Toad Hunter
By Jon-Erik Kroon
22 Oct 2009
Being a regional visual artist, my camera is my "visual moment journal". The photo is proof of my inspirations and what I see as artist behind the camera. The camera is merely a documenting tool for moments along my inner and outer travels within a constant state of creation. The photos you will see are from a personal photo journey I had set myself. The mini expedition was to slip underneath the hostas and crawl among logs and rocks.....just to see what I could see with my camera. The suite of photos is of discovering a scuffle in the leaves and a shrilling sound of a toad. Creeping along, there before me was a garder snake that had hunted a toad. The scene was intense as the snake had one hind leg completely ingested and the toad was blowing himself up as so he could not be swallowed. My camera this day was a welcome tool as so to document an old ritual from the ages: survival or death on the forests floor!
The strength of each animal was majestic. The toad would hop with one hind leg and crawl with its 3 fingered hands onto sticks or a stone, all the while the snake would counter move and recoil backwards. When the serpent would finally draw back the toad into its vector, it would actually swallow a bit more. The thrashing from side to side and looking into the eyes that was desperately trying not to be swallowed alive, as it gets dragged into a hole was quite an emotion. I am bearing witness from the shadows of... "the hunt"!
The frog was way too large for the snake to actually finish his meal and the toad would of just stayed a balloon, so I made a decision. Camera is put down and I pick up snake gently,snake got scared he would be eaten,so serpent spits out the frog and I let the snake go. The artist picks up the toad who is exhausted and washes him off in a nearby pond. Upon examination the toad appears not to be damaged, for his right leg was merely covered in sticky slick serpent spit. Toad is placed at ponds edge in a cool dark space, to contemplate as to what the hell just happened there. As a photographer, this is just a moment out of my day. So I hope you might one day just try and crawl under the hostas with your camera. Yet remember one thing, once you are in their realm,keep your hand on the trigger button while you crawl around in silence.It truly is a different perspective of imagery and visual inspiration.
