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After reading the "editor's choice" photo comments, I thought I'd pass along an easy way to photograph a frog. This works on small frogs best. You get them to jump back and forth from your left hand to your right hand for about 5 minutes. Then you set them down on a flower and start taking pictures. They're tired out from all that jumping, and they just sit there and pose for the camera. I imagine this works for rattlesnakes and scorpions too, but I haven't tried it.

This is an acceptable alternative, but its much easier to use superglue...Of course for spiders a big shovel also works well....

then after you stick on the superglue onto the frog and you are done photographing it how do you get it off?
cruel. You might get a good shot of the frog by using superglue but that is not what nature photography is about. The point is to capture the animal in its true environment and form. Heather.. myself, i would be very embarraced to admit to practicing photography in such a way.

I think Heather was joking... :-)

I am certain that Heather was refering to a photo by Bill Akata.

http://www.usefilm.com/image/337.html

Rohan, if you see Amber, tell her we say hello!

The superglue thing came from a story I told Bill about photographing a very rare species of nocturnal fox. I had to use remote techniques, using an infra-red triggering device, 5 strobes, and a camera mounted on a tripod a few feet from the bait. The problem was how to make a live scorpion or large insect stay on a rock in front of the camera. Superglue was the solution: http://www.usefilm.com/showphoto.php?id=582

Oops , yes it was a joke - not a very good one apparently! :)

I guess it would be a bad idea to admit to supergluing my children to their seats for family portraits then....

If you MUST handle a frog:

1. Make sure your hands are CLEAN. Frogs "breathe" through their skin, insect repellants and other toxic substances we douse ourselves with will be passed on to the frog.

2. Try to keep your hands wet. Dry human skin can be like sandpaper to the frog's sensitive skin.

3. Don't put a powergrip on the little critter. Try to cup it in your hands instead of doing the King Kong hold, bruising the frog's muscles. Imagine being Faye Ray struggling in the monster's fingers, pulling muscles.

4. Keep an eye on the little critter for a while after shooting. If you have tired it out to the point where it can no longer jump, then you have tired it out to the point where it can no longer escape predators. You have just made it use up precious energy that it needs to catch food and keep from being food.

Sometimes it's better just to take the time to approach the critter slowly and let it get used to your presence. When it gets the idea that you're not a hungry predator but just a big clumsy critter invading its space, it may be more cooperative. You may even be lucky enough to find one who can be coaxed into position for this kind of pose:

http://www.usefilm.com/image/103352.html

Huh. Copy and past went funky. Trying again.

http://www.usefilm.com/image/103352.html

im happy it was a joke but feel stupid at the same time :)

Just teasing you, Rohan. I'm glad you care for the animals.

I suspect Brent was kidding as well. Or does anyone think you can actually try this with scorpions and rattlers?;-) Will the pin prick work for these as well as it did for Bill's frog?

Rob G.	Nigel W.	aurora s.	Mike O.	Barbara S.	Nanda B.	Darryl B.	Bogdan L.

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