Midnight Crooner

[Andrew McLachlan]

One from a few nights ago while I was out in the vernal pools in the abandoned cattle pasture behind my home photographing frogs and toads singing. I recently found out that many species of frogs and toads calls can reach as high as 90-100 decibels...no wonder my ears are always ringing after a night out in the ponds :S3: I evicted numerous flash generated spectular highlights while optimizing this image.

Look forward to comments.

Nikon D200
Nikon 105 micro lens
ISO 100
SB400 on Wimberley single-arm set-up macro bracket
f22 @ 1/60 sec
handheld

112730

[Mat Bingham]

Very nice photo. The depth of field is good, sharpness good. I really like the bubbles. Very good photo.

[Jim Bridges]

I agree with the comment Mat posted it is a wonderful image!

[BillTyler]

Great color, composition, and behavior. The flash is far enough off-axis to give good rendering of texture. I'd tentatively suggest darkening down the stick in the middle right, the one at a 45-degree angle.

Bill

[Steve Maxson]

Hi Andrew. Maybe you should be using ear plugs when you photograph these guys. :t3 Do you know what species this is? Excellent sharpness and detail and a good job of cleaning up the spectral highlights. Love the blue on its throat sac and the bubbles add interest. I might wish for a bit more room at the bottom so its foreleg isn't touching the frame, but that is a minor point and this is very well done!

[Andrew McLachlan]

Thanks for the comments guys...much appreciated.

Steve, this is an American Toad (Bufo americanus)

Bill, good suggestion for toning down the old cattail leaf

[OvidiuCavasdan]

Very nice pose, cool subject. Sharpness and details are great, the blue sac is eye catching and the bubbles are a big plus. Also very good work using the flash and PP. I like this a lot.

[Ken Childs]

Andrew, the previous compliments are all well deserved....this came out great! The blue throat looks fantastic and your PP work is excelling! Is that blue normal for American Toads in your area? I've never seen one with that around here.

[Andrew McLachlan]

Thanks Ovidiu and Ken for the additional comments, much appreciated.

Ken, every American Toad I have photographed up here has the blue throat, but the rest of their coloration seems to vary quite a bit. Some are rather light in color and others are much darker

[Ken Childs]

Ken, every American Toad I have photographed up here has the blue throat, but the rest of their coloration seems to vary quite a bit. Some are rather light in color and others are much darker
A large percentage of what I see here are the red form....some are REALLY red.

[Hazel Grant]

Above all spot on.....I am amazed that you can get near them at night especially. When we lived in California, they would sing all over the fields behind our house, but the slightest noise would hush them for quite a while. Good 'hunting' and shot.