Photography at the Aquarium

Today's episode features Robin Riggs, a charter volunteer and photographer at the Aquarium of the Pacific. Robin, who has been volunteering since before the Aquarium opened, captures stunning images of our animals. She discusses her transition from film to digital photography, the challenges of photographing animals in various exhibits, and the importance of animal welfare. 

Episode resources:

• Follow @podcific on Instagram!
• Transcript
• 25th Anniversary Staff Photo Contest Winners
• Photographers Night (join us every October!)

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:05

Hi, I'm Erin Lundy. And I'm Madeline Walden, and this is Aquarium of the Podcific. A podcast brought to you by Aquarium of the Pacific, Southern California's largest aquarium.

SPEAKER_02 0:15

Join us as we learn alongside the experts in animal care, conservation, and more. Welcome back to Aquarium of the Pod Civic. I'm Erin Lundy, the manager of conservation initiatives, and I'm joined by my co-host, Madeline Walden. Hi, I'm the Aquarium's Digital Content and Community Manager. Today we have on one of my absolute favorite people in the entire world, but also my favorite photographer, Robin Riggs.

SPEAKER_03 0:37

Mine too, huge fan.

SPEAKER_02 0:38

I'm a huge fan. It feels like we have a soul. It does so much. I'm freaking out. Um, Erin, who is Robin? Robin is my favorite person. No, Robin is uh someone who's been volunteering with the aquarium since the aquarium opened. Actually, I found out since before the aquarium opened. So that makes her a charter volunteer here. She has always been volunteering with our marine mammals and just in our husbandry department in general, but sort of more recently, sort of halfway through her tenure here, started doing a lot more focused photography. And so if you ever visit the aquarium, you will see tons of images posted all over our walls, sometimes in our advertising, even just beamed down in a beam of light on the floor, right? Which is really cool. Um, and a lot of those images and videos are actually robins, which is super cool. She works alongside our animal care staff to get some amazing photos of these animals. And I feel like the combination of having this relationship with people and these animals gives her this level of access and this comfort around the animals that creates these images that I don't think anyone else could get.

SPEAKER_03 1:37

No, truly, they are so special they are so personal from her point of view, but they just make the most beautiful images that we share constantly on social media around the aquarium, like you said, and sometimes from a beam of light.

SPEAKER_02 1:49

Yeah. It's so funny to see. Like we have worked on a couple of different photo shoots recently, and with our new frogs campaign that we just came out with this summer, we did have to do quite a few like photo setups for these different amphibians. And we, you know, we were working together to figure out what works for each species of amphibian. And I have the funniest photos of just behind the scenes shots of like Robin photographing something, and there's like a person off to the side to make sure that the frogs are secure, and then it's like in this like weird little photo setup that's also set up behind the scenes. And it is so cool from sort of what resources and space we sometimes have to see these like incredible. Like national geographics truly, truly. She does an amazing job. It's really cool. So we're gonna be interviewing Robin today about her history here at the aquarium, sort of how she got into photographing her animals, and if we are lucky, maybe we'll get some advice on how to get even remotely close to the level of talent that she has if we're photographing animals too.

SPEAKER_03 2:48

She's incredible. A lot of people asked how they can get involved with photography at the aquarium. Um, and I wanted to give some pointers for that. So we actually this weekend, this will come out, this episode will come out um after this event. But every October we have photo night here at the aquarium where we shut down the aquarium after hours and it's for photographers only. You can bring equipment. Um, we have equipment rentals. It's a really amazing event. So I definitely recommend checking it out every October. Put it on your calendar.

SPEAKER_02 3:13

Photo night photos are one of my favorite things because as someone who has built and designed exhibits in the aquarium, seeing those featured as like a part of someone's art, and like it is giving me weird goosebumps right now. Just like the idea that someone is photographing something that you made and is so personal to you and that you maintain day to day, it just is amazing that someone else looked at that and was like, that is beautiful, I want to capture that. And so if you are ever around in October, please come to Photo Knight, please photograph all the frogs.

SPEAKER_03 3:42

I need to see, I didn't even think about that. The new frog habitat. It'll be really cool, and I m I'm sure it must be cool even in the past to see people's takes on the exhibit from a different angle from something that you wouldn't necessarily make prominent in a photo, and they do a really good job about that.

SPEAKER_02 3:56

I think that's also what I like about Robin's photos is you know, I see these animals every day, and I love them every day. But sometimes she captures something in them that I just like I've seen a glimpse of it, but I've never just had a photo of it. And so she is amazing. All of you photographers out there are amazing, but Robin is my favorite, sorry. I don't believe me.

SPEAKER_03 4:15

She makes a lot of amazing content. Um so yeah, stay tuned for this episode. It's a really good one. Let's go. Welcome back to Aquarium of the Podcific. I am Madeline Walton, the Aquarium's digital content and community manager. Today I'm joined with my co-host, Erin Lundy.

SPEAKER_02 4:28

Hi, I'm Erin Lundy. I am the manager of conservation initiatives here at the Aquarium of the Pacific. I almost forgot what my title was for a second.

SPEAKER_03 4:36

And today we have the honor of interviewing the aquarium's one of the aquarium's charter volunteers, but also our volunteer photographer, Robin Riggs. Hi, Robin. Hello. Hello, hello. We're so excited to have you here today. You're one of our favorite people. Just in general.

SPEAKER_01 4:49

Just in general.

SPEAKER_03 4:52

And I know our audience is really gonna love getting an inside look of how you photograph animals here at the aquarium. I would love to learn about how you started volunteering here at the aquarium because I don't think I mentioned this, but a charter volunteer is a volunteer that's been with us since the very beginning of the aquarium. So when did you start volunteering here?

SPEAKER_00 5:09

Oh, I started our first year here. So I started a little before grand opening Saturday.

SPEAKER_02 5:16

You started before we even opened.

SPEAKER_00 5:17

I actually started before we even opened as mammal volunteers. We had to actually go outside of the gates to dump our trash daily. We didn't even have a complete working, functioning kitchen one time.

SPEAKER_02 5:29

An aquarium. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:31

Yeah, we use the old scales, the type that you know we hang and weigh.

SPEAKER_03 5:35

Oh, really?

SPEAKER_00 5:36

Yeah, that's what we use here. Wow. So I've always been in love with pinnipeds, seals, and sea lions. And so prior to coming here, I was a volunteer at the Care Center in San Pedro. So I had five years experience before I came here. And at the time the aquarium was looking for volunteers who did have pinniped experience or large animal experience to come here. So you had to interview one day, and then you came in and you tried out for a day, actually. So you volunteered on your projected day that you would volunteer, see how you liked it, see how the staff felt with you, and I decided, yeah, I wanted to see what the aquarium life was like, and I've chosen not to leave.

