...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.

&&

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.”

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.

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.”

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!

Find stories like this and more, in our apps.

Copyright 2024 KTTC. All rights reserved.

Photographer Jan Erik Waider is known for his exploration of Iceland’s magnificent landscape. From incredible icebergs to mysterious waterways, Waider brings out the best of his subjects. In his newest exploration of Iceland, he only builds on his experience to produce a fresh look at the country’s glacial rivers.

According to Waider, Iceland’s winding waterways are called “braided river systems” due to the intricate patterns that they produce. The photographer’s Glacier River Blues is a look at the abstract patterns created by these waterways. At first glance, it’s not immediately clear what we’re looking at. The rivers almost appear as inky markings along a canvas. But as we learn more about Iceland’s rivers, their pathways become clear.

“Most rivers have their source at one of the numerous glaciers and flow towards the sea,” Waider tells My Modern Met. “Along the way, they transport vital nutrients for the ecosystem in the form of sediment. As the flow of the rivers declines, the sediment is deposited within the riverbed, temporarily leaving small islands of sand which cause the river channels to further divide and branch.”

Waider has been exploring these fascinating rivers using drones and small planes for several years. His expertise in seeking out compositions in abstract shapes is evident. The combination of the hypnotic forms and the rivers’ cool colors produces a tranquil atmosphere that is part of what inspires the photographer. “I find their ephemeral and dynamic nature very captivating and inspiring, and I am always fascinated by how different the rivers look,” he admits. “Sometimes, even the same river a few kilometers downstream.”

While the images are calming, there is a lot of hard work that goes into producing them. Though Waider used to use fate to guide him, he’s now moved to looking at satellite imagery to scout locations. Once he finds something interesting, the challenge is making his way there, as many locations are quite remote. He often needs to go off-road or even fly a small plane to get what he’s after. But judging from the results, all of the effort is well worth it.

Shortly, Waider will be spreading his wings and traveling to Alaska for the first time, where he’s looking forward to viewing a new glacial landscape. Follow his adventures on Instagram, and scroll down to see more aerial views of Iceland’s rivers.

Photographer Jan Erik Waider is fascinated by Iceland’s landscape.

He often takes aerial photos that follow the abstract shapes produced by Iceland’s glacier rivers.

“I find their ephemeral and dynamic nature very captivating and inspiring.”

Jan Erik Waider: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Behance

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Jan Erik Waider.

Related Articles:

Stunning Macro Photos Pay Homage to the Frozen Beauty of Winter

Photos Reveal the Abstract Beauty of Lava From the Fagradalsfjall Volcano

Atmospheric Photos Capture the Diverse and Quiet Beauty of Icebergs in Greenland

Photographer Travels by Boat to Capture Ghostly Photos of Greenland’s Arctic Landscape

There might be no way to enumerate photographer James Hamilton’s archive. It’s way too huge, occupying an entire storage locker in Manhattan. It spans more than four decades, during which he has photographed everything from artists and parties to war zones and celebrity homes, creating images that are shot through with a loose spontaneity. Hamilton’s photos of musicians have filled one monograph and he’s toyed with the idea of compiling his pictures from film productions. But bringing together all his work in one place? “I don’t know if I can do one book,” he told me over a Zoom call. “It’s a Pandora’s box.” 

For now, perhaps the best view we have of Hamilton’s hoard is in Uncropped, a new documentary directed by D.W. Young (The Booksellers). In tracing his storied career, the film resurfaces his indelible images with low-key narration by Hamilton himself. There’s a lot to unpack, not least for the photographer himself, who found the making of the documentary “illuminating.” 

“I found pictures that I have absolutely no memory of taking, mostly pictures I’d taken in the street,” he said. “It’s almost as if: ‘Who took that?’” 

James Hamilton, Outside a theater on 42nd Street, Times Square NYC (1978). Photo: James Hamilton.

Much of Hamilton’s career has hinged on the talismanic press pass, credentials that granted him access behind the curtain of New York’s arts and cultural scene. His first was faked, though: in 1969, he mocked up a press pass to photograph performers at the Texas International Pop Festival, developed the pictures, and submitted them to music magazine Crawdaddy. Thus launched his work with a string of outlets including the Herald, New York Observer, Harper’s Bazaar, and Village Voice from the 1970s through the 2000s. 

As captured in the film, Hamilton’s staff positions at these publications coincided with the heyday of print journalism. These magazines, he told me, were often generous with space, allowing him total creative control. “I basically almost created my own assignments in many cases,” he said. “I mean, the Observer had two pictures a week and I could do anything I wanted.” 

James Hamilton, Patti Smith and Tom Verlaine (1975). Photo: James Hamilton.

For these publications, Hamilton would photograph a slew of figures, not limited to Jack Nicholson, James Brown, Patti Smith, Candy Darling, and Andy Warhol. In the documentary are his tales about hanging out with Duane Allman in his hotel room and attending a party where Cary Grant informed all at a table about his knife phobia. Hamilton also once showed up unannounced at Alfred Hitchcock’s St. Regis suite with a camera and press pass; the Rear Window director allowed him to fire off a few casual shots.  

