Mel

Please excuse Mel if he looks a little tired, and perhaps a bit grumpy. Mel is a VERY old toad.

He has lived under our slate patio for at least ten years. He comes out every dark summer night and sits between the gutter and the stone house. And there he waits for his meals to come hopping, crawling or flying by.

One would think that the insects would have spread the word by now: pssst - don't go over by where the gutter meets the house. But no, Mel never needs to change up his hunting spot to eat well.

I've long been wanting to photograph Mel to pay tribute to him. After all, we're on a first-name basis by now, and he never misses any of our summer evening gatherings. Truth be told, I've become rather fond of him.

The fact that he's a creature of the night always gave me pause. So I had a beer and a half last night and threw all caution to the wind, and decided to give Mel's portrait a go.

C&C appreciated as always.

Mel - American Toad
Bufo americanus
Canon 7D
50mm macro
f4 at 1/250th
ISO 400
Bit of flash + flashlight combo.