SPEAKER_03 6:15

That's amazing. So you've been here at least once a week, and that's truly at least, is more like at least two times a week since 1998. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:24

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 6:24

It's really hard for people to understand because I laugh. They go, What did you do over the weekend? I volunteered.

SPEAKER_02 6:31

I did work at the aquarium. Worked at the aquarium. But yeah, our volunteers absolutely do everything that Paid Staff does. It's one of my favorite things about the aquarium is the culture that we've created around volunteers and kind of creating this accessibility to our animals and our programs too. It's a really wonderful volunteer program. I can't say enough good things about it. And Robin has been a volunteer on the same day of the week ever since I've been hired, and actually ever since I was an intern. And so I have always known Robin to be here on Saturdays. One constant in my life is that Robin's here on Saturdays. And honestly, one of my favorite volunteers. I've always looked forward to working on Saturdays because Robin is also one of our most advanced volunteers in our program and can basically do everything that I do. And so she is very, very helpful to be here throughout the day and also fun to be around.

SPEAKER_00 7:17

So well, thank you. I enjoy working with you as well.

SPEAKER_02 7:20

It's fantastic.

SPEAKER_03 7:21

You're so integral to the aquarium. I mean, here you are, a charter volunteer. And and also being our core photographer, I mean, truly all of the im most of the images you see around the aquarium, most of the images you see on our social media channels are all taken by Robin. And she's incredible. You're amazing. It's almost every social media post is like photo by Robin X. And if it's not on there, it's only just because I forgot to put it on there. Most of them are taken by her. She's she's been cool about it though. I'll I'll put it on there.

SPEAKER_00 7:48

I'll put it on there if I catch it. Well, I appreciate the aquarium having the interest to use my imagery. I mean, I I've always loved photography. I've been doing it since I was in high school. So animals have always been something that I love the most. I love photographing dogs. I love photographing anything. And so getting to do the extra voluntary work here and see it being used to hopefully educate and inform people is pretty awesome.

SPEAKER_02 8:14

It is really cool. I have a question for you that has never occurred to me until right now. What is the first animal and the first time they let you photograph animals here at the aquarium? Who was it?

SPEAKER_00 8:26

I don't specifically remember which animal, but it would have been one of the seals. Most likely Shelby.

SPEAKER_02 8:32

That's really cute to think about Shelby being the first animal that you photograph.

SPEAKER_00 8:36

Shelby happened to also be my favorite harbor seal, and she's also the first pinniped I laid eyes on when I first saw the exhibit. And so she's she's very important to me. She's special.

SPEAKER_03 8:48

Shelby is a good girl, too. She is special. Special Shelby. She's amazing. I love that she's been a part of your aquarium journey since the beginning. I've known her since she was two. Really?

SPEAKER_02 8:58

Precious. I guess she's what twenty-seven now, twenty-eight. So yeah, she would have been two when she got here.

SPEAKER_03 9:04

That's really cute. Now she's a mama to three pups, right?

SPEAKER_02 9:08

She's had three babies pups, including a giant tater tot that's on our exhibit named Kaya, who is also very cute.

SPEAKER_00 9:16

Yeah, and that's really one of my favorite subjects was seeing her three pups. I actually witnessed Toby's birth. I was here for Bixby's first feeding. And then Kaya, I enjoyed her first few hours of life, so I that was a big privilege to get to photograph them.

SPEAKER_03 9:32

Those photographs who are just so beautiful and and were so wonderful to tell that story too. We're so grateful for that.

SPEAKER_00 9:38

Yeah, it's nice. I have the benefit where the animals, since I do work with them, they are comfortable with me. And so that really that really helps out a lot. You can see my baby.

SPEAKER_02 9:47

Yeah, if you want. If you want. I've known you since I was two.

SPEAKER_03 9:50

Here's my baby's baby baby. Here's this trash baby. I love that. That's so cool. So going back to your history and photography, what when did you say you got started? In high school. In high school. And just you grew up here in Southern California, though.

SPEAKER_00 10:03

I did grow up here in Southern California. And when the high school that I went to, we had a interim week in between uh semesters in which they had us try to take another opportunity to learn something different outside of the normal schoolwork. And I didn't know what I wanted to do. I did not have photography in my life then, and I didn't ski, I didn't horse ride, I didn't do a lot of things my other friends did. So another friend asked me, why don't you do the photo class with me? So I had to ask Dad, Well, did we have a camera?

SPEAKER_02 10:33

First and foremost.

SPEAKER_00 10:34

So I had no clue. So he he loaned me his very old camera and it started from there.

SPEAKER_03 10:40

So cool. And would you when did you start photographing animals at the aquarium? Was it around the time that you started volunteering originally or I started videoing first when I first came here.

SPEAKER_00 10:51

I actually did videos. I'm lazy and don't like to edit, but I love to do the videography part. So I actually started out videoing. And so I pretty much started from the very beginning, but it became more robust, I don't know, halfway through, I think.

SPEAKER_03 11:07

Back then you were shooting on obviously film. Film. Nothing digital back then. How was the transition from digital or be you know analog to digital back in the day?

SPEAKER_00 11:17

It took me a long time to make that transition. I tend to use my equipment till it's broken and then it forces the issue. And that's exactly what happened to me. And so it takes about two or three months to adjust to that new system. That's how long it took me.

SPEAKER_03 11:34

I just can't imagine. Like, I know photographing animals here at the aquarium is very difficult. On a digital camera that is was made very recently and can photograph in low light and fast-paced animals. I cannot imagine trying to capture things on film. Like that must have been very difficult.

SPEAKER_00 11:52

It was a challenge. Yeah, it was definitely hit and miss in the early stages. That's probably why I did video more so than the still photography. Even though by nature I am a still photographer.

SPEAKER_03 12:02

Yeah, people shoot film here still. We have our photo night coming up this weekend, actually, and we get some people shooting film medium format, you know, 35 millimeter, and I'm so impressed because like I have to take 10 pictures in a row to even get one usable shot. You can't do that with film. You gotta get the shot, otherwise you just didn't get it. So I'm always very impressed by film.

SPEAKER_00 12:21

Yeah, and I I got to learn photography the old-fashioned way where you were in the dark room, you were printing your own, you were developing your own film. So and you learn photography differently than I think you do now.

SPEAKER_02 12:31

Do you feel like the your editing process now differs than like when you're developing, I know that you can do certain things to have your picture developed slightly differently. How do you feel like that compares to editing on like a digital medium? Do you like it better or do you feel like it feels easier? Do you feel like you can get sort of Do you miss the dark room? Yeah, do you miss that at all?

