Heartbeat of Delmarva: Math Teacher and Photographer

By in Photography

Heartbeat of Delmarva: Math Teacher and Photographer
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...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 AM EDT
SATURDAY...

* WHAT...Southeast winds 10 to 15 kt with gusts up to 20 kt.

* WHERE...Chesapeake Bay from Drum Point MD to Smith Point VA,
Tidal Potomac from Cobb Island MD to Smith Point VA, and
Tangier Sound and the inland waters surrounding Bloodsworth
Island.

* WHEN...Until 4 AM EDT Saturday.

* IMPACTS...Conditions will be hazardous to small craft.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Inexperienced mariners, especially those operating smaller
vessels, should avoid navigating in hazardous conditions.

&&

B.C. photographer captures snapshot of rare ‘ghost bird’ magpie

By in Photography

B.C. photographer captures snapshot of rare ‘ghost bird’ magpie

Amanda Nelson says she found herself in the right place at the right time to capture a photo of a rare sight.

While visiting a friend, the photographer took a snapshot of what she believes is a leucistic magpie, often referred to as a ghost bird. Nelson, who lives in the Clinton area in B.C.’s Interior, said the bird had been living on her friend’s property.

With white-coloured chests and grey wings, leucistic magpies stand out from their black-billed brethren. 

“I’ve actually never seen one of these birds before. I’ve seen photos, but this is my first time actually seeing one in person,” Nelson told CBC’s Daybreak Kamloops with Shelley Joyce.

“I was so excited to get my camera and have it ready, but I wasn’t prepared for it to take off like it did, so I only got two photos, but those two photos turned out so I was very excited.”

Daybreak Kamloops2:05:43Thursday: Honda’s EV factory, Dr. Raj on colon cancer, White magpie in Clinton, KAG internment exhibit, Little Shuswap rebuild, Fire practices for wildfire, Crime conference in Kamloops, Toothbrushing tips, Wood pellet debate, Mel Rothenburger steps back.

Thursday April 25, 2024

Nancy Flood, an ornithologist and president of the Kamloops Naturalist Club, said leucistic magpies aren’t to be confused with albino magpies.

“It’s not an albino because it’s not totally white and it doesn’t have pink eyes,” she said.

“Albinism, just like in people, is caused by a genetic mutation and it’s really bad news for the birds. It causes blindness and causes their feathers to be weak, and they don’t last very long … Although [leucism is] very rare, it’s much more common than albinism.”

Flood said leucistic birds are more common in larger cities because there are all kinds of contaminants in urban areas that can cause genetic mutations and damage melanin cells.

A bird flies away from a tree. Its feathers are nearly all white.
With white-coloured chests and grey wings, leucistic magpies stand out from their black-billed brethren. (Submitted by Amanda Nelson)

In 2015, Bird Studies Canada, the country’s national bird conservation organization, named Edmonton, Alta., Canada’s magpie capital due to its growing population.

In some cases, Flood said leucism can have advantages for male birds.

“Sometimes in birds, there’s this thing called the ‘rare male effect,’ where if birds look unusual, for some reason, they’re ‘sexier’ to the ladies,” she said.

Nelson said her interest in photography started in her youth. She only recently got back to the hobby a couple of years ago. She also has a love for birds. It amazes her to watch them, she said. 

“I never thought I’d see one,” she said of the leucistic magpie.

“You never really expect to find something like this. A lot of the time, patience pays off, but sometimes [you’ve] got to be in the right place at the right time.”

Indigenous creativity takes the stage at Native Nations Fashion Night

By in Native

Indigenous creativity takes the stage at Native Nations Fashion Night

As the fourth annual Native Nations Fashion Night neared, designer Delina White offered MPR News a tip. 

“It’s got a Victorian gothic influence,” said White. 

Models show pieces

Models show pieces by designer Delina White on the runway.

Nicole Neri for MPR News

White is from the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and is the creator of the Native Nations Fashion Night. She said in planning for this year’s event that designers wanted to do “something mysterious” to honor shared Native values and beliefs.

The theme for the evening was “Messengers, Protectors & Great Mysteries.”

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone – free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.

Models walk the runway

Models walk the runway during Native Nations Fashion Night at Quincy Hall.

Nicole Neri for MPR News

The event was held at Quincy Hall in northeast Minneapolis and showcased the work of a half dozen designers, welcoming hundreds of guests for a night of Indigenous fashion.

