AVS Q&A with… Jack Small
Here we go again, y’all! This week’s Q&A is Jack Small. Jack is an accomplished photographer and works with some amazing poison frogs. He’s contributed so much to the hobby and is always happy to answer questions and share his passion with other keepers. His studio frog photography is stunning, and his nature/wildlife photography really conveys his love for the art. Let’s get into it!
Tell us about your background. What sparked your interest in herps, especially poison frogs?
Ever since I was a little kid I’ve loved all critters! Animals and wildlife were a huge part of my upbringing. I would always go to my local ponds to catch frogs and tadpoles as a kid, and I loved attending reptile shows/expos. I had lots of different pets growing up, including birds, snakes, lizards, fish, and several others. Eventually I got my first dart frogs at a reptile expo, and kept getting more and more. I started phasing out some of the other animals I kept, focusing just on dart frogs, and now they’re pretty much all I keep! I think the diversity of different types that exist is one of the main reasons I’m so drawn to them.
What poison frog species and locales/morphs do you keep? Do you have a favorite?
These days I keep mostly frogs in the genus Oophaga. I have mostly pumilio, some histrionica, lehmanni, sylvatica, and vicentei. I have a few pairs of tincs, but mostly focus on Oophaga. Super hard to pick a favorite, but lately my top 3 would have to be Escudo, Yellow Lehmanni, and Blue Histos!
Let’s get into your photography. Your frog photos are gorgeous, and your wildlife photography is top notch. When did you get into photography? What system do you use, and what are your favorite lenses for frogs and nature and why?
Thanks so much! I’ve always been into taking photos, but got my first DSLR camera about 6 years ago. I really only started taking photography seriously a little over a year and a half ago, when I started upgrading my gear and expanding my knowledge. I’m a Nikon user, and I currently use my Z9 for both my wildlife and macro photography. For wildlife, my go-to lens these days is my Nikon 400mm f4.5. Super lightweight and portable, razor sharp, and a pretty decent reach and aperture! For macro, I most often use my 105mm f2.8 Nikon lens. This lens is super sharp, and gives me a great working distance.
Poison frogs and tropical plants go hand in hand. Is your plant game solid?
I would say it’s decent! Haha. Back when I got in the hobby, I didn’t care about plants much at all. Now, I do like them quite a bit… not as much as the frogs though! I love Marcgravias and Philodendrons, and I usually include both in all of my builds. I don’t have too many super high end plants, but would like to build up my collection more!
I know you’ve been in this hobby for a long time. What aspects of the hobby still pique your interest, and how do you see our hobby progressing over the next several years?
Over the next several years I would really like to see some more new species and locales become available. I feel like these days there are lots of motivated, smart people in the hobby that are always innovating and improving husbandry, so I see a bright future for the hobby! Some things that currently still keep me interested are preserving some of lines and locales that have faded out over the years, as well as making new connections and talking with people. Breeding frogs (especially Oophaga) is always fun and not something I can see myself ever getting tired of! Finding new Oophaga froglets is always super exciting.
In the last few years I’ve also started traveling more and seeing a lot of these frogs in their natural habitat, and I find it very interesting and enjoyable to take concepts of what I see in the jungle and try to apply it to my vivariums.
Tell the readers some of your influences in the poison frog hobby and photography?
There are so many talented photographers out there, but two of the most influential for me are probably Isaac Spots and Thomas Mangelsen. I’ve been very inspired from both of them, and I think they are great influences in the photography world. As far as the frog hobby goes, I admire anyone who is interested in learning about the natural history of the frogs, is always trying to improve their husbandry, and is always trying to learn more about the frogs.
Troy Goldberg is the king of vivarium building in my opinion, and I definitely use his vivs as inspiration when building my own.
I know that you’ve been able to study poison frogs in situ. Tell us about some of your memorable encounters with poison frogs in the wild. Make us really jealous!
One of my favorite poison frogs to see in the wild is Oophaga pumilio in Panama. It’s super fun to see all of the different colors and locales that exist out there, and not necessarily knowing exactly what you’re going to find. One cool experience I had was on the mainland of Bocas del Toro in Panama, where I found a dark blue locale of pumilio. These frogs were so abundant that I had to watch every step I took because they were right under my feet! Some frogs can be as easy as that to find, and others the complete opposite. One time in Colombia, I was fortunate enough to see the red morph of Oophaga lehmanni, and it took a 3 and a half hour, uphill hike through dense jungle to get to them. We also only found one pair… but totally worth it! The reds on those, as well as most other frogs I’ve seen in situ, are so much brighter and more intense than what we have in captivity. Seeing frogs in the wild in their natural habitats is a really special and inspiring thing!
Finally, how can we find you online?
My frog Instagram account is @jacksmallfrogs, and my wildlife account is @jacksmallphotos! My YouTube handle is the same (jacksmallphotos), and my website is https://jacksmallphotos.godaddysites.com.