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At first glance, Steven Scott Grogin’s wildlife photos look like the kind of images that must have required heavy professional camera gear. But the international award-winning photographer captures his incredibly detailed close-ups of reptiles, amphibians, insects, and swamp life using something far more familiar: a Samsung Galaxy smartphone.

Grogin is a self-taught mobile wildlife and macro photographer whose work is built around patience, field experience, and a willingness to see nature from an animal’s point of view. Instead of photographing from a comfortable distance, he often places his phone at ground level, near the waterline, or close to the forest floor. To achieve these angles while maintaining a respectful distance from his subjects, he uses tools such as an extendable selfie stick and a remote shutter, carefully positioning his Samsung S25 Ultra without disrupting the scene. Shooting in Samsung’s Expert RAW format allows him to then capture these scenes in the highest level of quality, which is almost indistinguishable from a professional camera.

Scroll down to see Steven’s incredible photography, and don’t forget to vote for your favorite images.

More info: iwalkwild.com | 500px.com

#1

“Praying Mantis In The Heavens”

Close-up of a detailed praying mantis with spread wings against a cloudy sky in wildlife photo

Description: “A praying mantis spreads its delicate wings against a bright, cloud-filled sky, revealing color and structure normally hidden in stillness. The upward view gives the insect a strange grace, as if it briefly became part of the heavens above it.”

Steven Scott Grogin Report

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    #2

    “Bullfrog Between Worlds”

    Close-up wildlife photo of frog eyes above water with reflection and blue sky

    Description: “A bullfrog rests at the surface in a natural split-shot, with the wetland above and the underwater world visible below. The image turns the waterline into a living boundary, placing the amphibian between sky, reflection, and the hidden depth beneath it.”

    Steven Scott Grogin Report

    #3

    “Ancient Gold”

    Close-up wildlife photo of a reptile's textured eye with yellow markings in a natural environment

    Description: “The eye of a young alligator fills the frame like a relic from another age, every fold and scale etched in hard light. At this distance, the portrait feels less like a wildlife image and more like a glimpse into deep time.”

    Steven Scott Grogin Report

    Doug Grogin
    Community Member
    7 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    You must be so jealous of these picturesand talent of my son Natalie I looked up what AI swap nonsenses it is a total opposite of your thinking my son's expertise patience using a 12 ft extension pole in water to not disrupt the wildlife so we could take award-winning pictures awards after one another he should be on TV commercials by Samsung he should be on TV night shows no one's ever taking pictures like this before by statements from the establishment who are interviewing my son I am so proud of him I owe him 27 hugs when he comes back down to Florida from Michigan I will take him out and his girlfriend out to lunch and we will smile and laugh at Natalie I am so proud of my son you cannot believe he deserves this I hope this post gets through I hope the entire establishment of people reading this about you Natalie are laughing at you Natalie because you must be a 90-year-old h*g in a rocking chair smoking a pipe of crack have a great day Natalie

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    #4

    “Tasting The Current”

    Close-up wildlife photo of snake flicking tongue in water

    Description: “A cottonmouth moves through dark water with its forked tongue extended, reading the world through scent and vibration. Reflection and ripples turn the moment into a quiet portrait of instinct at work.”

    Steven Scott Grogin Report

    #5

    “Twin Embers”

    Alligator eye detailed close-up wildlife photo smartphone

    Description: “A young alligator glides low across polished water, its amber eye echoed beneath the surface. Light and reflection compress the animal into an almost abstract portrait of swamp color and geometry.”

    Steven Scott Grogin Report

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    #6

    “Golden Watcher”

    Macro wildlife photo of crocodile eye above water reflecting surroundings

    Description: “A young alligator’s eye rises just above the dark water and completes itself in a near-perfect reflection. The tight framing transforms a single glance into a study of symmetry, texture, and stillness.”

    Steven Scott Grogin Report

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    #7

    “White-Masked Sentinel”

    Extreme close-up wildlife photo of a wasp's face with detailed eyes and antennae

    Description: “A bald-faced hornet faces the lens head-on, its stark markings and dark eyes rendered in startling detail. The portrait transforms a tiny predator into something fierce, elegant, and unmistakably wild.”

    Steven Scott Grogin Report

    #8

    “Eye At The Waterline”

    Detailed close-up wildlife photo of a frog's eye above water in natural habitat

    Description: “A bullfrog drifts so near the lens that its gilded eye becomes both subject and horizon. The still surface doubles the moment, creating a portrait suspended between breath and glass.”

    Steven Scott Grogin Report

    #9

    “Coils And Diamonds”

    Close wildlife photo of coiled rattlesnake in natural habitat

    Description: “An eastern diamondback rattlesnake coils in open ground with its rattle raised and its attention fixed forward. The image balances warning and beauty in the same frame, showing the animal exactly as it stands its ground.”

    Steven Scott Grogin Report

    Kourtney Lynn
    Community Member
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Scary and intimidating! Amazing photo!

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    #10

    “Sunlit Divide”

    Frog eye close-up with water reflection wildlife photo smartphone

    Description: “A bullfrog rests at the waterline with its eye catching a flare of light, hovering between what lies above and below the surface. The scene turns a simple shoreline moment into a threshold between two worlds.”

    Steven Scott Grogin Report

    #11

    “Riding The Old Shell”

    Wildlife photo of an alligator resting on a turtle in a swamp

    Description: “A young alligator rests atop the back of a turtle along a swamp log above reflective water. The moment feels almost mythical, a brief meeting of two ancient lineages sharing the same wetland world.”