“I worked very fast and I talked more than I took pictures,” he recalled of his portrait sessions. “I didn’t shoot a lot of pictures, but I would engage. That was the thing really, because otherwise, the whole experience would be boring for both of us.” 

James Hamilton, Alfred Hitchcock (1972). Photo: James Hamilton.

Hamilton’s work also took him farther afield. Beginning in the late ’70s, he photographed conflicts in the Philippines, Nicaragua, Haiti, and Beijing; across the U.S., he shot anti-choice protests, white supremacists, and people dying of AIDS. With writer Kathy Dobie, his partner in life and journalism, he developed pictures for stories about interracial adoption and sex workers in Brooklyn, among others. For GQ, he traveled the world photographing pinball machines, images of which made up his first book, Pinball! (1977). “I said, ‘Who wants a book about pinball?’” he told me laughingly. “It turned out a lot of people did.” 

Throughout, Hamilton maintained his practice of documenting the streets of New York—one that continues today. “I had more fun doing that kind of photography than anything because it was full of surprises,” he said, adding that he found that same element of discovery when developing his photos in the darkroom. These images, like the rest of his work, are black-and-white, dynamically composed artifacts that convey an of-the-moment kineticism, a Hamilton signature. 

James Hamilton, Protest in Tompkins Square Park, NYC (1988). Photo: James Hamilton.

The photographer’s compositions and effective use of light emerge from his passion for cinema, cultivated during his childhood in Baltimore, Maryland. “I’m always reminded of films because they were very important to me,” he said in Uncropped. After he first picked up a camera as a student at New York’s Pratt Institute, his dramatic frames owed an immediate debt to the films of the 1950s and ’60s. (In our conversation, he rued not working more in Hollywood, where he could have met the likes of Orson Welles.)

While photographing film sets, Hamilton would also find himself in front of the camera: he’s had cameos in Milos Foreman’s Taking Off (1971), George Romero’s Knightriders (1981), and notably, Wes Anderson’s The Royal Tenenbaums (2001). Anderson, an executive producer on Uncropped, had sought out Hamilton to shoot stills on his sets, an assignment to which the photographer brought to bear his unswerving eye. “I’d rather have [him] document the movie like it’s part of the city,” the director recalled in the film, “than having someone that does things the studio is telling them to do.” 

“I was photographing everything, everything around the making of the film,” Hamilton told me about his time working with Anderson. “I treated it like a documentary—that’s the only way the job becomes fun.”

James Hamilton, Muhammed Ali (May 1977). Photo: James Hamilton.

As a younger man, Hamilton aspired to become a filmmaker until he picked up photography and found himself “content with the moment.” But in many ways, his photographic oeuvre serves up stories of its own—of New York’s cultural and social fabric, of a lifetime’s worth of work—or, as he described them in the documentary, “stories made up of moments.” They’re much like the vintage flipbooks he collects—a series of images that, when flicked through swiftly, give the semblance of movement. Hamilton, as he recounted in Uncropped, couldn’t resist swiping his first flipbook as a child.

“The irony is the first thing I ever stole was a flipbook, which combines film and stills, which is too weird,” he said. “I really do regret that I didn’t pick up a camera at that age because that’s what I believe I was born to do.” 

Uncropped is now showing at IFC Center and Sag Harbor Cinema in New York, and Laemmle Royal in Los Angeles. It will be available on digital platforms from May 7. 

Follow Artnet News on Facebook:
Want to stay ahead of the art world? Subscribe to our newsletter to get the breaking news, eye-opening interviews, and incisive critical takes that drive the conversation forward.

I try to capture the spirit of nature, so I can share its beauty with others. All my images are taken in natural habitats. I never move or relocate subjects for better backgrounds and tread lightly to respect the habitat I’m privileged to experience. The images are a gift to me by nature herself. I believe photographers have an important part to play in conservation, sharing the wonders of nature to a wider audience and thereby increasing awareness of the beauty we could potentially lose.

I was introduced to photography by my late father in the early ’70s; we used to develop and print our own photos in a home darkroom. We then got into macro photography. Our field kit was a macro lens on bellows with a pistol grip and cable release. Fast forward and I’ve been using Nikon cameras for many years. My first DSLR was the Nikon D70. The last was the Nikon D850, as I’ve just received a brand-new Nikon Z8. 

My interest in butterflies has become much more serious in recent years, and I’m now studying their behavior at my local nature reserve. The Z8’s high frame rate has given me the chance to photograph courtship displays and subsequently decode behavior patterns the D850 just couldn’t, consistently. Having viewed the first few images from my Z8, I have realized just how far optics have progressed.

My best shots

I’ve taken images like this before on my D850 and wanted to see how the Z8 and Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S would compare. I arrived just after dawn, mist hanging in the meadow and the sun peeping above the horizon. Research meant I had a pretty good idea where the silver-studded blues roosted. I eventually found a pristine female covered in dew and not obscured by heather stems. Once the sun crept above the trees behind me, it illuminated the butterfly and added golden sparkles to each of the dew drops. Perfect!

