It was a nice, warm autumn Sunday, a perfect day for a cosy tea hour at my parents home. Usually we plan these type of meetings, as we never have enough time, so keeping such a timeslot free is mandatory. Pure coinsidence was the presence of my camera backpack in my car, which I had prepared for a tour to our favorite wildlife park in Hundshaupten.
Even more luck was the existence of this common toad in the backyard of my parents house. A cute little guy, slightly slimy though, who sat on some autumn leave a little bit brighter in color than himself, but fitting perfectly as background. Some clouds helped to avoid extreme contrast in the picture, and with ISO 400 (thanks to the digital SLR just a short turn on a thumbwheel) even this macro picture succeeded without any tripod at 1/125s and F7.1.
I took a series of pictures, clothes became somewhat
scruffy from kneeling on the dampish ground, but the toad was a good model and
it was pure fun. An unexpected encounter, one of those which are the most joyful
chances in a photographer's life.
The backyard, certainly beautiful and well-kept, seemed not the proper environment for a common toad, and so it got a new home in the nearby forest, close to a small creek and an overthrown stump - a pretty convenient domicile for the approaching winter (and all that without the risks of crossing the frequented street).
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Enjoy the unexpected, |