How does a Victorian gothic influence show up in an Indigenous fashion show?  

“A strong basis in romantic, elegant, Victorian gothic using many material textures, colors, embellishments and accessories,” said White. “You can expect to see veils, silk black roses, platform boots and indigenous natural materials including sage, cedar, red-willow, wampum, bone, bull horn and white tail deer sheds.” 

Emcee Grace Goldtooth welcomed hundreds who came out for the evening to celebrate Indigenous design and opportunity.

A model wears deer hooves

A model wears deer hooves as part of a piece by designer Delina White on the runway.

Nicole Neri for MPR News

Christy Ruby is a Tlingit designer from Ketchikan, Alaska, and her collection opened the show. Ruby showed a collection of colored furs she sews using seal and otter skin — materials used by Alaska Natives for countless generations.

To demonstrate the importance of environmental sustainability for Native nations, Ruby took audiences through a short theatrical presentation of subsistence hunting practices.

Model Brady Fairbanks, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, walked the runway for Ruby’s collection. He wore a hand-sewn fur vest and gloves made from skins of animals hunted by the designer herself.

“I’m very honored to wear this beautiful vest and gloves,” said Fairbanks. “This is the first time I’ve done anything like this.”

A model on the runway

Brady Fairbanks models a piece by designer Christy Ruby on the runway.

Nicole Neri for MPR News

Model Jada Aljubailah walked one of the looks from the Restorative Apparel Co-design collection wearing a patterned gold lace dress with Ojibwe floral designs, red willow necklace and birch bark earrings. White worked with designers Sage Davis, Elizabeth Bye and Masnoureh Nikookar to create the collection.

Dakota dress maker Rebecca Mousseau, Spirit Lake Dakota, riffed on the evening’s themes around mystery through her use of color, design and ribbons, putting her collection of dresses and skirts on the runway.

Peggy Flanagan shows a piece

Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan shows a piece by designer Rebecca Mousseau on the runway.

Nicole Neri for MPR News

Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, a citizen of the White Earth Nation, made her debut on the runway as a model wearing a glittering black velvet dress by Rebecca Mousseau.

“I love it,” said Flanagan. “It’s velvet, it’s punk rock and I feel amazing. That’s how I always feel wearing anything she designs.”

Last year, Flanagan, on behalf of Gov. Tim Walz declared April 23 Native Nations Fashion Night. A similar proclamation was made again to celebrate the night this year.

Delina White speaks on the runway

Delina White speaks on the runway while holding a proclamation from Governor Tim Walz.

Nicole Neri for MPR News

Just before she put her collection on the runway, Delina White expressed her gratitude for the proclamation, which highlights the day as an important economic opportunity for Indigenous people working to establish themselves in the fashion industry.

“I am really honored that they recognized me as a businessperson. That part goes unseen,” said White. “I am usually recognized as being an artist and a jingle dress dancer, which I am very, very extremely proud of, but I am also proud of the work I do in bringing in awareness and support and opportunities to our Native creatives, and that’s what tonight does.”

A woman is reflected in a mirror

A woman is reflected in a mirror as artists sell clothing and jewelry during Native Nations Fashion Night at Quincy Hall.

Nicole Neri for MPR News

SCAD Student Photographers Turn Their Lenses on “Power in Perspective”

By in Photography

SCAD Student Photographers Turn Their Lenses on “Power in Perspective”

The double-height windows of the Savannah College of Art and Design’s Gutstein Gallery open onto the downtown streets of the city, nicknamed “The Hostess City of the South.” It’s with something akin to irony, then, that the gallery’s current photography show explores the myriad ways women harness their own power to throw off the burdens of societal expectations. The show, titled “Power in Perspective,” features 45 student artists, ranging from undergraduate students to MFA candidates, and their photographic interpretations of women’s’ resilience.

Anyone familiar with the caliber of SCAD’s programming knows to expect the talents of future industry leaders on display at its student showcases, and “Power in Perspective” is no exception. German camera manufacturer Leica teamed up with the university to support the exhibiting students with equipment and mentorship from documentary photographer Cheriss May. A photographer who has captured presidents, their families, and whose work has earned the elusive A1 spot on the front page of the New York Times, May guided the 45 photographers through the process of producing exhibition-caliber work. “Beyond masterful guidance on aesthetic and technical aspects, Cheriss was very involved in discussing how to create an image that is not only striking but is packed with emotion and makes viewers able to imagine what happened before and after the moment captured on camera,” SCAD Museum of Art assistant curator Brittany Richmond tells Surface. 

