I'm involved as a volunteer in the Georgia Herp Atlas survey, which is a
5 year survey of Herps of Georgia run by the Georgia DNR nongame
section. It is just getting into full swing this year. Since this
requires recording photographically, I'm beginning to collect photos.
I'm actually a micro aquatic ecology specialist. I prefer protozoa. But, the herp project was a good cause,
and it works in with my tendency to muck around in wetlands.I do not shoot film most of the time, but shoot with a Minolta RD-175
digital. That way I can be sure of getting the photo before the specimen
vanishes.
The H. avivoca shoot.
I took a quick look, I photographed avivoca during a herp foray, which is a get together organized by DNR to look at an area that otherwise
might get missed. The trouble with a foray, is that things are going on
all around you. I sometimes was trying to photograph a half dozen things
at once. The avivoca was one that DNR did not have a good file photo, so
6 of us went out in the darkness and tracked one down. There were
plenty, the problem was trying to find one where you could get at it. I
have two almost identical shots. Taken while sinking in the mud at
night, by the light of a maglight and a ringflash. Unfortunately, not in
habitat, but on the back of someone's hand. We would have really had a
time getting a habitat photo, and the risk of loosing the frog was
great.
If you want to see what the RD-175 photos are like, there are some on:
