We’ve seen all kinds of interesting animal portraits from dark and moody zoo animals to hilarious pet and owner mash-ups. Often, the creative portraits focus on furry or feathery friends but in this series, artist Lukasz Bozycki has turned his lens towards a new subject: cute little pond-based amphibians.
In his ongoing series of nature photography, the Polish photographer narrows in on lone toads or frogs lazily relaxing in the golden light of the setting sun. To capture these intimate portraits, Bozycki spent a spring evening patiently waiting in icy cold water of a nearby pond until his subjects appeared. Then, using a telephoto lens, Bozycki leaned over to gain an eye-to-eye level, bending down so far that he sometimes dipped his ear into the water.
By focusing his attention on just one or two leathery-skinned creatures, Bozycki created a unique portrayal of the species in their natural environments. He says, “I wanted to find a fresh way of portraying the amphibians at water level.”
As a result of his immense patience and brilliant eye for nature, Bozycki was recently declared one of the Natural History Museum and BBC Worldwide’s Wildlife Photographers of the Year 2013.
