I was captivated by Wildlife Photographer of the Year Shane Gross’s amazing image above of tadpoles. Like many young lads, I often would wade into murky creeks and ponds to collect jars of tadpoles to examine. Gross won the title of Wildlife Photographer of the Year with the shot after he snorkeled for hours before obtaining this photograph, which highlights both the young toads and their environment.

Check out Smithsonian Magazine: You can see 15 winning images from the Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest.