CATEGORY WINNER UNDERWATER
Kazushige Horiguchi | The rain I’ve been waiting for

Name: Kazushige Horiguchi
Picture title: The rain I’ve been waiting for
Category: Underwater
Nationality: Japan
Occupation: I’m a full-time photographer

Technical information
Camera: Nikon D500
Lens: AT-X 107 AF DX NH Fisheye 10-17mm F3.5-4.5 (IF)
Accessories: Nexus NFx D500, INON Z-330 ×2, INON strobo dorm filter ND ×2

Kazushige Horiguchi says:

Once a year, in early spring, for just one week, a rare endemic frog comes down from the mountains to mate and lay its eggs. This year, I was prepared. It was a rainy day, and many frogs came down from the mountains to the river. The number of frogs coming down from the mountain varies, ranging from dozens to hundreds, but today they came in their hundreds. The frogs gathered in their favorite mating areas and the beauty of nature took place. After mating and laying their eggs, the frogs in turn returned to the mountains. I took this picture in the rain and fog in a place where the frogs gathered. The frogs slowly laid their eggs in front of me. I believe I was able to capture the raw atmosphere of this beautiful ecological behavior in the mountains of Mie, Japan.