What sort of photographs of wildlife are you able to count on to get in SW Florida?

Note to readers:This is one other installment of attending to know our journalists on the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. Today, a Q&A with breaking visible journalist Andrew West.

Question: Why did you pursue a profession in journalism?

Answer: Good query. When I used to be younger, I learn a number of National Geographic, Time Magazine, and Sports Illustrated. I had hopes of turning into a sports activities photographer. However, the wonderful photographs that had been being made for Nat Geo and in addition from Time on the Vietnam War actually caught with me and made me need to pursue one thing related. I like the truth that I can use a digital camera to carry consciousness to a topic, trigger, or particular person. Photography is an outlet that permits me to point out readers totally different viewpoints via my lens, and I hope that a few of my photographs make readers suppose and generally even really feel captivated by a topic.

As a visible journalist for The News-Press and Naples Daily News, what are you hoping to perform via your pictures and vidoes?

Awareness. I need to inform tales in a method that makes readers persist with the topic. When you shoot on daily basis, not each picture you make goes affect readers. However, there are occasions behind the lens when I’m in awe of what’s occurring in entrance of me, and I see it as my job to make it as correct and compelling as potential.

What would you say are among the qualities of a profitable visuals journalist?

As journalism evolves at gentle velocity, a very good visible journalist must be quick-thinking, curious, resourceful, affected person, compassionate, and resilient. Having a very good social media presence does not damage.

Photojournalists need to be good at tuning out the noise round them as a way to think about storytelling via photographs. Nowadays, you additionally need to have a thick pores and skin. There can be individuals who don’t need you round in sure conditions, and you’ve got to have the ability to overcome obstacles.

When you aren’t taking photographs and movies for The News-Press and Naples Daily News, whose work or what publications are your trying out?

I’m an enormous fan of National Geographic. I comply with a number of nice photographers on Instagram as nicely.

The yr is younger, however you’ve been busy. Any standout visible moments for you to date?

Going on the Great Florida Cattle Drive earlier this yr was a spotlight to date. The journey was exceptionally visible, whereas being difficult, each bodily and logistically. Today’s media panorama strikes in a short time. For this, I used to be in a position to spend time capturing and modifying whereas work methodically and with objective. I used to be additionally given ample time to edit which is a really large a part of what we do.

LOCALFlorida museum options wholesome assortment of elusive junonia shellsMark H. BickelFort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily NewsApril 29, 2026, 5:11 a.m. ETThe common and well-known saying about junonia shells is: you do not discover them, they discover you.In the ocean shell world, the junonia is troublesome to seek out. People will spend a lifetime of walks on the seaside making an attempt to amass one. It’s much like the leisure golfer who tees up his or her golf ball at the beginning of each spherical, hoping that is the day they get a hole-in-one.Once once more, social media was a well-liked place for individuals to submit photographs of their junonia shells they discovered this winter and early spring.According to a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Facebook submit in 2018, the junonia is likely one of the prime three for shell seekers to seek out and acquire. While these are discovered offshore within the Atlantic and within the Gulf of Mexico, the most effective place to come back throughout one washed ashore is Sanibel Island.Expert shares recommendation: Expert factors us on path for locating Florida’s ‘Holy Grail’ shellThe good factor about residing in Southwest Florida in terms of junonia shells, you may all the time discover one on the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium on Sanibel Island.Photos: The elusive junonia shellWe not too long ago linked with Dr. Jose H. Leal, the science director and curator on the shell museum. Leal manages the huge assortment of shells on the museum. And once we say huge, we’re speaking about greater than 600,000 shells.Leal stated 69 shells within the museum’s assortment are junonia shells. He shared the photographs within the photograph gallery above of among the junonia shells which have a house within the museum. One of the photographs, Leal stated, is a juvenile of the species.Leal stated the junonia shells within the musuem’s assortment have been acquired by donation.”Localities are labeled onto each image,” Leal stated.Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum and Aquarium reveals new colourful exhibitYoung vacationer from Las Vegas finds ‘Jewel of Florida’ throughout keep on Fort Myers SeasideShell sure! What SWFL seaside made USA Today’s 10BEST checklistWhat to know: Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium’s new Great Hall of ShellsSanibel shell museum: This iconic shell is likely one of the most fascinating in SWFLSanibel shell museum: This elusive shell solely collected by dredging or trawlingSanibel shell museum: A four-foot shell? That’s proper and it has some severe ‘wing span’The Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum on Sanibel has a set of distinctive shellsThe Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum has a set of distinctive shells. This is one.Sanibel shell museum: This tiny, cream-colored shell was present in 28,000 ft of waterSanibel shell museum: This shiny shell is likely one of the rarest within the worldAfter 9 yr hunt, SW Florida sheller finds most treasured Junonia seashellJunonia (Scaphella junonia)PART OF WHAT SHELL GROUP OR FAMILY: Family VolutidaeWHERE IN THE WORLD (would possibly you discover this shell)? Off each coasts of FloridaDISTINGUISHING FEATURES: An engaging shell with usually deployed brownish spotsANYTHING ELSE SPECIAL? The junonia is the enduring Southwest Florida shell, one of the crucial fascinating, if not THE most fascinating, of all potential native finds.Please help local people journalism and keep knowledgeable about Southwest Florida information by subscribing to The News-Press and Naples Daily News; obtain the free News-Press or Naples Daily News app, and join day by day briefing electronic mail publication, meals & eating and development & improvement newsletters here.