A Frog Riding a Beetle: Is This a Real Wildlife Photo or a Bunch of BS?
Question #4. Were the subjects discovered in the wild?
There is strong evidence posted by the photographer himself that the frogs and many of his subjects were captive animals (i.e. “pets”). Those photos are not published here due to privacy reasons.
Here’s one of the quotes from a herpetologist we spoke to:
I can’t stand these images. To someone very familiar with frogs, it’s really sad to see the poor frog in this situation. I don’t believe that these photos are of a naturally occurring situation. To me, they appear to be highly staged, and there is evidence that the frog is distressed. Frogs are so amazing without being used as props, it’s upsetting that they felt it necessary.
Staged photography is not prevalent only in certain countries. Sony Photography Awards 2014 shortlisted a similar and highly dubious entry from Europe.
There is strong evidence posted by the photographer himself that the frogs and many of his subjects were captive animals (i.e. “pets”). Those photos are not published here due to privacy reasons.
Here’s one of the quotes from a herpetologist we spoke to:
I can’t stand these images. To someone very familiar with frogs, it’s really sad to see the poor frog in this situation. I don’t believe that these photos are of a naturally occurring situation. To me, they appear to be highly staged, and there is evidence that the frog is distressed. Frogs are so amazing without being used as props, it’s upsetting that they felt it necessary.
Staged photography is not prevalent only in certain countries. Sony Photography Awards 2014 shortlisted a similar and highly dubious entry from Europe.
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25 March 2023
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