Name: Rob Blanken
Picture title: Toad Love
Nationality: Dutch
Occupation: Dermatologist

Rob:
‘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:
Nikon D850
Nikkor 105mm f/2.8
ISO 320
f/20
1/250sec
Post processing: Converted to black & white and basic adjustments in Lightroom and Photoshop

Website: robblankenphotography.com
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