I love when my job gets to involve animals, and August certainly didn’t disappoint in that regard. From a blue lobster, to owls, and a horse named Peppy, the following is a look behind the scenes of these images.
1) My friend, and outreach program coordinator for Northeastern University Marine Science Center, Sierra Muñoz, posted a photo of Neptune the blue lobster and I had a hunch that I knew where his new home would be. Fast forward a few weeks, and Muñoz was showing writer Zach Laird and me his new home at the Marine Science Center in Nahant. I have always seen photos posted of rare blue lobsters, but never thought I’d get to photograph one. I was fascinated to learn that the odds of a blue lobster being caught are one in 200 million.
2) The theme of animals continues with this eastern gray screech owl at Saugus Public Library. I was drawn to this photo because it looked like the owl was shocked to learn that “screech owls don’t actually screech,” as Marcia Wilson, of Eyes on Owls, explained to the room of crowded children at the library.
3) The process of getting this image was certainly one of the more interesting ones. I met with Save King’s Beach Founder Andrea Amour at the water testing lab set up at Nahant Beach. The focus of the story was to showcase the work going on to make sure the water was safe to swim in — little did I know that would mean squeezing into a cramped and stifling hot closet with Amour as she checked the samples using a UV light. Amour, like her trusty intern Hannah Bray, was looking for samples that glowed brightly under the light because that would have indicated the presence of bacteria.
4) This image was taken during Lynn Police Department’s bike safety day, held in the parking lot of Manning Field. I just loved the look of determination on Francis Medrano’s face as he pedaled through the obstacle course (much faster than the older kids, I might add).
5) The final pic of the month comes from a heartfelt story of celebration as Make-A-Wish and Bertolino Foods threw a party for Vinny Marino to celebrate a year of being cancer free. Vinny loves farms and farm animals, and he was overjoyed when he was led outside to meet Peppy the horse. It was a moment that put a smile on my face (and brought a tear to my eye) and I was so glad I was there to capture Vinny’s joy and celebrate with him.
