Loggerhead Sea Turtle

[Robert La Follette]

Soto is a Loggerhead Turtle who has been residing at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium since August 2006, where she was caught in a dredging project trawl net with a stingray. The ray's barb went through Soto's knee on the left flipper, and then punctured her intestines.

She was rehabilitated and released on March 19, 2008 on Clearwater Beach, Florida


http://blog.robertlafollette.com/images/soto/images/Soto27.jpg

To see more photos of the release, check out: http://blog.robertlafollette.com/images/soto/

-robert.

[Roman Kurywczak]

Hi Robert,
Great story! considering the lighting situation......you handled it pretty well. If you were able to move around and use a little fill flash(or were there plenty of other photographers around???).... you could have gotten wet to get a little better head angle..........but it still must have been a great experience,
Roman

[Robert Amoruso]

I know when I have been at releases, you can't get in front of them but going low on the side would have been possible here.

My wife and I rescued a Loggerhead last year that we found on the beach with the help of a NPS ranger and two guys jogging that I rounded up. She was rehabilitated and released.

[Robert La Follette]

I was able to get several low angle shots, but there was a huge crowd around her, and the background was all people (which is still cool, since it is a release!). I wanted to isolate her on this shot with the beautiful wet sand around her as she just pushes into the water. It was and always are amazing experiences to not only witness, but to photograph.

-robert.

[Alfred Forns]

Excellent Robert !!! I know there was not much you could do to change the angle Does looks good as presented Would lighten the face a bit !!!

[Van Hilliard]

Excellent handling of a difficult situation. It reminds me of the difficulties faced by photojournalists when they try to document an event while striving for an effective picture. I think the advice on fill-flash or lightening the face in Photoshop is good.

[Robert Amoruso]

I was able to get several low angle shots, but there was a huge crowd around her, and the background was all people (which is still cool, since it is a release!). I wanted to isolate her on this shot with the beautiful wet sand around her as she just pushes into the water. It was and always are amazing experiences to not only witness, but to photograph.

-robert.

That's right, you always get a lot of people at this things. This perspective is the way to go.

[Daniel Cadieux]

I was going to suggest a lower angle, but after reading about the circumstances this is the best alternative. Love the flipper motion!