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Like Water for Silk - Winner, Underwater Photographer of the Year 2020, British Waters Macro Category

Winner, Underwater Photographer of the Year 2020
British Waters Macro Category

This tiny froglet, making waves out there. Here is the caption that appears with my image:

Over the past couple of years, I’ve been photographing the underwater scene of British freshwater habitats. One of the stories that has captivated me is that of the Common frog. During its lifetime it has an estimated 0.25% chance of survival. It morphs like no other creature and along the way experiences the most fantastic journey.

This tiny Common froglet is less than 1cm in length. It is so weightless it can balance on single, silken stands of Spirogyra. These algae filaments, an abundant and vital first link in freshwater food webs, reproduce rapidly leading to thousands of individual strands. They are a simple life form which combine into a tangled labyrinth known as water silk.

To highlight the water silk habitat, I used two off-camera lights strategically placed. One to help light the tiny froglet and the other to allow the tangle of algae strands to shine through.

Judges Comment:
"Flawless composition, the eye of the frog and the back left leg illustrate the time old ‘rule of thirds’. But you have gone one step extra by using your two off- camera lights to creatively light both the frog and the algae all at the same time. Very deserved winner of British Waters Macro."
- Martin Edge

Location: Urban wildlife pond, Surrey, UK

Photographer: Laura Storm

Like Water for Silk - Winner, Underwater Photographer of the Year 2020, British Waters Macro Category

Winner, Underwater Photographer of the Year 2020
British Waters Macro Category

This tiny froglet, making waves out there. Here is the caption that appears with my image:

Over the past couple of years, I’ve been photographing the underwater scene of British freshwater habitats. One of the stories that has captivated me is that of the Common frog. During its lifetime it has an estimated 0.25% chance of survival. It morphs like no other creature and along the way experiences the most fantastic journey.

This tiny Common froglet is less than 1cm in length. It is so weightless it can balance on single, silken stands of Spirogyra. These algae filaments, an abundant and vital first link in freshwater food webs, reproduce rapidly leading to thousands of individual strands. They are a simple life form which combine into a tangled labyrinth known as water silk.

To highlight the water silk habitat, I used two off-camera lights strategically placed. One to help light the tiny froglet and the other to allow the tangle of algae strands to shine through.

Judges Comment:
"Flawless composition, the eye of the frog and the back left leg illustrate the time old ‘rule of thirds’. But you have gone one step extra by using your two off- camera lights to creatively light both the frog and the algae all at the same time. Very deserved winner of British Waters Macro."
- Martin Edge

Location: Urban wildlife pond, Surrey, UK

Photographer: Laura Storm