When we first came across the work of London-based Spanish visual artist and photographer Maite de Orbe, we were struck by how each photo was beautifully entrenched in a gentle kind of romance. Their precise use of lighting and saturation situates each photograph (regardless of the subject) in a warm, intimate atmosphere. Even when Maite’s work appears erotic, uncanny or editorial – they all have the same distinct warmth. It’s no wonder Maite cites the likes of Pedro Almodóvar, Robert Mapplethorpe and Toni Morrison as artistic influences. “My work is centred around people and their stories,” Maite tells us. “Either if it’s working with performers, with friends or with talents, I seek a collaborative connection that brings character and personal history to the front.”

Mostly, Maite’s work broaches themes of identity and belonging, how relationships and communities are built. Mainly, Maite wants to “subvert ‘representation culture’ in media,” they say. “The result is an amalgam of layered narratives in documentary, fine art and fashion styles that embrace the complexity of life,” they add. What’s left is an erasure of boundaries between fact and fiction, and a focus on co-existence and understanding between bodies.

2nd place in the polar wonders category. Svalbard, Norway, 2020

The arctic fox, sometimes called the polar fox, is commonly found in Spitsbergen, although it has been hunted for over two centuries. In order to find food in all seasons, the fox has to cope with the Arctic’s extreme conditions. But its small size – it is smaller than the red fox – and its thick fur, which is as insulating as a bear’s, enable it to withstand the extreme cold

Photograph: Knut M Selmer

The Roebling Bridge is one of the most photographed landmarks in our region. This summer, the best work will be recognized, and six talented people will win a coveted prize: a trip to the top of the bridge’s south tower.

Youth (under the age of 18) are now eligible to compete and earn gift cards.

Roebling Suspension Bridge (file photo/provided)

Presented by the Covington-Cincinnati Suspension Bridge Committee (CCSBC), the photography contest runs from July 1-July 31. There are separate classifications for amateurs, professionals, and youth, giving everyone a chance to win.

David Wetzel, Membership Director of the CCSBC, said, “This contest celebrates the art, architecture, history and engineering of the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge, a National Historic Landmark and a National Civil Engineering Landmark.”

This year, the contest has been expanded, as CCSBC Vice President, Allison Rotella, explains, “We are not only accepting photographs, but now we have added a category called “OPEN” which will allow for creations such as short videos and AI-generated art of the Roebling Suspension Bridge.”

Previous winners have loved photographing from the top of the tower. The youth winners won’t have that experience but can win $100 gift cards and don’t have to pay to enter their work.

Sherry Roth, President, explained, “This is a way we can encourage the next generation of artists.”

Entries will be accepted from July 1-31. Public voting will take place from August 20-27. Winners will be announced after the voting is complete.
 
To learn more and enter the contest, visit www.RoeblingBridge.org/pc.
 

Irene, a resident of Knox enjoyed having her photo taken as part of a photography exhibition that is now on at Miller’s Homestead to showcase the contribution, community dedication and personal strength of 24 people in Knox.

“I had a wonderful afternoon interacting with people of similar age doing such fantastic things out in the community,” Irene shared.

“The photographer worked really hard to capture people and their interest so well and used lighting to great effect”.

The exhibition runs until Friday 4 August 2023.

When:
Monday – Friday, 9.30am – 5.00pm

Where:
Miller’s Homestead
30 Dorrigo Drive (Cnr Melrose Crt)
Boronia 3155

Stories behind the exhibition
As part of the exhibition, hear from Knox residents, and participants in Voices of Over 55s, as they discuss the impact of ageism and how we can address it by recognising the skills and talents of Knox residents who are aged over 55.

• Tues 4 July, 2 – 3pm
• Wed 12 July, 2 – 3pm
• Mon 24 July, 2 – 3pm
• Mon 31 July, 2 – 3pm
   

To book, visit http://www.events.yourlibrary.com.au or call 0438 284 989

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa researchers in the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology are now using drone photography to study the age-structure of free-ranging dolphin groups.

This work will aid monitoring the health of dolphin populations and inform timely conservation efforts. The findings of the study that developed and applied this new technique were published in Ecology and Evolution. 