SPEAKER_00 12:51

Not really. I wasn't very good in the dark room. So I for me the adjustment wasn't too difficult. I'm a lazy editor anyway, so I like to get most things right in the camera. That's fair. And do uh very simplistic editing. Here at the aquarium, probably the thing that I do the most, and I will only do it to a certain point, and that's cloning out scratches or bubbles or things like that, you know, especially in some of the fish exhibits.

SPEAKER_02 13:16

Yeah. A lot of water. Sometimes there's some scratches on that acrylic that makes it a little hard to photograph around, I'm sure. But it doesn't stop you from getting some of those really stunning shots. My favorites are usually your giant Pacific octopus shots because they are always so dynamic, too. Like those animals have so much movement to them. I know that I think your most recent one of our most recent octopus, Goji, was one of my favorites.

SPEAKER_00 13:39

Thanks. The octopus happens to be probably my second favorite animal here. I'm very, very particular about my octopus images. I like the right movement. I like to present every animal in a good form. It's fun to get the funny shots and the weird shots, but I really want to present our animals in a very positive way. And the octopus just has to have the arms going in the right direction. And so I'm very, very picky about those shots.

SPEAKER_03 14:08

It's so funny because sometimes Robin will stop by, you know, oh, I'm gonna shoot this today. Okay, cool. Yeah, can't wait to see. And then she'll be like, I don't think I got anything good today. The most subtle photo you've ever seen. The most beautiful picture that you've ever seen of this animal, and you're like, this is amazing. And that that's something that you take into consideration when you're shooting the animal, you know, where the arm placement is, where the eyes are looking. We just saw a very wonderful picture of Parker the sea lion that you shot this morning, and it's it's very cute and funny where his eyes are looking. It's a criminal side-eye that he was giving. But it's just it's really cool to hear, you know, you're not you're not just pointing and shooting. I know that you put so much care and love into your photographs, and I think it really shows.

SPEAKER_00 14:50

Thank you. The biggest thing for me here is looking for good light and the backdrop.

SPEAKER_02 14:56

Other than sort of the technical aspects of, you know, shooting underwater versus, you know, in air, what is different about shooting the octopus than the seals or sea lions or other animals?

SPEAKER_00 15:07

The biggest thing is with any of the tanks here, you've got to deal with reflections. That is the number one problem here. And I must say the octopus exhibit is probably in one of the worst locations in all of this aquarium.

SPEAKER_02 15:22

The most reflective place.

SPEAKER_00 15:24

One of the most reflective spots. It's very, very challenging. I have to photograph the octopus in its exhibit. You know, I don't get to have that octopus pulled off into its own tank somewhere. And so I have to also compete with guests. And so you have their reflections in there. So it can be very challenging. Reflections are the worst. Yeah. Because there's really no editing that. Yeah. So it's either coming from the ambient light from, you know, throughout the gallery or a specific light. So you just have to have the patience and hope that the animal swims in an area where you don't have those issues. Aaron Powell, Jr.

SPEAKER_03 15:57

Do you think that at this point you can telepathically communicate to them? Because some images, I'm like, she's staring to you got an otter to pose so perfectly and stare directly at you. And I know that was shot number 6,000 in that exact second. But do you think that you you either it's a telepathic communication you have with them or you have been around these animals for so long, you can kind of expect the patterns and you've been watching them for a couple of minutes and knowing, okay, well, they swam this way, then they're gonna swim back this way.

SPEAKER_00 16:25

It has to do with experience and lots and lots of observation. I spend a lot of time roaming around the aquarium as well and just looking for something that's happening good. But as you mentioned, the eye contact is very critical for me. I like to have interesting expressions or eye contact. It's nice to get the nice portrait, but I don't want an image to be too static.

SPEAKER_03 16:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:48

So I just and that's why I repeat, repeat, repeat, and just, you know, patience, patience, patience.

SPEAKER_03 16:54

Yeah. You capture movement so beautifully. So there is no telekinesis that you're doing. None. I have no. Not as far as she knows.

unknown 17:01

No.

SPEAKER_02 17:02

Well, earlier today when we were doing a photo shoot with Parker, Parker seemed to know that you were asking for like a little over-the-shoulder look, a little bit of side-eye, and he was giving you just the best expressions. What makes Parker potentially, no offense, Chase, a better subject to photograph than another sea lion like Kane or Chase?

SPEAKER_00 17:19

Aaron Powell I think for Parker, he's just very chill. He's very relaxed. He doesn't get too uptight. He's definitely focused on his trainer like he was with you. So that can be a challenge sometimes. As you know, I ask you guys to stand close to me so that he's not specifically looking off to you and is also looking off to me. And then, you know, I think my experience being with him, I've known him since he was one year old. So I've been around this animal for a very, very long time. And as you know, I like him a lot.

SPEAKER_03 17:49

I had no idea that you like Park that much. Yeah, it's not obvious in your photos at all.

SPEAKER_00 17:54

And I also happen to work with him a lot when I'm in there doing uh seal and sea lions, so he's very familiar and I think comfortable with me. Trevor Burrus, Jr.

SPEAKER_02 18:02

And can capture all those different expressions that he has. He is He's very expressive. Yes, he has huge expressions, huge eyes, just a huge personality in and of himself, and he's so cute. And doing those sessions with you is one of my favorite training sessions because you have this additional challenge of one, the animal has to behave and be comfortable, and they have to be sort of responding to cues while there's a person with a camera, and you're trying to get them to look and you're trying to time the lighting in the perfect shot and get the animal lined up. And like working as the trainer in those photo sessions is one of my favorite things to do because you're like, okay, how can I move a sea otter three inches to the left so that the beam of light is like perfectly on their face? Like those logistics and trying to do that challenge while you're still trying to train an animal. Yeah, that's you're you're doing a lot of training on your own is really fun. And then Robin will give us direction of like, hey, let's move this, let's move this out of the shot, or can you move your boots out of the shot? Because there's always people walking around.

SPEAKER_03 18:58

And the abil and Robin's ability to see things that you wouldn't normally see either, like and call that out. That's awesome, just to get the best possible image.

SPEAKER_00 19:04

Well, it also helps that you acknowledge and understand that I'm looking for some of that stuff. And then you know, I think a lot of people don't realize I have to do all this within the training session itself. Oh, it's short. I do not have a long time. We are talking minutes, and you have to hope that an animal doesn't need a timeout. Yeah. Or some other scenario comes up that for which you have to extinguish. You have to fully reset everything.

