The bald eagle is a very proud and dignified looking animal. It’s no wonder that it’s our national bird and is a symbol of power and freedom.
UC Davis veterinarian Dr. Scott Weber, left, checks the injured wings of a female bald eagle held by animal care specialists Julie Rosenthal, center, and Anne Metcalf at the Micke Grove Zoo (Camera: Nikon D300. Lens: Nikkor 17-55mm @ 20mm. Exposure: 1/125th sec. @ f/2.8. ISO: 400).
I recently shot the veterinary team of Dr. Scott Weber and nurse Kristina Palmer-Holtry, both from U.C. Davis, checking on an injured female bald eagle, Shaman, on a weekly visit to the Micke Grove Zoo near Lodi.
UC Davis veterinarian Dr. Scott Weber tries to put a leather hood on a female bald eagle at the Micke Grove Zoo (Camera: Nikon D300. Lens: Nikkor 17-55mm @ 55mm. Exposure: 1/125th sec. @ f/2.8. ISO: 400).
Animal care specialist Julie Rosenthal gingerly carried the bird into the zoo’s clinic from its enclosure. It was wrapped in a towel to help keep it calm as Rosenthal securely held its legs. Zoo curator Matt McKim said that most raptors use their talons as weapons, but the bald eagle is big enough to also wield its beak as one, too. That was evident when they removed the towel. Shaman snapped her large beak at any finger or hand that strayed near. It made it a chore for Weber to put a small leather hood over the bird’s head without losing a few digits. After several tries, the hood was finally secured.
UC Davis veterinarian Dr. Scott Weber, left, checks the talons of a female bald eagle held by animal care specialist Julie Rosenthal at the Micke Grove Zoo (Camera: Nikon D300. Lens: Nikkor 17-55mm @ 17mm. Exposure: 1/125th sec. @ f/2.8. ISO: 400).
Shaman, about 26, was a wild eagle brought to the zoo in 1987 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as an injured bird. At her age, she’s been having health issues and had injured her wings in a transportation crate during a recent visit to U.C. Davis.
UC Davis veterinary nurse Kristina Palmer-Holtry, left, and veterinarian Dr. Scott Weber check the injured wings of a female bald eagle held by animal care specialist Julie Rosenthal at the Micke Grove Zoo (Camera: Nikon D300. Lens: Nikkor 17-55mm @ 17mm. Exposure: 1/125th sec. @ f/2.8. ISO: 400).
The team had stitched and bandaged the injuries on an earlier visit and were back at the zoo to check on the bird’s progress. They gave the eagle a quick onceover and then examined wounds on each wing. One was mostly healed, the other, while making great progress, still had a ways to go. The eagle gave occasional loud “skrees” which were all the more ear-piercing in the small examination room.
Shaman, a female bald eagle, is returned to her enclosure after an examination at the Micke Grove Zoo.
(Camera: Nikon D300. Lens: Nikkor 70-200mm @ 170mm. Exposure: 1/400th sec. @ f/5.6. ISO: 200).
After the examination was done, the eagle was taken back to her enclosure and released. A fellow male eagle was waiting for her as she flapped her way to a branch. Although her feathers were a bit ruffled, she perched proudly in spite of some undignified treatment.
Just a little FYI, The Record photographers, Craig Sanders, Michael McCollum, Calixtro Romias and myself are participating in a dual exhibit with potter Doreen Heath at the Tidewater Art Center and Gallery at 223 E. Weber Avenue in downtown Stockton. The show, featuring about 20 prints of our work throughout the years, will run from March 2 to April 2. There will be an artists reception today, Friday March 12, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Hope to see you there!
Clifford Oto, an award-winning photographer, has been with The Record since 1984. Through the changes from black and white to digital photography, he’s kept his focus on covering the events, people and life of San Joaquin county. This blog deals ... Read Full
It’s the pits
“Axilla: The cavity beneath the junction of the arm and the body, better known as the armpit.” (MedicineNet.com)
Axilla, underarm or armpit, call it whatever you like. They’re all the same picture-wise. They’re known in the business as armpit shots. Basketball photos of players shooting or reaching for a rebound which their armpits are exposed. You might say to yourself “hey it’’s basketball, that’s what they do,” and you’d be right, but it’s the stereotypical photo. The challenge is to go beyond that and try to get something different.
Now a shot of players reaching toward the heavens isn’t the kiss of death, photographically speaking. I mean, I’d rather see a good armpit picture shot than a bad non-armpit shot. You shouldn’t pass up a good photo while waiting for a perfect one. That’s a just recipe for coming back empty-handed.
Sometimes there are time constraints, or your timing might be off, and all you come back with are underarm shots, but the armpit photo is a cliche. It’s something that you shoot to know you have at least something usable and then try to move on to find something better.
Shooting and rebound pictures are relatively easy to shoot. You often know when and where they’re going to occur. Just position yourself near a basket and wait for the action to come to you.
Photos that don’t show armpits are much harder to get. Typically they’re away from the basket and are more difficult to anticipate. You just don’t know exactly when players are going to scramble for a loose ball, or fight for possession of a rebound. Are they going to do an ordinary layup, or will they do an underhand shovel-shot? One just has to be ready and react quickly to the action on the court. All this is added to the obstructions that normally occur during a game — like players and refs getting in the way of the camera.
It takes more work and vigilance, but to get something different from the norm it can be worth the extra effort.