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THEBACHA/FORT SMITH
Tony Trudeau of Fort Smith describes himself as an amateur photographer, but his images of wildlife are anything but amateurish.

Tony Trudeau, an amateur photographer in Fort Smith, stands next to one of his most memorable pictures – an image of an American bittern taken along Highway 5 in Wood Buffalo National Park. - Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

In fact, many of his photos are downright spectacular.

"Anything that I see that's an animal on the road I will try to stop and get some pictures of it, just because you never know," he said. "Each picture is unique and each picture is like a piece of art, if you will."

Trudeau estimates he probably has around 30,000 images, the vast majority of wildlife – ravens, rabbits, grouse, marten, wolves, buffalo, pelicans, bears, moose, deer, caribou and many more.

However, he has a very high standard of what he considers a good picture, noting he is looking for perfect photos.

"I've got thousands of pictures of various animals and there's probably only a handful that I like of each animal," he said.

Trudeau said photographing wildlife is an exciting hobby.

"If I'm on the verge of getting a really good picture, my adrenalin starts pumping," he said. "It's just such a rush being that close to nature."

Trudeau, a fuel truck driver with TDC Contracting Ltd., has shot almost all his photos while on Highway 5 between Hay River and Fort Smith and along the winter road to Fort Chipewyan, Alta.

The 46-year-old doesn't just stop his truck when he sees wildlife and take pictures through the window. Instead, he sometimes follows animals into the bush in search of the perfect image.

In pursuit of that goal, he has followed lone wolves into the bush only to be faced with a pack of four or more.

"I've done that a couple of times," he said. "I'm a little more cautious, because you never know if there's going to be more around."

Trudeau realizes there are other risks to chasing after wildlife.

"I know if I do get bit or attacked it's my own fault," he said. "I've actually been chased by groundhogs, believe it or not."

Trudeau once chased an owl for more than an hour over about three kilometres, while the bird flew from tree to tree.

"Thank goodness he didn't fly forever," the photographer said. "He just flew short distances and it just kept me walking and going through the deep snow."

One of his most amazing pictures is of an American bittern, which was spotted along Highway 5 in Wood Buffalo National Park. The bird – a member of the heron family – is an extremely rare visitor to the park.

"It may be a once-in-a-lifetime thing," Trudeau said of the photo. "We may never be able to get pictures like that again or see that bird in that state where it's three feet tall and feathers ruffled out."

Capturing that photo was also special because he was accompanied by his wife, Sonia Trudeau, who he credits with getting him interested in photography.

The image of the American bittern was taken with a pocket-sized automatic camera, which Trudeau used for a couple of years before he upgraded to a Nikon with a zoom lens about six months ago.

The photo is so special that he gave a framed copy to Wood Buffalo National Park, he said. "I just wanted them to know that this was in their park."

Trudeau noted many people say the American bittern – which is pictured standing about a metre high – looks like a Muppet.

Some of his other favourite photos are of lynx and wolves.

"I really love wolves and I have quite a few wolf shots," he said, adding he is still seeking to get quality photos of whooping cranes and wolverines.

Trudeau, who grew up in Ontario and has lived in Fort Smith since 2002, said he has tried to diversify by taking pictures of the northern lights and landscapes, but keeps returning to wildlife.

The photographer said, along with his wife, he has learned about photography from the book 'Photography for Dummies' and from Marie Swanson, one of the owners of TDC Contracting.

"Marie gave me hints and gave me some pointers on how to take pictures so that when you put them on the computer they look like they're supposed to," he said, noting he doesn't spend time editing the images.

Currently, Trudeau doesn't sell any of his photos, although he said he may do so in the future when he learns more about the business and how to protect his work.

"It's a hobby for me because I enjoy it," he said, noting he now just gives some of his photos away as gifts.

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