SPEAKER_02 19:27

Yeah, what's a timeout, Aaron? A timeout is usually if the animals are maybe doing something that they shouldn't be doing or potentially interested in something they shouldn't be, that we will exit and let them have some time to figure out whatever it is that they're doing, and then we'll usually come back in about two or three minutes once they have sorted out whatever business you're trying to sort out. And so similar to you would use it for a kid or your potentially your dog or cat at home, which is here's some quiet time, please figure out what you're doing, let's reset, and then let's try again. And so usually our animals are very good, but there can be any number of things happening. And a lot of times when we're working sessions, we have seven animals working at the same time. And if any one of those animals is being very disruptive or distracted, we will take a timeout on everyone so that it's safe. So sometimes your photo session is cut a little bit short because, oh, one animal decided he was gonna throw a toy across the exhibit just in the middle of the training session. And that has to be okay too. And so it's really nice to see that you are also okay working under those parameters, and I think that's part of what makes us so much more comfortable working with you is there's no expectation, there's no pressure on us if the animals are misbehaving. Oh well, like it's gonna happen. And I I love that you understand that so innately. The one thing that does frustrate me about working animals is that they always get food on their face, and it is so hard to get off for photos.

SPEAKER_03 20:44

I do love those photos, though.

SPEAKER_00 20:46

Yes, those those can be very fun, and so we always jokingly say makeup, so that requires them to go into the water, hopefully get it off their face, because there's nothing like a good old squid tentacle or something. Squid spaghetti. Squid spaghetti, then a shrimp shell. Oh, shrimp shells are the worst for the otters.

SPEAKER_03 21:04

There's specifically a photo of Chloe I love, and she's looking directly at the camera, mouth open, and there's a piece of shrimp on her nose. And like it's just her iconic photo. And I think it says a lot about her as a as a sea otter as well. It does. That is her personality.

SPEAKER_01 21:16

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_03 21:16

Cool. What I wanted to touch on a little bit more was the desense training that you've done over the years with a pe a camera or camera equipment, taking them into a habitat where an animal hasn't necessarily seen a camera before. It's not something that is in every single session. Can you both talk a little bit about desense training with photo equipment specifically?

SPEAKER_02 21:35

Yeah, I'll just touch on what that means first. So you want to desensitize an animal to anything that's novel so that the introduction of that thing does not become a stressor to the animal over time. And so if an animal has never seen a camera, it is just an unfamiliar thing that's pointing at them and might even look like a giant eyeball to them. And so that might be a little intimidating. And so you want to kind of introduce this thing over time slowly and show them, hey, it doesn't hurt you at all. And in fact, we're doing a training session and it's very positive when these things are around. And so I personally have not experienced too much of desensing Robin to these animals. I think she actually does most of the work herself.

SPEAKER_00 22:10

So what is that process like for you? Aaron Ross Powell So for instance, when we got penguins, they were behind the scenes for a long time before they came out on exhibit. I would actually go behind scenes and just sit there with them with my camera. Not taking pictures, just getting them comfortable and used to me. So it's just a matter of immersing myself in their world and understanding I'm not going to do anything crazy with this instrument. And that, you know, I have to be careful about raising it up to my eye to take a picture because sometimes they could overreact or get nervous about it. Some animals respond differently.

SPEAKER_02 22:45

Have you ever had an animal be too interested in your camera?

SPEAKER_00 22:48

Penguins.

SPEAKER_02 22:51

Still also penguins.

SPEAKER_00 22:54

I don't care about it, but I really, really like it. It's nice that they want to be close, but when they're in your lap and you've got a telephoto, it's a little close.

SPEAKER_02 23:02

You're not really getting the images that you want to do. You're not getting them. One centimeter away from your telephoto lens. Do they ever bite at your camera?

SPEAKER_03 23:11

Not too often, but I've had it happen. They really like the camera strap. They're crazy about that. At least I know my experience going on with the marketing camera. Yeah, they like that. I feel like too, we've had otters in the past that kind of like look at your camera. Like, I want that. I want to play with that. An otter would steal anything. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 23:31

Like, I'll take that and I will smash it on a wall.

SPEAKER_03 23:34

There's gotta be something good inside there. It's gotta be a clam or crabs in there. I don't know why there would be crabs in there, but there's problems in there. They're so funny. Cool. I think we can get into our social media questions. There's some a lot of great questions that we have for you from our social media. Oh, something that I want to touch on actually before we get there is you have, I think, kind of with social media and the way it's changed the past couple of years, I've noticed that you're posting more video content. So you're kind of going back to your roots again. Is there a difference between the way you shoot video versus photo, or is it something you kind of do in between photo shots and you're like, oh, let me just capture this on video real quick?

SPEAKER_00 24:10

I pretty much do it in between because I'll see something that I think will relay better through video than a still image.

SPEAKER_02 24:17

I think when we did the frog content, that was a really good example. That's so good. Also, if anyone visits the aquarium this year, our theme is frogs, obviously. But we have these light beams that display on the floor and just talk about our amphibian gallery, and it's sort of an ad for the gallery within the aquarium. And those photos and videos are all taken by Robin. And those photo setups were so fun. Because it was just like pull out whatever frog, we have to, you know, clean and sanitize a set, get it safe for the animals, and then set them up. And one of the animals we were asked very specifically to photograph was axolotels, which most people know are totally aquatic and then cannot be just plopped in a set. And so the setup for that was pretty elaborate, right, Robin?

SPEAKER_00 24:57

Well, we elaborate, yes, but not. I mean, everything we do is very, very simple and kind of. So we just basically took a tank. We had a couple rocks, we balanced a clear shelf on there, and between you and America, we tried to place it as best as we could.

SPEAKER_03 25:15

You would think these photos were taken in a professional studio with lighting and you know.

SPEAKER_00 25:20

Not even close. Totally were. And we were in the middle of the room where they were having everything behind the scenes while they were making the exhibits, which even made it more fun. So that's the other thing. We have a very small room area for which to work in. Probably the largest area I get to work in is the Pinniped Zed. Everything else is much smaller. Trevor Burrus, Jr.

SPEAKER_02 25:39

Yeah. I mean it has to be you you're accounting for animal safety and security so that you know no animals getting out during a photo shoot. You're also making sure the lighting is good and comfortable. It has to be an area where there's enough room for a lens to come in. And I remember the axolotl being in a smaller tank than its normal, which we had just moved it for a photo's, and then we put a critter keeper inside of the tank, and then we had put an acrylic lid on top of it so that it was all clear, so it looked like this animal was sort of floating mid-water column. But the amount of just like balancing things and like putting slightly more water, taking this rock out and moving it over was so elaborate. And then it was all just worth it when you see the shot that we got. Absolutely. And then the just this video of this axe clotal flicking its gills, and that subtle movement, that subtle video is just such a perfect example of like, hey, this translates really well in a photo, but just a video of this animal staying still, just breathing once and then swimming away is so cool to see, just displayed all over the aquarium. I could not be more excited. And I also have so many weird photos from behind Robin of just like what the setup looks like. I need those. Because it always looks hilarious. You're just like, this is what we're doing back here. And it's obviously very safe for the animals. There's no concern in that way. But it is just like it's not what you would picture. No, not at all. It's you would you're picturing like a catalog photo shoot, and it's just like, here's a cart, here's our like foam board background, and it works amazingly, but it is so not what you think.