I wanted to capture the essence of a summer’s evening – a butterfly in a meadow bathed in golden sunshine. Butterflies roost in the early evening, often where they’ll catch the dawn sun. As a volunteer at my local reserve, I knew a secluded meadow with the right grass. The challenge was to find a solitary butterfly, catching the sun with its wings not fully closed and no wind. The small heath butterfly closes its wings as soon as it settles, hiding the ‘eye’ and orange color of the forewing, so I had to fire the shutter before it settled.

The butterfly in this image is smallish in size and very ‘flighty’. I wanted to capture it in its natural environment, where it often skips among the brambles. It’s also known as the hedge brown due to its propensity to frequent hedgerows. I used back-button focus with the Z8’s Pre-Release Capture so it recorded images when the shutter button was only half depressed, compensating for my slow reactions as the butterfly took off.

The six-spot burnet is a day-flying moth. It can be seen on a summer’s day, painting the sky with black lines, edged in red. I recced a few locations and waited for a calm evening with subdued lighting. I found four roosting on a thistle bloom, but as soon as I got set up they fell into the undergrowth; an effective defensive mechanism. I waited and, sure enough, they crawled back up their stems. I used Focus Peaking to ensure the nearest point was in focus and then used Focus Shift.

Dragonflies are skittish subjects. I’d watched this one for a while and realized it favored sitting on the same stick. I got myself set up and waited. It had seen me and promptly moved to another stick… I crawled towards it – silhouette below the skyline. Bingo! It landed and I got the shot.

My macro insect photography tips

• Get to know your subject. Learn where they roost, which flowers they visit and how they fly. The latter is particularly important when capturing insects in flight. Predicting the flight path can make or break an image.
• Use a fast shutter speed. When you photograph insects in flight, ideally use 1/8,000 sec. This will freeze your subject’s beating wing movements.
• Know the best time to go out. Insects are more dormant late in the evening or early in the morning. The latter is preferred, as dew will often settle on potential subjects, especially if there has been rain overnight.

Read more:

“Look!” will open April 27 at The Children’s Museum of the Upstate in Greenville.

The exhibit features photos taken by various photographers from across the state and will be on display at 300 College St. through June 14.

“We’re honored to host the Look! exhibit in partnership with Family Connection of South Carolina. This collaboration reflects TCMU’s dedication to inclusivity and accessibility and introduces this meaningful collection to visitors from across the Upstate,” said Lauren Luneckas, TCMU’s CEO. “Through these photographs, we aim to promote understanding and celebrate the inspiring stories of children and families facing disabilities or chronic health conditions.”

Access to the exhibit is included with museum admission. Tickets are free for TCMU members and children under 1 year old; $10 per educator, military member or senior; $13 per South Carolina resident and $19 for general admission. For more information, visit tcmupstate.org.

A PHOTOGRAPHER has dished on one of his most challenging jobs to date.

He said a wedding went awry, sending the bride into tears.

1

Kris Labang of Hawaii Wedding Photography spilled the beans on the unfortunate ceremony.

The photographer has seen it all, with over 20 years of experience in the industry.

He recounted one of the worst stories on the job, which turned the big day into a blunder.

The wedding fail took the cake, with Labang describing it as being unforgettable.

NOT TEARS OF JOY

Labang explained that with his level of expertise, he’s witnessed a lot in his industry.

“Believe me when I say that I have seen and heard it all,” he said.

“But some wedding disasters you can never forget.”

What makes the story worse is that the snafu could have easily been avoided.

“Another photographer I know had met with the happy couple in advance to discuss and plan their photos for the day,” he said.

“Every couple is different, and every wedding is different, so planning is important to make sure the best shots are all captured.”

Issues arose once the when the groom’s mother stepped in while the shots were being taken.

“The photoshoot started well enough,” he said. “But then the mother-in-law decided to get involved.”

She began taking her own pictures with her phone, despite protests from the bride.

“The photographer did his best, but with an amateur taking control, the results were disappointing, to say the least,” he said.

“People didn’t look happy in the photographs, and an argument even broke out among the family. At one point, the bride was in tears.”

FEELINGS IN CHECK

With weddings already being a time when emotions are on a high, Labang recommended keeping an eye on the prize.

“A wedding is a highly emotional day, and the frustration when something goes wrong can escalate quickly, ruining the day,” he said.

“Weddings are once-in-a-lifetime, and the run-up to the big day puts tremendous stress on those involved.

“Sometimes, it all comes out during the wedding.”

Labang also had some advice for other photographers on similar assignments.

“A more experienced photographer would have handled the mother’s interference, got the shots, and kept everyone happy,” he said.

“Being a professional is about understanding people and circumstances and working the crowd.

“On this occasion, most of the planned photos were never taken, and the ones that were looked disorganized and a mess.

“No one was happy with the results, yet it all could have easily been avoided.”