You looking at me?
May, 2016Views
7210
Likes
Awards
Action Award
Chatter Award
Zenith Award
Creative Winter Award
Curator's Selection
Top Shot Award 21
Legendary Award
Contest Finalist in My Best Shot Photo Contest Vol 2
Member Selection Award
Featured
Contest Finalist in Small Things In Nature Photo Contest
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Absolute Masterpiece
Magnificent Capture
Outstanding Creativity
All Star
Superior Skill
Virtuoso
Genius
Emotions
Impressed
Top Ranks
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Top 20 rank
Categories
PRO+
jgalarza70
October 25, 2016
great shot. I agree with Paulacook144, soften the leaf on the right and darken those spots and you have an amazing contest shot.
StaceyFrost
October 26, 2016
Thank you for the comments. Thank you also for the advice. I will most certainly bare this in mind when I next open the photo up to edit. An area I really need more practise in! :)
Platinum
StaceyFrost
November 24, 2016
Hi, thank you. It was taken in my living room through the glass of his vivarium. :)
Platinum
PRO+
zoricapecold
September 05, 2017
Adorable little frog! Great composition, beatuful colors, full hit! Well done!
Platinum
PRO+
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Discover more photos See all
Behind The Lens
Location
I keep dart frogs as another of my hobbies, which opens up some great opportunities for photography too. I keep them in bio active, live planted vivariums, so it's as natural as can be and I also shoot in situ, to minimise stress and provide a more natural backdrop. They are such colourful, bold little frogs, the size of your thumb nail, but they're also quite quick, so present a fun challenge.Time
I took this shot late morning, as the frogs tend to be more active morning and evening, also at feeding time. This was this little guy's second day here, so he was still very actively exploring his new home after his breakfast.Lighting
Where animals like this are concerned, in such close quarters, I prefer natural light over flash guns. It does make getting that shot all the more of a challenge, but very worthwhile. This was shot with just the overhead vivarium lighting, consisting of around 30w of 6500k LEDs, which provides for the needs of the plants, more so than the frogs.Equipment
I use a Nikon D5300 with a Nikon 105mm f/2.8G VR micro lens. This shot was taken handheld, through glass, using the pane to brace the front of the lens and help prevent any glare or reflections.Inspiration
Frogs are a passion of mine and keeping them is very a rewarding and interesting experience on it's own, alongside maintaining a small eco-system, growing plants, mosses and orchids. It was whilst observing the behaviour of a new group of frogs exploring their environment, that I thought I'd reach for my camera and create some memories of it. They're quite fast, but also bold and inquisitive and as he was about to jump up onto a piece of wood, he noticed me with the camera and turned to face me, which led to capturing this wonderful pose. This has to be my all time favourite photograph to date.Editing
For post processing I use photoshop CS6, being macro, I often add a little selective sharpening to enhance details and also a little blur, if needed, on the background. I also use a golden action that i have at a low opacity, which helps to just lift the greens a little more. I will also sometimes use the Topaz de-noise 5 plug-in to help smooth and remove any additional noise caused from shooting with a higher ISO.In my camera bag
In my small bag, I normally carry just my Nikon D5300 and my Nikon 105mm micro lens, with a few screw on filters, such as ND, UV, Polarising filters dependant on available light and what I wish to shoot. I do have a passion for macro and the lens also doubles as a nice fast lens whilst out walking with the dog and children, as well as being a nice middle of the road macro lens. The best of both worlds, really.Feedback
Patience, and more patience. If you enjoy observing the animals as well as taking photos of them, it's not really a chore. I leave them in there own vivariums, rather than remove them to a pre-arranged light box or staged area. This will keep the animals less stressed and provokes more natural behaviours and poses. Lighting amongst densely planted areas can be problematic, but it makes achieving a shot like this much more worthwhile. Despite being bold, they can spook easily and move fast, so I mostly shoot through the glass of the vivarium. Always make sure to place your lens flat against the glass, this will not only help you steady your shot, it will reduce any distortion, outside glare or reflection on the glass, which can in turn ruin your photos. If you remain quiet and move slowly, you will normally always be rewarded with something worth keeping.
