When people picture their retirement, some imagine traveling the world, others dream of taking a much-needed respite or picking up a new hobby. Bill Hunnewell knew he’d be helping out at Sausalito’s Marine Mammal Center.
When the San Francisco resident retired from the corporate world five years ago, it wasn’t long before he joined the nonprofit’s team of volunteers, alongside his wife, Michele, who had been a longtime volunteer and volunteer crew supervisor at the center, which offers marine mammal rescue, veterinary medicine and education. Since he started, he’s helped with rescues, worked in the kitchen and to his surprise became the lead photographer the past few years.
A collection of photographs he’s taken of marine life over the years, like a harbor seal pup, a humpback whale breaching in Alaska and floating sea otter, are captured in “Our Earth, Our Home,” a collaborative exhibit between Cedars and the Marine Mammal Center, which is available online and in person at Cedars’ San Anselmo gallery, Artist Within – A Cedars Gallery, through Nov. 30.
Q How did the photography position come about?
A It came out of nowhere. Michele was being profiled in the center’s annual report, and they needed a picture of her. I took a picture of her on our deck. When she submitted it, they said, “Who took this photo?” She said, “My husband.” They contacted me and I started doing some small assignments and I became their No. 1 photographer. I never dreamed I’d be the guy who is inside the ropes taking pictures of the animals coming out the pen into the ocean and all the other things I photograph, everything from procedures in the operating room that are used for educational purposes or the person who found an animal on the beach asking how is the animal doing and we send a picture.
Q When did your interest in photography begin?
A My dad was an avid photographer and I was given a single-lens reflex camera at 10 years old by my dad. Everything obviously was different then with film and light meters, but you learn the basics that you still apply today. I have been in the New York Times and National Geographic all through my marine mammal stuff. Michele and I were up in the Arctic photographing polar bears and we met a guy from National Geographic, and ever since then, thanks to him, my relationship with them has bloomed and they invite me along to assignments. I was invited on a trip with Flip Nicklin, who is the whale expert for National Geographic, to shoot whales bubble-net feeding in Alaska.
Q What are your favorite shoots to do?
A My favorite thing to photograph is the reward that we all work for, the release, and it is interesting to see the comradery. You release sea lions together and they come out of their carriers, look around, look for the others, wait for them, they all run down together, they give each other what we call a kiss, look around and they’re gone.
Q What’s the trick to wildlife photography?
A When you get to observe animals, be it birds, bears or marine mammals, you know what might happen and what they are most likely to do. But wildlife photography even in a controlled environment is 99% luck. You’ve got to be in the right place at the right time and have your camera in the right position.
Q What do you want people to get from your photographs?
A A lot of people take for granted that there’s tremendous marine wildlife around us everyday. You might see a sea lion at Pier 39 but not think about how fantastic these animals are and how interesting they are. They’re all fascinating and part of our world.
"center" - Google News
October 25, 2020 at 02:01AM
https://ift.tt/31CdyZ2
Photographer captures behind-the-scenes at Marine Mammal Center - Marin Independent Journal
"center" - Google News
https://ift.tt/3bUHym8
https://ift.tt/2zR6ugj
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Photographer captures behind-the-scenes at Marine Mammal Center - Marin Independent Journal"
Post a Comment