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
#21 “Stacked In Stillness”
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.”
Report
9points
#22 “Tongue At The Open Door”
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.”
Report
8points
#23 “Blue Darter”
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.”
Report
8points
#24 “On Her Brow”
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.”
Report
7points
#25 “Monochrome Stare”
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.”
Report
7points
#26 “Shadow Through The Light”
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.”
Report
7points
#27 “Three On The Log”
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.”
Report
7points