Canadian Geographic Best Wildlife Photography
FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER RENE FISHER
What is your most memorable moment in the field?
The first time I was able to photograph fox kits. My friend, who knew the location of a den, informed me they were out playing one afternoon. I immediately dropped what I was doing and raced over. When I arrived, six-plus fox kits were frolicking around, close to a grocery store parking lot. The thrill of seeing young animals behaving as if I wasn’t there fueled a more serious pursuit of wildlife photography.
What is your favourite subject to photograph and why?
I had a childhood obsession with animals and loved going to the zoo. I watched every nature documentary I could find and took great joy in learning about animal behavior, specifically. I love photographing canids, and taking a photograph of a wolf in the wild is on my bucket list.
What is the best advice you’ve received?
Just go shoot. Try not to be a snob about lighting or subject matter because all those sub-par photos help you prepare and hone your skills for that moment when you get a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Make do with what you have, and try and learn something from every outing. Even if it was a complete bust, you still learned more than if you had stayed home on the couch.
What is your most important piece of equipment?
My cellphone. It allows me to get answers to any question I might have related to photography, and even information about the habitats and behaviors of different animals. Utilizing maps and navigation to go out and explore (and come back from!) areas and habitats I’ve never been is pretty important, too.
Rene Fisher is based in Belleville, Ont. Her photos have been featured on Instagram by @ ricohpentax and @cangeo. Her images have won the Pentax 100 Years of History Weekly photo contest and the Society for Conservation Biology (Kingston chapter) Annual Nature Photo Contest. renefisherphotography.com