    Steven Scott Grogin Report

    #12

    “Mouth Of The South”

    Macro wildlife photo of a snake with open mouth in forest setting captured with smartphone

    Description: “A wild Florida cottonmouth opens its mouth from the swamp floor, heavy-bodied and frozen, likely after a recent meal. The image turns a defensive moment into a close study of texture, tension, and survival.”

    Steven Scott Grogin Report

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    #13

    “Rising From The Pine Floor”

    Close-up wildlife photo of snake coiled and looking up in forest undergrowth

    Description: “An eastern diamondback rattlesnake lifts from the pine forest floor, framed from below so its body becomes part of the landscape around it. The perspective gives the snake a monumental presence, elevating the encounter into something almost mythic.”

    Steven Scott Grogin Report

    #14

    “Meadow Generations”

    Sharp wildlife photo of butterfly and caterpillar on a branch in nature

    Description: “Two wild Baltimore checkerspot butterflies mate on a weathered branch in a Michigan meadow, while a caterpillar of the same species rests just below them. The frame brings two stages of one life cycle together in a single quiet moment of color, instinct, and continuity.”

    Steven Scott Grogin Report

    #15

    “Tongue At The Open Door”

    Macro wildlife photo of a snake with tongue extended in a forest setting

    Description: “A wild Florida cottonmouth holds its mouth slightly open as its tongue flicks into the swamp air. The frozen gesture captures a split second of sensory awareness, where the snake seems to taste the world from the shadows of its own ground-level realm.”

    Steven Scott Grogin Report

    #16

    “Cypress Mirror”

    Close-up wildlife photo of an alligator partially submerged in water with forest reflection

    Description: “A wild alligator floats through a Florida cypress swamp, its eye and armored head mirrored across the dark surface. The low waterline view places the animal inside its ancient habitat, where trees, reflection, and scale seem to belong to the same quiet world.”

    Steven Scott Grogin Report

    #17

    “Swampside Sovereign”

    Detailed wildlife shot of frog on forest floor near plants

    Description: “A wild frog rises from the muddy edge of a Michigan wetland, surrounded by green growth, dark water, and forest shade. From this low view, a familiar amphibian becomes a watchful presence inside its own hidden world.”

    Steven Scott Grogin Report

    #18

    “Evening Mirror”

    Close-up of frog's eye reflected in water wildlife photo smartphone

    Description: “A frog floats in warm, fading light, its eye and face echoed in softly glowing water. The quiet reflection turns the scene into something almost painterly.”

    Steven Scott Grogin Report

    #19

    “Jousting For The Crown”

    Wildlife photo showing three alligators stacked on a log near water plants

    Description: “Two juvenile alligators joust for the top position on a larger juvenile’s head while gathered together on a log in a Florida swamp. The scene captures a playful-looking struggle for space and status among young predators, surrounded by warm light, water, and wild texture.”

    Steven Scott Grogin Report

    #20

    “Stacked In Stillness”

    Wildlife close-up of two alligators resting closely together on a log

    Description: “One alligator settles over another in a quiet arrangement of scales, bone, and sunlight beneath the trees. The layered pose gives the scene the feeling of a portrait shaped as much by calm as by form.”

    Steven Scott Grogin Report

    #21

    “Reflections Of A Young Gator”

    Close-up wildlife photo of an alligator's head reflected in the water

    Description: “A young alligator rides low enough in the water for its profile to complete itself below the surface. The clean mirror and measured light give the portrait a calm, sculptural grace.”

    Steven Scott Grogin Report

    #22

    “Hover Of The Mimic”

    Wildlife photo of hummingbird moth hovering with wings spread

    Description: “A clearwing hummingbird moth floats above the meadow, suspended between insect and illusion. Captured in midair, it feels like one of the field’s brief miracles held still for a moment.”

    Steven Scott Grogin Report

    #23

    “On Her Brow”

    Detailed wildlife photo of two alligators resting in a forest setting

    Description: “A baby alligator rests across its mother’s head as both lie quietly along the swamp edge in morning light. The gesture feels almost tender, revealing a softer side of wild Florida through closeness and trust.”

    Steven Scott Grogin Report

    #24

    “Blue Darter”

    Sharp wildlife image of dragonfly in flight against blue sky

    Description: “A dragonfly hangs in flight with its body suspended cleanly against open sky. The stillness of the frame makes motion feel almost impossible, as if the insect paused just long enough to be truly seen.”

    Steven Scott Grogin Report

    #25

    “Monochrome Stare”

    Black and white frog head peeking from water wildlife photo smartphone

    Description: “In black and white, a bullfrog rises from open water with only its eyes and crown breaking the surface. Stripped of color, the scene leans entirely on mood, shape, and silence.”

    Steven Scott Grogin Report

    #26

    “Three On The Log”

    Wildlife photo of three alligators resting on a log in a forest

    Description: “Two small juveniles rest across the back of a larger juvenile, all three gathered together on a swamp log in the Florida light. Their arrangement feels both playful and oddly regal, like a young hierarchy written in scales.”

    Steven Scott Grogin Report

    Kourtney Lynn
    Community Member
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is my favorite photo ever 😍

    #27

    “Shadow Through The Light”

    Dragonfly silhouette with detailed wings wildlife photo smartphone

    Description: “A dragonfly crosses a bright opening in the clouds, its wings rendered in delicate silhouette. Backlight reduces the insect to pure form, turning a passing moment into a sign written against the sky.”

    Steven Scott Grogin Report