Steven David Johnson. Pool of Wonder.

Female spotted salamanders deposit their eggs in luminous clusters just below the surface of the water. These masses often stand out in extraordinary relief from the background of moss or leaves.The spotted salamander egg masses found in vernal pools are otherworldly in their abstract beauty. When illuminated directly, they appear as tiny worlds edged with delicate blue halos. Location: A vernal pool just outside of Shenandoah National Park in Augusta County, Virginia, USA. 

Steve David Johnson is a conservation photographer, Vice President of the Virginia Wilderness Committee, and Professor of Visual and Communication Arts at EMU in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. His photography of the natural world has appeared in Orion, Nature Conservancy Magazine, Ranger Rick, Virginia Wildlife, National Science Teachers Association Press books and numerous conservation publications and journals. When he’s not in the office, you’ll probably find him crouched next to a vernal pool photographing Appalachian salamanders.

Follow Steven on Instagram @stevendavidjohnsonphoto.