SPEAKER_00 27:02

You can go very simply and produce good results.

SPEAKER_03 27:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 27:05

When you're an amazing photographer, it seems like you can stay simple and then it helps to be an amazing photographer first, and then we can work backward from back.

SPEAKER_03 27:13

I think a question we got a ton, people ask a lot like what equipment, what what camera, what brand is she using, all of this. I don't think it matters. I think it's the person behind the camera that is really doing all the work.

SPEAKER_00 27:24

I agree. I always When people ask me, you know, what camera would you like? I said, Whatever one feels good in your hand, because that's the one you're gonna use. That's I happen to use a certain brand. It was one that I didn't pick when my parents were uh trying to understand that I actually was interested in photography. They had asked a friend who knew photography if they could help purchase a camera for me, and he picked the brand that I'm currently shooting with. So I am I've stuck with it. Right. And I mix up my lenses here. I like to challenge myself, so I don't always use the same lens. Sometimes I'll come in with just one lens and go, let's see what I can do. But probably the 2470 and the 7200 are my mainstays here. Some universal ones that kind of just get you by for the whole day.

SPEAKER_02 28:07

Yeah, I think it yeah, it's exactly right. Like whatever you like is what you're gonna use, so just get a camera that you like. And I think it really has everything to do with the fact that Robin has been doing this and has been producing amazing photos. And almost every week you're photographing something new here.

SPEAKER_00 28:21

I'm photographing something quite often because I'm never satisfied. So I'm constantly working and trying for new perspectives, new imagery, and uh I just don't get bored with the animals here. We just have a lot of great animals, and I am extremely appreciative of the staff here who is willing to tolerate me and put up with training sessions and just let me shoot to my heart's content.

SPEAKER_03 28:42

We're so lucky. We're it's such a gift too, because getting to utilize these images to for social media for educational purposes around the aquarium, it's truly priceless. So thank you for everything that you do. What about outside of this place? What what what do you like to photograph? I know that you submitted a photo to our staff contest last year that won first place to hawks, right?

SPEAKER_00 29:03

Actually, peregrine falcons. Yeah, so that's a fun subject for me. I'm not I'm not necessarily a birder or a bird photographer, but I have come to like peregrine falcons very much because there is a pair up in San Pedro, so it's a close drive for me because I'm lazy and don't like to drive far. And I've just just become so intrigued in watching them. It's just fascinating to watch them from the beginning of the season when they're, you know, starting to mate, to the time they're getting their nest ready, to the time we're waiting for the chicks to come, and then just going through that whole process is just fascinating. Animals in general are my number one subject, but I'm a very eclectic photographer. I do enjoy dogs. I don't do them as much, but I recently have photographed dogs, including uh dog, I think he looks so beautiful. Really had a lot of fun time with that. I was also doing that for a class, so I love to challenge myself that way. But any and any animal I'm all for. But I also like to do abstracts, I like to mess around with landscapes, dabble a little in light painting.

SPEAKER_02 30:08

What is your if you had to choose something, what is your dream, either your dream shot to get or like the scenario that you're like, this is what I really want to do as a photographer. I would love to do this.

SPEAKER_00 30:20

I really want to get a humpback breaching with the most spectacular background and well lit.

SPEAKER_02 30:25

That's I feel like you have some photos of them breaching.

SPEAKER_00 30:28

I have them, I do have humpback breaching, but not one that I'm satisfied with. It's still not the top. I haven't gotten the one yet. You go whale watching pretty often. I do go whale watching pretty often. Wells are actually one of my favorite animals, so I do like to get out on our local waters, but I also uh volunteer for the uh Grey Well Census Behavioral Project through ACSLA. I didn't see that. So from December through I usually stick around through April, don't always make it through May. I'm up there counting the gray wells, and we also acknowledge any other cetaceans that come by. So I do that. I've been doing that longer than this, actually.

SPEAKER_02 31:06

Aaron Powell Really? Wow. Do you are you able to do photos while you're doing the census too?

SPEAKER_00 31:11

I can, but generally I'm really focused on the census. And and trying to photograph from the cliff side is just not really anything spectacular. But let's say if there's a falcon that happens to be that's a little different story.

SPEAKER_02 31:26

Then we're first place. Yeah. Mm-hmm at the aquarium. And also in other photo contests is what I learned when I went to the OC fair, and then I was like, hey, all of these photos that have won are Robins.

SPEAKER_00 31:38

Yeah, I did really well this year, and I did really well with a falcon image last year, actually.

SPEAKER_03 31:43

It's it's a great picture. It's really wonderful.

unknown 31:45

Cool.

SPEAKER_03 31:46

I think we can get into social media questions now. I have so many could talk to Robin forever, but is there an individual animal you have photographed the longest or over the course of its entire lifetime?

SPEAKER_00 31:55

Well, longest would be Parker. And I've also, of course, photographed Kaya over the course of her lifetime as well. Shelby too. Yeah. Ellie. I have to include Ellie too, because Ellie's been here since the beginning. So actually, yeah, Shelby, Ellie, Parker have been uh long term for me.

SPEAKER_03 32:15

And how has it been watching them grow and through photos and through your own personal lens?

SPEAKER_00 32:21

Well, Ellie s doesn't seem to change. She is unsure. She's the same old stubborn lady, and I love her for it. She's a challenge to photograph because one thing with uh harbor seals, they tend to squint a lot, so having the right lighting for them is can be a challenging. So you don't want a lot of the squinting with the harbor seals. Shelby's easier to photograph in terms of the harbor seals. Kaya is a source of frustration for me. She is a very shy little girl, but she's becoming a lot more outgoing and willing to participate. But she's a big challenge. Anytime I tried to get her informally in the exhibit, she just ducks and hides. She's so cute.

SPEAKER_03 33:01

Every picture you get ever, she's just like the most like perfect little look and seal face. Yeah, she can give it when she when she wants. She can serve.

SPEAKER_02 33:08

She can. But she often doesn't. She often doesn't. And they also like, if you're not careful, and for some reason Kaya more than anyone, is so shiny and smooth. And you're like, why? Everyone else at least looks like they have fur on you. And Kaya just looks like a smooth rock when you grab her. And you're just like, where is the texture to your fur? I don't understand. She's conditioned. She may must be. I don't know what's going on.

