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João Rodrigues's Image
It was João’s first chance in five years to dive in this lake as it only emerges in winters of exceptionally heavy rainfall, when underground rivers overflow. He had a split second to adjust his camera settings before the newts swam away.
Found on the Iberian Peninsula and in northern Morocco, sharp-ribbed newts (or salamanders) are named after their defence strategy. They use their pointed ribs as weapons, piercing through their own skin and picking up poisonous secretions, then jabbing them into an attacker.
Behind the lens
João Rodrigues
Portugal
João is a photojournalist, filmmaker and marine biologist specialising in natural history and conservation. He has collaborated on documentaries with National Geographic BBC, NHK, Arte and iTV. He is currently a National Geographic Portugal photojournalist and the director of Chimera Visuals, a production company through which he made the conservation film Cavalos de Guerra (War Horses).
Image details
- Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
- Tokina 10–17mm f3.5–4.5 lens at 16mm
- 1/200 sec at f13 • ISO 320 Aquatica housing two INON Z-330 flashes
- Alcanena, Santarém, Portugal
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