However, it took “hundreds of photos” before he got his award-winning shot, he added as well as “sitting there and waiting” for a toad to line itself up perfectly.
His “abiding message” to aspiring photographers is to work at one subject for one time, so that alongside “bread and butter shots”, they can explore their creativity.
“Most often the toads are swimming beneath the surface of the water and often sit on the top of the glass box, so you’d have to wait until they moved off,” he said.
“But every now and then a toad would swim across the surface and it creates ripples, and that’s the thing I like about the image.
“If you look at its back feet, you can see these beautiful ripples.”
Former environmental science lecturer Hobson’s photography has taken him all over the globe, but the Sheffield area is a particular favourite for capturing wildlife, he explained.
The variety of landscapes and nature within the city boundary makes it a perfect location to perfect his craft, and “a vibrant place to live”, he added.