amphibians

Green on Green /  by Todd Henson

Green on green: mantis

Sometimes we use color in photography to help accentuate the subject, perhaps by using bold colors that just jump right out at us. But sometimes it’s fun to create photographs with a far simpler color palette, perhaps demonstrating how subjects can blend into the background, essentially becoming a part of it.

In this case while out photographing on the boardwalk I was lucky to see and photograph two instances of green subjects on a green background. In the first case I found a young mantis, likely a Chinese mantis, resting on some leaves. It took a lot of moving back and forth to find a position where I was able to get this little insect in frame and in focus. Each time I moved it was also a struggle to find it again against all that green. :-)

Green on green: treefrog

In the second case I noticed another photographer already focusing on a subject. As I walked by we struck up a conversation and he pointed out the small green treefrog resting on a green plant. He offered to move aside and let me photograph it from where he stood (which was a great location to get a side view of the frog), but this was his find and I didn’t want to pressure him to move so I created a couple quick photographs from a slightly different position and left him in peace to continue composing with the treefrog as I’d done with the mantis.

These sorts of monochromatic scenes can be a lot of fun to explore. And they don’t have to involve a unique subject different from the background. In many cases the subject and background can be one and the same.

Steven Schwartzman has more examples of green on green in his post, Green, green, and more green.

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Sheltered Gray Treefrog /  by Todd Henson

Sheltered: A large gray treefrog resting on the rail

My neighborhood isn’t the sort of place I expect to find wildlife, and yet I do continue to find it in small numbers and especially in small forms. One that I’ve seen and photographed a few times now are small gray treefrogs, which seem to like my steps and railing.

Let Me Sleep!

I found this particular frog in the early afternoon one Sunday as I was heading out the door. Out of the corner of my eye I happened to see a shape I wasn’t used to seeing on the end of the railing at the base of my front steps and did a double take when I noticed this good sized gray tree frog sheltered in curve of the metal raining, sleeping off the day and waiting for night to head back out and about. The way the sun sets it picked a perfect position to shelter its eyes from much of the light. I had to bring up the shadows a fair bit in post-production to let you see its eyes.

Gray treefrog closeup

As you can see, its eyes were open, so it was aware I was there, but it didn’t see me as a threat and just remained resting as I slowly moved closer creating photos. The last photo gives a decent view of one of this frog’s eyes. Look at the interesting patterns there, and the little bits of color, like the orange in the eye and the green just below it. I never get tired of viewing these amazing little creatures.

For more, check out the two previous posts where I had encounters with gray treefrogs at the front of my house:

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Resting on the Rail /  by Todd Henson

A small gray treefrog, resting on the rail.

It’s nice sometimes when wildlife comes right to you at home, at least when it’s harmless and non-destructive wildlife. That was the case here with a couple small gray treefrogs at my front entrance. One was resting on the vertical brick wall and the other was on the metal railing right beside a small tree, which provided a nice background for it.

Gray treefrogs really are fascinating little creatures.

I tried photographing the one on the brick wall first, but it was skittish and hopped away shortly after I snapped the shutter. You can see a photo of it towards the end of the post. But the second frog, on the metal railing, showed no interest or concern of me and the camera. It was simply posing on the railing. Maybe it was resting, or waiting for some insect to come closer, or perhaps it was just staying still hoping I’d go away.

I didn’t spend a long time with the frog, but I did attempt a few shots with different perspectives or framing. I think I prefer the angled shot that opens this post, but it was also interesting getting in close to better see some of the details in these little creatures.

This is as close as I got. I didn’t want to get closer and risk scaring it away.

I like taking a little time while post-processing to analyze my photos, to see if I made any mistakes or if there are things I could do next time to create a better photograph. Looking back, one thing I might try next time would be a polarizing filter. I wonder whether that might have reduced some of the glare from the damp skin of the frog, perhaps letting us better see the color and texture of its skin. And I might try another angled shot but lower down, more at eye-level with the frog to give a more personal perspective. The next challenge is remembering what I’ve learned so I can apply it in the future.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this brief look at one of my lovely neighbors.

The one that hopped away…

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