forward to trying out someof the new concepts, techniques and approaches you have learned- make a to-do list! You are no a computer, you're human and oftentimes all the ideas you are you are bombarded in a class with takes a while to sink in after the class is over!

Many folks do not take kindly to constructive criticism but sometimes, even in a great shot, there is some room for improvement. Take the criticism in stride and try to apply some of the "improvements" the next time you are out shooting or perhaps just recompose to alter the shot in editing and see for yourself it makes a difference to YOU! It may make a stronger statement about your subject. Don't consider criticism a bad review- look at it as a tip or multiple tips! It's like eating a strange or exotic food for the first time- try it you may like it!

Some of the things your teacher told you or the way you construed them seem a bit odd to me! How can you "place" a bird or any wild animal in a specific lighting pattern. You can if the bird or animal came from the taxidermist. Of course, shooting early or later in the day can provide more directional lighting so the trick is to recognizing the natural light and using it accordingly and sometimes that means shooting at a more advantageous time of day as per the LIGHTING.

As for SHADOWS. Where the is light there is SHADOW! If all your pictures have NO SHADOWS they will have no modelling, dimensionality, depth or texture. Google "CHIAROSCURO"- it's all about light and shadow in art. Sometimes, when shooting around noon-time, in bright sunlight, dense shadows may obscure important details and become distracting- consider flash fill to minimize or modify the vacant shadows with no detail.
When you shoot with more directional light- not just overhead sun, you get more control over light and shadow placement, better texture in coats and feathers, and more control over background management.

I have attended numerous classes, workshops and seminars. I have presented many workshops, classes, and seminars on a professional level. I can tell you this. When attending a class don't try to emulate everything the teacher does or completely change everythg you are doing. You do not want to become a clone of your instructor or have a nervous breakdown. If you sincerely feel that your teacher knows what he or she is doing or talking about- introduce the new techniques slowly and discover how they apply to YOUR vision.

A good teacher will give you the tools, know-how and encouragement to apply your own creativity and talent. Some teachers will give you specific concepts and techniques to apply. Others will just tell you about all their accomplishments and essentially teach you nothing. I have attended such classes but I did learn somethg, how not to conduct a seminar! So, at least my time and money were not a total loss!

Many folks want definite answers to the question ad go-to "rules". So, the teacher will set out some "rules" or very specific ways and means of doig stuff. Consider those the BASICS, the tools, the time-honoured ways and work from there on your own.

I have had several brilliant teachers, grandmasters, that had opposing concepts and methodologies to the same fields of work and subject matter. It did not drive me crazy- I just took what I thought applied to my work from each and walked away contented.

I have seen some very creative photographers, go to an intensive workshop, drop their own approaches and their work became stiff with a high level of SAMENESS. It's as if they joined a cult of "my way or the highway"- it's stifling! Don't do dat!

Experiment!!! Try cropping your lovely FOX picture so that the eyes are 1/3 down for the top of the frame- even if it cuts into his ears. Try a tilt and SEE if he's more impact or NOT. People ma such a fuss about SOOTC images- they are missing out on all the fun of cropping or editing an image just to try out various ideas. Up can always revert to the original status or you may come up with a prize-winning masterpiece!

Your teacher is applying PORTRAT techniques to wildlife imagery- it's INTERESTING! But please don't let all this drive you nuts. Your work is well on its way to top-quality. Have at it!

Listen, my dear OP! I do photography for a living and I live in a world of criticism. In the beginning, my critics were my parents, teachers, mentors and bosses. In the army, it was my drill instructor. In business, I have critics growing out of the walls- clients, art directors, my wife, my kids, my grandkids the janitor, my account and bank manager. Everybody is a "professor". Our cat gives me dirty looks! In the end, I am my own word critic. , Sometimes I look at what I have done and say UGH- I cuss and wonder what my brain was doing when I shot that! Then, the client loves it and insists that I sign it! UGH! Then he recommends me to someone else who wants the same thing- DOUBLE UGH!

As a teacher or instructor, I will offer some go-to methods because I know they work, and when the students get good results it's encouraging. But I always tell them to improvise, try other methods, experiment and grow. Remember I was/am training pros so if they are out on a job and become perplexed, they need a standard operating procedure to fall back on. When there is time and opportunity, do your own thing and develop your own style. If you are an advanced amateur or enthusiast, the HEAT is off so take it easy and stop worrying!

I hope this helps!