Some Recent Achievements

I’m traveling right now, and the idea of migration is much on my mind. But I’m going to mull that over a little longer and interject a little commercial here today for some recent achievements I’m happy about.

First, several months ago I was asked to photograph the Hunley, the Confederate submarine that sank in Charleston Harbor after sinking a Union blockade ship in 1864. The sub was recovered in 1999 and has been undergoing very careful conservation in a warehouse in North Charleston ever since.  The Friends of the Hunley had recently done some work that had changed the appearance of the sub in its tank and wanted new underwater photographs to show it off. I got the call and had a great time planning and executing the  shoot. I don’t know when the organization will start using the photos in brochures and so on, but here’s a little preview until they do.

Second, I recently submitted two photos to the Photography Club of Beaufort (SC) for their entry in the Merrimack Valley Camera Club international interclub nature photography salon and competition. My photograph of a red hind being cleaned by a Pederson Cleaner Shrimp was selected as the best entry in the Marine and Freshwater Life Category. My other entry, Liftoff, depicting a Great Egret just as it takes off, dripping water from its feet and reflected in the pond, scored high enough to be included in the salon exhibition. 

Finally, just this week I was asked by Wild Rescue if they could use my photo of a cormorant hanged by monofilament as their “poster child” for this year’s Worldwide Fishing Line Cleanup Campaign. I photographed the cormorant during my visit several months ago to central Florida, where I got some wonderful images of birds, as well as the cormorant that was killed by some carelessly discarded fishing line.

Of the three, I’m probably most proud of the last one, because I do want my photography to make a difference. Wildlife kills by discarded fishing line and other debris are tragic and preventable. I hope my photograph will inspire someone somewhere  to keep that in mind and do something about it.