SPEAKER_00 33:32

That's really hard with them too, because they they're very reflective. They're wet when they're when they come out. So trying to position them in the exhibit in the right position is challenging at times.

SPEAKER_03 33:41

And think about that. You're dealing with reflections on the acrylic and then reflections.

SPEAKER_00 33:45

Everywhere. And they're very slick. And you know, you want to make sure they're not facing the sun if they're very squinty. So I like to be in the open shade. I mean, the staff is very used to me going, okay, we know we want open shade, we want this or that. It can't always get exactly what I want. But probably the biggest challenge in a training session is not getting somebody in the background.

SPEAKER_01 34:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 34:06

Because everybody, like Aaron had said, you've got seven animals you're working.

SPEAKER_03 34:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 34:10

And there's an audience of people usually watching.

SPEAKER_03 34:13

There's guests, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 34:13

Yeah. There's an educator usually when we're doing our presentations. There's just a lot going on. And so to be able to get a shot that is purely just of that animal takes so much just like setting up the shot that does not appear to because there's maybe 300 people watching any pinniped session on like a Saturday, especially. Yep. And to have none of them in the shot is pretty incredible. But I really do a great job. They do.

SPEAKER_03 34:36

I think this is gonna be this episode and and talking about it is gonna be a great opportunity for us to show pictures of baby Parker. And there's difference in size now. I can picture I I know one in my head of him as a baby, and I think he even still has like a little mohawk, just like he does now.

SPEAKER_02 34:52

The start of a sagittal crest, just like the babyest little face. Every I've seen like maybe ten pictures of Parker that young, and they are all the cutest things I've ever seen.

SPEAKER_03 35:01

And he looks the same.

SPEAKER_02 35:02

Yeah. You can tell it's him with his face. I feel like he looks a little bit like Chase does, but Chase is a little bit more of a tough guy. Parker's more of a sweetheart. Yeah. He's a big mushball. Do you have good photos of Chase? I do. I feel like there's a couple.

SPEAKER_00 35:18

It's not often. He is difficult. But I do have a couple that I think are good of him.

SPEAKER_02 35:23

Is he better in session or out of session?

SPEAKER_00 35:26

In session. Some of them are really cute when they're just lying on the beach. Well, I do like to get those, and those are really challenging. For some reason, when I go in and like staff, I try to be quiet, get them in a very casual setting, and then they just it's like they're on high alert, they go back in the water, they just don't like to do anything with me informally. It's very challenging.

SPEAKER_03 35:45

I love when they're all piled on the beach. We've gotten some great shots of them just all blonde and dry and piled up together, snuggling on the beach.

SPEAKER_00 35:53

Yeah, they usually rush in the water when I'm going for those pleasures.

SPEAKER_02 35:57

Let's get reflective, guys. Let's be as shiny as possible. I think one of my favorites that I know was not an animal that was like in a training session was you had gotten some photos of Charlie sort of right as he had gotten older. And there's just this one picture of him sleeping that is the cutest thing I have ever seen in my entire life. And I like had it as my phone back for a very long time. Yeah, because he just looks so peaceful. And so I'm sure as animals get a little bit older, potentially it's easier to photograph them, but also I'm sure it's kind of a sentimental photo shoot when you're doing things like that.

SPEAKER_00 36:28

Oh, it's very sentimental. And Charlie was one of my favorites. I just loved photographing him.

SPEAKER_02 36:33

Charlie was one of our sea otters that Robin knew way longer than I ever knew Charlie. He was geriatric by the time I met him in 2015 when I was an intern. But he was the sweetest sea otter you've ever met in your life. He was a charter animal.

SPEAKER_03 36:47

He was actually recognized in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-lived sea otter at the time. I think he was 22.

SPEAKER_01 36:54

22, when 22. 22. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 36:56

He was a sweetheart. And I got to make his 22nd birthday cake.

SPEAKER_01 36:59

Oh, yeah. Yes, it was a beautiful cake.

SPEAKER_02 37:01

It's a beautiful cake. There's a picture of him on the news eating one of his cupcakes that is like I was so proud. I was like, I made that cupcake, and Charlie looks like he's enjoying it. And Robin probably took that picture. I think so. I think it was a perfect swarm of things that happened, and it was the best. It was a beautiful otter.

SPEAKER_03 37:16

He was really nice. Him and Brooke, I feel like we had between the two of them just the most photogenic otters. They were both very photogenic, and I just loved photographing them a lot.

SPEAKER_02 37:27

I mean Brooke looked like an angel. Like at all. It is Brooke. You found it's a picture of Brooke. I'm pretty sure if you look up cute sea otter, like she's probably the first three results. And they're probably all Robin, to be honest, pictures.

SPEAKER_03 37:43

But she was the cutest. So what are your best tips for photographing animals at the aquarium? Gear, equipment, timing, reflections, all of it. If you could sum it up, what would be your best, best advice?

SPEAKER_00 37:55

Well, timing is a lot to do with it. Especially I watch the light during the time of year because that has everything to do with how the ambient light's coming in through the galleries. Fall, I actually find the best time for me here just because you have honestly less guests. You're having to battle uh less to get to post-summer crowd. Yeah, the post-summer crowd. It's it's a lot easier. And I find uh later afternoon, actually. I like the lighting.

SPEAKER_03 38:22

It's a more golden y light. Yeah. Beautiful. Who is the most difficult animal to photograph? It could be a specific animal, it could be a species.

SPEAKER_02 38:30

I want to know which is the most difficult marine mammal specifically to photograph.

SPEAKER_00 38:35

Marine mammal.

SPEAKER_02 38:36

But then go broader after. I just want to know which of our kids is being naughty.

SPEAKER_00 38:41

Oh my gosh. I don't know in terms of marine mammal, but I must say some of the fish are a real challenge. Especially the anemone fish. They are just a sore subject for me. They are the toughest fish for me to get a really good shot of just because of their movements.

SPEAKER_03 38:56

Clownfish. The clownfish.

SPEAKER_00 38:59

Those guys are. They're very, very challenging. Mm-hmm. Marine mammal-wise, I don't know. The otters can be a real challenge. At the end of the day, because it's like their heads just twirl. They can have you can have their body completely still in focus, and their head is just blurred. Just a blur. A tornado. Yeah. They just have very, very quick movements. Trevor Burrus, Jr.

SPEAKER_03 39:23

And their fur is so dark too that I'm sure it's hard to capture their face at all.

SPEAKER_00 39:27

It's extremely difficult because, as you know, the exhibit does not have a lot of light. So that can be a real challenge just between the low light and the speed of the animal. It's a challenge to work around, and there's just some exhibits I just have to go, yeah, I just can't I can't do it.

SPEAKER_02 39:51

Yeah. Is it different with different types of lighting on each exhibit? Like some have LEDs, some have those big halogen lights. Which ones are easier to photograph around? Are the LEDs difficult?

