chelseabrisson

Red-Eyed Tree Frog

Costa Rica night wildlife

Costa Rica night wildlife
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iPhone 4S

Aperture f/2.4 ISO 50 Shutter 1/209

upload_date

Jan, 2015

Views

247

Likes

+10

Awards

Zenith Award

Remarkable

Outstanding Creativity

+11

Absolute Masterpiece

+11

Top Choice

Superb Composition

Peer Award

Magnificent Capture

Top Ranks

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 1

Top 20 rank

Top 20 rank week 1

Top 30 rank

Top 20 rank week 1

Top 30 rank

Behind The Lens

Location

I took this on a research trip to Costa Rica. The biologists studying this species knew where to look for these magnificent creatures, and I was amazed to see them in their natural habitat.

Time

This species is often seen at night. Thankfully Costa Rican daylight is nearly consistent year-round, so we went out to search for them after dinner each night and were able to find a few without staying up super late (this was great because the howler monkeys woke us up at the crack of dawn every day).

Lighting

We had high tech gear for this... just kidding. We had headlamps. But the colors are so vibrant on these frogs that it was enough to highlight their features!

Equipment

I used my Nikon and headlamps shining on the frog at a few angle. No flash.

Inspiration

Costa Rica has an incredibly diverse ecosystem full of stunning flora and fauna. As a biologist, I was in heaven traveling to a new country, especially to study the patterns that life has developed there. The mating colors of many species, including this frog, are absolutely stunning and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to take a few shots of something so beautiful. I remember hearing the call of "I found one!" and all of the biologists in my group hustling over to see this red-eyed tree frog waiting for a mate.

Editing

Incredibly, I did not have to do any post-processing other than slightly increasing the contrast. I did not increase the saturation or color - those are all natural, baby!

In my camera bag

I always keep my camera, headlamp, and a battery charger. I used to keep a tripod, but I found that propping my camera up often does the trick. I have less flexibility for the exact shot I imagine, but 1) I usually get a novel, more interesting angle, and 2) dropping weight out of my bag is important to taking longer trips and finding new scenes to shoot. A headlamp is dually useful for hiking and pictures, and I have gotten caught too many times without battery juice to leave my charger behind.

Feedback

Definitely read some books on the species you are trying to capture, or find an expert on that species. It's important to understand how to approach them so as to not scare them, and to know when/where to look so that your time is spent more efficiently. Who knows - maybe you'll find another species you didn't expect to see, or an amazing landscape while waiting for your creature to appear!

See more amazing photos, follow chelseabrisson

chelseabrisson

chelseabrisson

Red-Eyed Tree Frog

Costa Rica night wildlife

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow chelseabrisson

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