Anyone who has pursued a creative passion has regularly had to challenge themselves at one point or another and in many cases, often. It is a necessity if you want to improve upon your passion, whether it's acting, golf or in my case photography. I always want to try and open new doors with my craft. Sometimes though coming up with those tests is a test unto itself, as I learned one summer.

While out shooting in one of my favorite locations in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey, I heard a qwonk. Then I heard another and another, until a whole chorus of qwonks surrounded me. And, as quickly as those sounds came, they disappeared into the thick of the woods. I'd heard these calls before in years past. It wasn't until I asked a few people familiar with the area, that I learned what was making the sound. It was the call of the Pine Barrens Tree Frog. I had remembered reading about these tree frogs, but it wasn't until I was in their midst, in the middle of a wave of qwonks, that the creative juices started to churn, and I knew I had to photograph this creature.

The Pine Barrens Tree Frog is an endangered species, which added intrigue to my quest. It's a little green frog with a brownish and silver stripe on its side, and it grows to no more than an inch and a half in length. It is also very elusive.

John Shaw once wrote, to be a better photographer, become a better naturalist. My first attempt at photographing this mysterious frog was that afternoon amongst the qwonks. I failed miserably to locate it as I had little knowledge about them.

So, my quest had begun. I was going to find this frog and photograph it. The first thing I did was go online and gather information. I already knew it was endangered, small, was exclusive to the Pine Barrens. Its season began late spring and ran through the summer not too unlike other frogs. However, the best time to witness this frog at its most active was at dusk in the month of June. Dusk on a humid day was even better. Dusk on a humid day right after a rain shower was optimum. This was the information I needed!

I have a few locations in the Pine Barrens that I enjoy. One of those locations coincidently happened to be a hot spot for the frogs. So it was my good fortune that I didn't have to find a new location in addition to finding the frogs.

Since the Pine Barrens Tree Frog is a small frog that is active at dusk, it is a hard frog to find. For one, they don't hang out along stream banks or pools of water. This frog likes to spend its time in vegetation, like brush and tree limbs. The brush in the Pine Barrens is very thick. The frog is also the exact colors of the Pine Barrens, which is essentially green and brown. Like other frogs, the Pine Barrens Tree Frog is very sensitive to vibrations. So when one walks, these creatures tend to freeze in place, or hop away before you arrive. With your typical frog, you may notice them hop into the water, and then you can watch where they swim. This frog doesn't give you that as it hops from limb to limb making no sound, and it does so under the cover of dark.

So, armed with information in hand, I set out to photograph my latest goal. I also had to include a new tool in my bag, a headlamp. Since this creature is most active at dusk, I would better my chances of locating one if I had a headlamp (or a flashlight).

I had read that a key to successfully spotting a Pine Barrens Tree Frog was to use the tracking method of triangulating. This is where three people zero in on the frog when it makes its call. Since the frog is sensitive to movement and vibrations it will stop its call before you can get close to it. The key is patience. If you stand still long enough, they will feel safe and continue with its call. That is when you move in closer, until someone spots it. Theoretically that is a great method if I had two other people who wanted to traipse around a swamp, in the middle of the creepy Pine Barrens, on a humid night, in hip waiters, surrounded by bugs, searching for a one-inch frog. My list of folks willing to participate in this endeavor was zero.

So, I was left as a one-man triangle. I arrived at my location in the late afternoon and used the time to do a little macro work on plant life in the bog. From time to time I would hear a call or two but it was very sporadic. When dark clouds began to appear and thunder began to rumble, I started to feel a few raindrops fall from the sky. I packed up quickly and headed back to my car. As the rain began to fall steadier, I began to hear more calls emerge from the woods. As I sat in my car hoping the rain would pass, the woods around me opened up in a wave of sound as if they were taunting me! Though the rain came harder, I was determined to wait it out. I always keep a book in the car and I sat there reading for over an hour. I then decided to go for coffee and see if it was going to be worth it after all.

By the time I got a cup of coffee, it was less than thirty minutes to sunset. The sky was still dark and the rain wasn't letting up. I decided to head home. I wasn't five miles down the road when the sun appeared. It was still raining, but the sun had broken through, and with it was some blue sky. I immediately turned around and headed back, determined to get the last laugh.

When I returned to my location, it was still a little before sunset. I changed back into my hip waiters, and gathered my gear; two lenses, headlamp, flash unit, and of course my tripod and camera. As I headed into the bog, the chorus of calls was already underway. It was still drizzling but I didn't care. I headed towards an area where I thought I might have some luck. As I walked, the calls came to a grinding halt. Once I arrived at my predetermined site, I stayed put and played the waiting game. It must have been about ten minutes before a new wave of calls occurred close to where I was kneeling.

As the calls echoed around me, I peered into the brush, looked over the many tree branches, and examined as many trunks as possible. The calls were close but I couldn't decipher anything. I felt that just finding that first frog was key. Pictures in books and on the web are one thing but to see a creature in the wild makes a world of difference. I knew I had to see just one and from there it would be much easier for me to spot them.

I spotted nothing. I decided to adjust my position a little and moved about fifteen feet. Again, I waited close to ten minutes before another wave of calls surrounded me. This time I spotted a small object. At first it looked like an ordinary stump along a tree limb but the shape just didn't seem right. I moved slightly to get another angle and sure enough, it adjusted itself. I had my first frog. In the dark light of dusk it was tough to get a good read on the little guy. Slowly, I set up my tripod and mounted my camera with a 100mm macro lens. My position at the moment was too far away. Again, I moved very slowly. My slow movements allowed me to get very close. Working at a snail's pace I was able to frame a shot. With darkness nearly upon me, I needed to turn on my headlamp to spot the little green frog and set my focus. The frog was undeterred. I set my focus, positioned my flash unit and fired. It was glorious. Now, I needed to do my best statue imitation and hope the frog would feel unthreatened and qwonk away. It happened sooner than I thought, and I happily fired off many shots.

I was able photographed and revel in the experience for about fifteen minutes before it turned and hopped away. I was very pleased. My appetite had been satiated. As I began to get my gear together to leave, another loud qwonk caught my attention. Again, I slowed my movements. Now with an experienced eye, I was able to quickly spot the next frog. Slow movements once again played into my favor and I was able to get close, set up and fire off several shots. My angle this time wasn't as favorable, but I was happy to be in a position to photograph this beautiful little creature before it hopped away.

As an endangered species whose habitat is in New Jersey, the Pine Barrens Tree Frog faces potential elimination with the expanding development of the Pine Barrens. Areas that were off limits ten and twenty years ago are now home to retirement villages. Continued development is sure to come but hopefully these creatures will get the protection that they need. They do not easily adapt to changing environments. Their conditions for breeding are limited and they must be protected. It was an honor to photograph and pay homage to this magnificent creature. My journey in finding this species has been invaluable to me. It is amazing what one goal and a sense of purpose can do for your craft. If you've been stuck in a funk or are simply looking for new challenges; find something that has eluded you in the past and make it your quest to achieve that goal. That is what I did and it has helped my photography and my knowledge of the natural world immensely.

Editor's Comment: Let us know what you think! Please email the Editor to let us know your thoughts.