“Toad Love,” by Rob Blanken
Blanken says: “Loads of common toads (Bufo bufo) come to mate in a small lake in Drenthe, the Netherlands, where this image was made. Here, the male is clutching the female in a tight embrace. When they’re not mating, common toads tend to live away from water, preferring moist, shady places like damp wood piles and deep leaf litter. When I spotted these two, I especially liked the egg string, which looked like a present from the male to the female. I converted the image to black & white to give it a more intimate feel.”
Technical information:
Camera: Nikon D850
Lens: Nikkor 105mm f/2.8
ISO: 320
Aperture: f/20
Shutter speed: 1/250sec