When dolphins come to the surface to breathe, they expose their blowhole and dorsal fin. By measuring the distance between the two, researchers can estimate their total body length. Since total length is related to age, the international team of researchers, led by scientists at the UH Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology, developed a technique of inferring age based on length for each measured dolphin within a group.

“This method can help us quantify the age-structure of free-ranging populations,” said Fabien Vivier, lead author of the study and marine biology doctoral candidate in the Marine Mammal Research Program at UH. “Healthy dolphin populations usually contain a certain proportion of newborn, immature and mature animals, while deviances from this distribution may be interpreted as a population growth or decline.”

Previous studies documented encouraging results of using drone photography to study and measure the size and body condition of large whales. However, no studies had applied this approach to assessing small dolphins, such as bottlenose dolphins. 

“Because it is difficult working with free-ranging animals, we could not be sure if it would work out as planned,” Vivier said.

To understand whether analyzing drone photos would be reliable for estimating the length of free-swimming dolphins, researchers collaborated with Dolphin Quest Oʻahu and tested the method on their bottlenose dolphins.

They then tested the approach in estimating the age-class of free-ranging dolphins by collaborating with the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program in Florida, the world’s longest-running dolphin research project. 

The Sarasota Dolphin Research Program provided the age, total body length and distance between the blowhole and dorsal fin for many individuals in their study community. This offered the unique opportunity to calibrate and test the accuracy of the team’s age estimates and the inferred age-class based on length for free-ranging individuals.

“Our hope in developing and using this method is that we can quickly monitor the health of free-ranging dolphin populations,” Vivier said. “This may facilitate the detection of early signs of population changes, for example, a decrease in the number of calves, and provide important insights for timely management decisions.”

While this method was developed on bottlenose dolphins, it can be applied to other dolphin species, which will aid in monitoring and conservation. The team’s current research focuses on spinner dolphins in the main Hawaiian Islands.

This work was funded by NOAA-PIFSC, CIMAR (Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research), the Office of Naval Research and Dolphin Quest.

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An image of a nurse with nearly 50 years of experience has been announced as one of the winners of a national photography competition for NHS staff and volunteers.

The best photographs have been chosen from five categories in the contest held to mark the 75th anniversary of the NHS.

The winners and runners-up will be exhibited at the Fujifilm House of Photography in Covent Garden, London, from July 5.

The photograph of Mother Obe, a nurse at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital – who has 47 years’ experience, was taken by Nurse Emmanuel Espiritu and won the Our People category.

NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard said: “This competition has provided the perfect opportunity for our incredible staff and volunteers to give a snapshot of life in the NHS, 75 years on from its inception – and we were amazed by the hundreds of brilliant, thought-provoking, and inspiring entries from NHS colleagues across the country.

“I want to offer my personal congratulations to the winners and everyone that took part – as we mark 75 years of the health service, your images will provide fantastic insight into life in our remarkable NHS throughout the exhibition and I cannot wait to see them in person.”

The other winners include the photograph by senior pharmacist Wasim Baqir, of Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, which claimed the Our Innovations category with its depiction of hundreds of used vaccine vials in an orange sharps bin illustrating the Covid-19 vaccination programme.

The photograph by paramedic Joe Cartwright, of South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, shows an ambulance battling snowy conditions as the Beast from the East hit the UK and it won the Our Environment category.

And the shot by senior research nurse Ewa Gasior, of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, won the Our Care category with the depiction of many hands contributing to delivering patient care.

Senior research nurse Ewa Gasior, of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, won the Our Care category with the depiction of many hands contributing to delivering patient care. (NHS England/PA Wire)

The winner of the Our Partners category, by Jenny Brodie and Mary McConnell – of Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust and Royal Free Charity, captures the moment Flo, a freelance hairdresser funded by the Royal Free Charity, provides one of her weekly cut and wash services to a grateful patient.

Tom Watanabe, managing director for Fujifilm UK, said: “We know from working with NHS colleagues up and down the country the passion they have for the health service, even in the most challenging of times, so we were delighted to help shine a spotlight on some of these fantastic stories.

“The exhibition will offer the public a unique opportunity to see what happens behind the scenes in our health service every day and it is a fitting way to mark 75 years of the NHS.”