As humans, we’re often so caught up in our own daily lives that we often forget that there are countless different species living close by. Ever since he was a child, Indonesian wildlife photographer Ajar Setiadi has been fascinated by the creatures that live in the natural habitats of his hometown, Bogor. He’s been documenting the mysterious lives of the frogs that live in his garden, revealing their fascinating—and often adorable—behavior.“Actually, I have frogs as my pets,” Setiadi tells My Modern Met. “Sometimes I play with them in my garden and let them play with the flowers as I am showering my plants.” The adorable frogs naturally interact and pose with the flowers, while Setiadi tries to capture their most endearing moments on camera. “For me, it’s a miracle that I can capture them,” says the photographer. “That’s an amazing moment, actually.”
In one image, a frog in the rain holds up a leaf like an umbrella, and in another, two frogs appear to dance together. There’s one image in particular that stands out as the most charming, though: Setiadi managed to capture two frogs huddling together, sheltering from the rain under a flower umbrella. Frogs are social creatures, and this emotional image looks just like a loved-up couple or two friends who are looking out for one another during the rainstorm. Setiadi commented on the sweet scene: “I could only get a few frames because this moment can’t be repeated.”
Check out Setiadi’s frog images below and find more from his portfolio on Instagram. When he’s not photographing frogs, he’s capturing the intimate lives of insects, birds, and reptiles.
Indonesian wildlife photographer Ajar Setiadi captures the mysterious lives of adorable garden frogs.
