Photographer Jack Small has spent years learning how to ethically capture stunning images of wildlife in their natural habitats. 

During trips to remote rainforests in Peru, Panama and Colombia, Small has spent days photographing wildlife — including elusive tropical amphibians like poison dart frogs — honing his practice until he discovered the best methods of observation and the perfect moment to press the shutter button. 

On Sunday, the wildlife and photography expert will share the skills he’s developed in the field with the Garfield County community during “The Art of Wildlife Photography,” a free presentation and showcase at the Carbondale library. 

Small will share examples of his work, discuss how to start shooting wildlife photography and share tips for ethically photographing some of the creatures that call the Roaring Fork Valley home. 

His passion for photography was born from a lifelong love for animals.

“‘I’ve always been into wildlife and animals and everything since I was just a tiny little kid, so it’s always interested me,” Small told the Post Independent. “Once I got a cell phone and had access to a camera, I always enjoyed going outside and finding critters and…I’d start taking pictures.”

He remembers catching frogs, turtles and fish from local ponds as a child,eventually convincing his mother to let him keep chameleons and geckos as pets. 

Now, armed with a degree in wildlife biology and a macro lens, Small has been seriously photographing wildlife for the past five years. 

Although his portfolio contains colorful snapshots of birds, mammals and landscapes, photographing tropical amphibians, an emphasis on poison dart frogs, is his speciality. Small leads photography tours in Peru and Colombia, sharing his passion for rare frogs with other wildlife photographers. 

He also owns over 75 of the colorful, tiny poisonous dart frogs he photographs in the wild. 

“The frogs, for whatever reason, just really stuck with me. I’m a collector at heart, I’ve always been, and…it’s like little Pokemon, there’s all sorts of different colors and types,” Small said. “I just became absolutely obsessed with those and then ever since then, they’ve just been my main thing.”

Small hopes that Sunday’s presentation helps budding wildlife photographers with some of the more complicated logistics of the craft. 

“I would love for people to have a better understanding of wildlife photography and how to do it, because I know it can be a bit daunting and there’s lots of different camera brands, and all the settings can be hard, and people just don’t know where to start sometimes,” Small said. “I was in that same boat a long time ago and I overcame that and started learning and I’d love to be able to inspire people to do that and get them started.”