In Penny and the Band, Tanner Phillips so deftly captures the sunkissed faces of the vintage-sporting subjects that the viewer can practically feel the sun on their own face. Hannah Esquenazi’s Erosion, meanwhile, evokes resilience in the face of the insurmountable, with its subject bracing herself from waves on a sea boulder. Richmond credits the nature of the photography program’s open call for the show’s variety of perspectives. “From these diverse perspectives, both intimate, public, personal, and collective themes emerged such as family, motherhood, grandmothers, matriarchy, identity politics, fashion, community, and culture,” she said.

Below, see more works from the show, on view through April 29.

Chief Photographer Chuck Sibley to retire after more than 51 years at KTTC

By in Photography

Chief Photographer Chuck Sibley to retire after more than 51 years at KTTC

ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – After more than 51 years working at KTTC, Chief Photographer Chuck Sibley has announced he is retiring from the business, or as he would call it, “the racket.”

Chuck joined the station as a part-time Studio Camera Operator for then KROC-TV, now KTTC, on August 1, 1972. Chuck graduated earlier that year from Lourdes High School. In 1977, he started as a news photographer; a job he’s held for the last 46 years.

During his five decades-plus with KTTC, Chuck has made his mark on many stories and many people.

“It’s truly been an honor and a privilege to work with so many great people while covering news, sports and weather,” Chuck said. “Truly an honor and a privilege.”

Chuck has covered the Super Bowl, U.S. Open, Final Four, and the World Series twice. There also hasn’t been a significant high school sports tournament or championship that Chuck hasn’t been on the sidelines for.

Chuck has many top moments behind the lens, but one at the top is a story on the Viola Gopher Count. In the early 2000s, Chuck and reporter Jason Wenisch profiled an 85-year-old man who had trapped more than 15,000 gophers for the annual count. He was known as the “King of Gophers.” Chuck shows this story to every new employee and intern on their first day.

Chuck has won numerous awards for his work from the Minnesota Associated Press Broadcasters, the Minnesota chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, the Rochester Area Officials Association, the Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association and has won a REGIONAL EMMY from the Upper Midwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

Longtime KTTC Anchor Tom Overlie had this to share about his 24 years working alongside Chuck:

Chuck and I worked together for 24 years on countless stories and special reports. From interviews with governors and other top leaders, to spotlighting Critical Careers…and folks in our community making a difference in the lives of others. When I would go on stories with Chuck, I knew he would bring his best as a talented videographer. I am indebted to him for his incredible work.

And not only is he among the top as a photojournalist—he’s got the best sense of humor and one of the kindest hearts. KTTC and our viewers are the beneficiaries of one very talented guy!

Chuck was also inducted into the Upper Midwest Emmys Gold Circle in October of 2022, honoring his 50 years of service to KTTC and local tv news.

“All my friends and workmates, all of them through the years,” Sibley said that night at the Emmys ceremony in Bloomington. “So many. I’ve been blessed to live and work with so many great teammates in life, both at work and life. And it’s important to be a teammate.”

KTTC General Manager Stephanie Hedrick shared this about Chuck’s retirement:

“KTTC is so thankful for Chuck’s dedication to this station and to the community.

Decades of his service as a photographer has helped inform viewers on historical moments, helped encapsulate memories of young athletes in our communities, and given viewers different perspectives of local news in their communities through his lens.

Chuck is a big part of KTTC’s legacy of great storytelling – one we will stay committed to.”

Chuck has worked with numerous reporters, anchors and photographers throughout his time at KTTC, many of whom he still keeps in contact with. All of Chuck’s current and past colleaguse also still recall his many “Chuckisms” they picked up along the way during their time at KTTC.

When Chuck celebrated 50 years at KTTC, multiple current and former employees, as well as friends and family, wanted to share their message for Chuck. Here’s what they had to say:

KTTC then celebrated 70 years as a station and you can’t tell the story of KTTC without Chuck Sibley and the thousands of stories he was behind the camera for. To honor that, Chuck sat down and tried to name his seven most memorable moments in “Seven Stories with Sibley.”

Chuck’s last day with KTTC will be May 3, where KTTC plans to honor Chuck and all his work both on-air and online throughout the day.

Thank you, Chuck for all your years of dedication and hard work to KTTC and our viewers!

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