SPEAKER_00 40:00

I think the LEDs are definitely a challenge just because how the light looks, they can be a real challenge.

SPEAKER_03 40:06

I really thought about that from like the perspective of trying to photograph the animals. Sometimes if you're taking a video to the frame rate, it doesn't match the lighting out. You get that choppy choppiness. Yeah. That does give you a headache to watch when it's like you're just trying to get the shot. Yeah. Okay, so who would you say is the best most well behaved when it comes to photographing?

SPEAKER_01 40:27

Oh gosh.

SPEAKER_03 40:29

It's Parker. Yeah, it's Parker. Yeah. Most photogenic, most well behaved. He was our prom king one year.

SPEAKER_00 40:39

Yeah, it's definitely Parker. I I usually go away with something with every session with him.

SPEAKER_02 40:44

Those little frogs were very hard to photograph. We tried to do a little frog photo shoot like, I don't know, four weeks ago. And when I say little frogs, I mean frogs that were like maybe an inch to two inches long. Yeah, and we were moving them into the setup. And I I mean partially they were nervous, you know, and they didn't know what's going on, but like they move so fast.

SPEAKER_00 41:04

It's amazing how fast a lot of animals actually do move. That that's the biggest challenge. And they can make very quick head movements, especially birds. They have very, very quick head movements.

SPEAKER_03 41:14

Like it's so perfect. Okay, just stay still. You click the shutter, which is you know a millisecond, and it's they moved.

SPEAKER_00 41:20

Yeah, they're either moving, preening, doing a variety of things you don't want them to be doing. They're doing their animal thing. And you just you just gotta go with the flow. And if you don't get the shot, you don't get the shot and you try again another time. That's fair.

SPEAKER_03 41:34

Do you want to take a question?

SPEAKER_00 41:35

Sure. You want to do this one?

SPEAKER_02 41:38

I think I already know the answer to this question. How many times do you have to take a picture before you consider that you've probably gotten like the right shot? Infinity.

SPEAKER_00 41:48

Well, I've I said I've never satisfied. So considering I have to work within the constraints of either a training session or the staffer's time, I shoot until you tell me I need to stop. As many as possible. Literally what I do. I I will keep photographing until I'm told the animal is to a point that we need to take a break or we need to move on. I'm always looking for those subtleties, you know, just how an animal positions its head or the catch lights and the eyes, it can make a big difference. And I'm, you know, I'm not necessarily always seeing it as I'm shooting it, but and sometimes I don't notice something in the background. So I just I just keep photographing until I'm told, okay, we're done. The more options, the better.

SPEAKER_02 42:31

It is funny because if we are doing like a photo session, especially if it's not one that you know the animal has to be in a training session or under some sort of like paying attention, like we'll stand there for hours because the animal is doing slightly different things at all times. And it is enjoyable because you know, even just seeing this small little like thumbnail shot that you can see on the camera, I'm like, wow, that is an amazing shot. And then five seconds later, totally different shot, but still just incredible. So you may as well take advantage of how much time we have up there. The animals are always doing something cute. Why wouldn't you want a trillion photos?

SPEAKER_03 43:04

But I want them all.

SPEAKER_02 43:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 43:06

Well, the lighting can change dramatically sometimes too. Just it just depends.

SPEAKER_02 43:10

The otter skylight slightly moves. Like we have one window to the sky in there, and that's basically the only light that's pretty much the light.

SPEAKER_03 43:18

Yeah, the lighting, the the additional lighting is weird too, because sometimes it reflects very purple or red onto the sea otters in there. And so we've gotten comments before. Are they purple? Yeah, are they purple or are they red? Is everything okay in there? We're like, oh yeah, it's just the lighting.

SPEAKER_00 43:31

Yeah, I have to watch for that a lot, actually.

SPEAKER_03 43:35

I want to talk about this is something, a question for the both of you, um, what steps do we take to ensure the animals aren't stressed during photo shoots? We kind of talked about that with D Sense, but anything you can speak on that?

SPEAKER_02 43:45

Yeah. Well, I'll I think from my end, there is always an attendant or someone who is kind of there specifically for the animal. Thankfully, Robin is very also very aware of sort of animal behavior and what might be signs of stress. And if an animal is showing that they are not enjoying Something that is not something we are at all going to continue and pursue and push because the getting a photo is not worth that animal being stressed out. And I really enjoy working with Robin for that reason, because if there's even a small indicator, we could be like, hey, you know what, let's just call this. We can always, you know, schedule this for another day. And I think having someone there that is specifically there to read animal behavior and knows that animal very well is critical for doing these things. And then I mean, obviously, if an animal is just in an exhibit and it's not like an outs out of its exhibit or it's not in a training session is different. But in scenarios where an animal is maybe being exposed to something that is novel, the having someone there is sort of critically important. And then working with Robin to be like, hey, you know, if you need this shot, maybe we can take a step back and we can sort of zoom in closer. You know, like we can find ways around what challenges might exist for like a frog that's hiding behind a leaf. Like we go, can we slightly move this leaf so that it's not nervous, but put something else there, something to hide behind. And I think doing those things and making those modifications and then also just knowing Robin's going to be okay with it is wildly helpful and makes me very happy to do these photo shoots. The animal welfare comes before everything else. Absolutely. But Robin, I heard you had a fun experience today with one of our GPOs.

SPEAKER_00 45:13

Yeah, not so I uh worked with Brooke, the Aquarist, who takes care of Ghost, our new GPO, and we were hoping to do a photo session today, and all things were looking in the positive, and then they were not.

SPEAKER_02 45:31

We even got her a Halloween pumpkin with a Ghost on it. And the GPO is a giant Pacific octopus. I'm sorry I used an acronym.

SPEAKER_00 45:38

Yeah, and she was an absolutely didn't want to participate today. This was hands down the worst photo session we've ever had with a GPO. I do a lot of my GPO photography just in general, like any other guest would be doing her, but there is the occasional setup that I do with Brooke so that we can do that before the aquarium opens and try for certain scenarios like photographing her with a ghost pumpkin. And she did not want to come out of her little den. And Brooke was trying everything, and I I so appreciated her time. She always gives me her time to try to accomplish these sessions. But we just had an octopus who wasn't having it today. So, you know, I I can't throw a fit and pitch a fit. Animals are gonna do what animals are gonna do. And like Erin said, animal welfare is number one, and I I'd like to think that the staff knows that that is important to me as well, that I will not try to push anything. I think I generally know when a session needs to be extinguished or ended. And as I will always remind people, I'm gonna keep photographing until you tell me we're we're done.

unknown 46:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 46:50

It is really nice to not ever feel pressure in those scenarios, like, oh, we have to get the shot. And you're like, hmm, it's an animal. It's never more important than the animal's welfare.

