Adventures of a Tree Frog
by Steven Daniel
Gallery on Gazebo recently featured an exhibit titled Adventures of a Tree Frog by Steven Daniel. These extraordinary and very vibrant photos were made using LIVE frogs. They are NOT multiple or composite images, or examples of digital manipulation.
Have you ever photographed any frog, let alone a frog riding a bicycle? The task requires copious amounts of patience, agility, flexibility, and – a helper. Daniel’s images are beautiful. Many are witty and humorous.
Steve Daniel explains his frog art this way: “I was looking for a new challenge, (and) found inspiration in the uniqueness of tree frogs and their vivid colors. My first successful photograph was the Frog Standing on Leaf picture. A friend helped nudge the frog into position while I stood behind the camera, but on the third try the frog disappeared. ‘Where’s the frog?’ I asked, while still looking through the viewfinder. My friend responded, laughing: ‘He’s on your camera!’
“The frogs are unpredictable, and many times the final image isn’t what I originally planned. People frequently ask how I get the frogs to stay in place. The answer is that I don’t. I just need the frog to be still for 1/60th of a second. In many cases, they’re photographed in motion: the frogs crawl, climb, and jump, as frogs do. I just try to catch them at the right moment.”
Steven Daniel has a impressive background as an award winning photojournalist. He studied at the Manhattan School of Visual Arts, and worked as a freelance photographer in New York City where his work appeared in The New York Times, USA Today, New York Daily News, People Magazine, and The National Law Journal. He came to Johnstown as part of the Kernville Artist Relocation Project twenty years ago.
Please enjoy the images on this webpage as featured in our wonderful Steven Daniel exhibit.