SPEAKER_03 46:58

No. I think it's important to for all of that. Like you're you can't force an animal to do anything. You can't force an animal to pose a certain way or to do this. And I think Robin does a really great job of taking that challenge and still creating these amazing images.

SPEAKER_00 47:12

And I like to take on all the challenges. They're most of the things. Everything's small and large. Yeah. I may not understand it or know what it's about or understand or can speak its scientific name, but I'm all game to try anything.

SPEAKER_02 47:26

We have to try. And I can't tell you how many TikToks we've scrapped because the animals are just not doing the thing that we thought they would do.

SPEAKER_03 47:33

Sometimes it turns into an even better TikTok show, we'll say. Like Harpo interrupting me to scream. That was a great one. Cool. What's the most memorable task you've performed at the aquarium, maybe outside of photography? Or a project that you were involved in?

SPEAKER_00 47:46

Well, I'd have to say it's it's um one of my favorite pinnipeds, and sadly he was one that passed. His name was Odin, and Odin was blind, and he was at the uh care center. And so I got to know him there. And I actually got to work with one of our former vet techs here, and we got to train him the bridge and targeting. And so then when he got to come here to live out his life, then I was the one person who got to take care of him on the weekends. And I loved that animal very, very much. So his death was very hard on me, and I taught him how to stick out his tongue.

SPEAKER_03 48:24

You taught a blind a blind animal how to do that. Like that's so amazing. And the the amount of care that you know.

SPEAKER_02 48:30

And trust that goes into both you trusting him and then also him trusting you that he can't see you, but he still understands that you're not there to hurt him is really cool.

SPEAKER_03 48:39

And how beautiful that you saw him at the care center and then you know, transferred over here. That's so cool. Do you know why he was blind?

SPEAKER_00 48:46

No, we don't know why it was why why he came in blind, we don't know. And what was fun when he was there, he was with another animal that had suffered a very severe net injury and had a very severe uh mouth injury, but they were housed together and I we jokingly called him his seeing eye sea lion. Because uh Odin would just touch his body and follow him around. So it was a lot of fun just seeing those two prosper and eventually find homes in an aquarium.

SPEAKER_03 49:15

That's all. You want to take the last two questions?

SPEAKER_02 49:18

I don't know if you have an answer to this. Maybe you do. What is your favorite photo that you've taken of all time?

SPEAKER_03 49:25

All time. Doesn't even have to be here.

SPEAKER_00 49:28

I would say I'm pretty proud of that peregrine falcon mating pair that I got. I was incredible. I was really, really happy with that shot. And I happened to be the only photographer there that particular Sunday afternoon when the light was magical.

SPEAKER_02 49:40

It what like frame rate are you shooting at to capture birds in motion? Like it was so crisp for an obviously high motion.

SPEAKER_00 49:51

Yes, it's not a composite. Very, very quick when they when they made it's very, very quick. You just have to shoot at a very fast shutter speed, actually. That's crazy.

SPEAKER_03 50:00

We'll have to share a shot of that in the show notes. And it was on our social media too, part of our staff contest for last year's gallery opening. It's an amazing shot. And yeah, definitely first prize winning all around.

SPEAKER_00 50:13

And I guess I'm proud of that one too, because I'm not a really great bird photographer, but I like I said, I really appreciate and love these animals so much. So I approach it very differently than a lot of the bird photographers who have the really large lenses and the very expensive camera equipment. I'm just going out there with my just average Joe equipment. And I think I get some things differently than they do because I think I understand the animals a little better. I do a lot of observing them. Yeah. And just try for something different and unique.

SPEAKER_03 50:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 50:45

Cool.

SPEAKER_02 50:45

Thanks, Robin. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 50:47

I guess we answered favorite animal of all time. Well, we knew what that was. Yeah. That was wonderful, Robin. Thank you so much for chatting with us. I just I adore you. And getting to know more about your background here is incredible. Well, thank you very much for having me. This is a fun episode.

SPEAKER_02 51:01

I've been looking forward to this all the time.

SPEAKER_03 51:02

I've been bragging about it. I was like, Robin's coming off on the podcast.

SPEAKER_02 51:06

We're pretty excited about it. We tricked her.

SPEAKER_03 51:08

Yeah, you finally got me. They'll have to come back and keep us updated on all your on your new, new favorite photo of all time. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 51:16

I'm sure it will. And I'm looking forward to getting that ghost image. I know. It'll happen. It's gonna happen.

SPEAKER_03 51:22

Hopefully by the time this pumpkin is a good one.

SPEAKER_02 51:23

We're gonna hopefully gonna have one. Are you gonna try to get ghost inside of the ghost in the pumpkin?

SPEAKER_03 51:28

She's I always pictured her holding it something just.

SPEAKER_00 51:31

I'm just hoping that she touches it. You know, she comes up. She had a lot of good treats and puzzles in there, but she didn't just didn't want to participate today. Little baby. It does take a while. Once uh an octopus comes on exhibit here, we actually don't photograph right away because it takes a long time for them to settle. So she's taking a little longer, but hopefully in time.

SPEAKER_02 51:52

She can see the camera and like it's very understanding of what's happening or like potentially nervous about the equipment. No, she had not.

SPEAKER_00 51:59

She was she was totally she totally knew what was going on. She she wanted the food. She just wanted breakfast in bed and didn't want to go order. Who could blame her?

SPEAKER_02 52:09

It's me every day. I also want breakfast in bed. Yeah. See, I get it.

SPEAKER_00 52:13

Yeah, she was totally watching. I could see her in there. She was totally watching. Yeah, she was at 360. She could tell what Brooke was doing when she had the food and stuff. She just was being obstinate.

SPEAKER_02 52:22

She was like, I could wait this out, I bet. Good. They won't photograph my bedhead today. Three little spikes.

SPEAKER_03 52:30

Cute. Cool.

SPEAKER_02 52:30

Thank you, Robin. Thank you. Aquarium of the Podcific is brought to you by Aquarium of the Pacific, a 501c3 nonprofit organization.

SPEAKER_03 52:44

Keep up with the Aquarium on social media at Aquarium Pacific on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

SPEAKER_02 52:50

This podcast is produced by Aaron Lundy and Madeline Walden. Our music is by Andrew Reitzma, and our podcast art is by Brandy Kenney. Special thanks to Cecile Fisher, Anitza Viez, our audiovisual and education departments, and our amazing podcast guests for taking time out of their day to talk about the important work that they do.

SPEAKER_03 53:08

Podcific isn't possible without the support of the Aquarium's donors, members, guests, and supporters. Thanks so much for listening.