Wildlife Part 3 - Donna Feledichuk ~ The Boreal Forest Wildlife
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Good day everyone. This week I am collaborating with another local Alberta wildlife photographer for the wildlife blog post series. It is a great honour to be able to do this collaboration with such a greatly talented photographer who has been featured in National Geographic, Canadian Geographic, BBC Wildlife Magazine, Earth Endeavours, and Untamed Photo Magazine. I am collaborating this week with Donna Feledichuk to bring a truly breath-taking look to wildlife that lives in the Boreal Forest. She is a columnist for PhotoWild Magazine, has been the recipient of numerous photography awards, including the Grand Prize winner of Nature Canada Photo Contest 2023 and Canon Canada’s Nature Through Your Lens 2024 Contest. Donna is a photography team member of the Canadian Conservation Photographers Collective, a featured columnist for PhotoWild Magazine and she regularly trains and mentors individuals starting on their wildlife photography journey all from her home in this area. I have checked out some of these courses that she offers myself and I have them on my bucket list to attend some of them in the future. I follow Donna on instagram and this is the first place I came across her photography, instantly mesmerized and in love how she captures the true and breathtaking moments of the nature around her. Without further adieu, I shall let you dive in to the conversation and questions I had with Donna to bring you this remarkable post this week and to feature this brilliantly talented wildlife photographer. Please, I highly suggest you to follow her on instagram and to check out her website which I will have linked throughout this post. Please enjoy the adventure we have set out for you.
Donna’s Website: https://donnafeledichukphotography.com/
What is your favorite wildlife animal to photograph and why?
Without question it is the Great Gray Owl. There is such a mystic and allure to them. If you ever get a chance to spend any time with them, you will soon realize there is an aloofness to them. The Great Gray Owl possesses an aura that commands reverence. When it allows me into its presence, I feel as though I've been granted passage to a sacred space, humbled by the privilege of sharing a moment in time with this elusive being. No other species beckons me with the same allure, drawing me into the mysterious tapestry of the night. To witness this majestic creature is to be transcended to another world, a realm of shadows and mystique, spellbinding and enchanting all at once.
I love how Donna describes the nature of the Great Gray Owl. She tells it with such story and imagery that you can feel the mystical magic behind such an elegant yet powerful bird. In my time of being in wildlife photography, I too have come across a couple of Great Gray’s myself and I have to agree with each and every word Donna uses to describe them. They are alluring, they are majestic and mysterious as well as elusive. They are not called Phantom’s of The North for no reason. Owls resemble wisdom, transformation, and guidance and whenever I see a Great Gray Owl and get to be in its presence, I feel all three of these fully as after my visit with this bird, I feel spiritually free and lighter. We hope that you get a chance to also be in a presence of these great birds as it is truly remarkable and peaceful.
2. What is your favorite location to visit to spot wildlife?
Right here where I live in the Boreal Forest. I think we take for granted the wildlife that is around us every day and we need to pause more and reflect on the abundance of nature we have right in our own backyards.
I couldn’t agree more with these words. Stop and smell the roses, let the sun beat onto your skin, leave your phones at home and listen to the music of the nature around you. Wildlife has a very unique song and if one pays close enough attention, you can hear the notes, the rhythm, and all the voices involved. As Donna puts it, “we need to pause more and reflect on the abundance of nature we have right in our own backyards.”
3. Is there an experience that stands out in your mind from your time in wildlife photography?
There are definitely encounters that are memorable. I think the best encounter I ever witnessed was between a Great Gray Owl and a hawk. The owl was sitting on a fence post when a hawk dive bombed right at it. The owl held its position on the fence but raised its wings in a defensive position as the hawk passed inches in front of the owl.
Wow, what imagery. I can imagine the image in my mind as I read these words. Truly a remarkable sight to see between two predatory birds. The show of power and dominance where one tries to intimidate the other as this is the image I see in my mind. Would have been great to see a photo like that, where the owl is defending itself, but sometimes the best photo is the one we take with our minds.
4. How long have you done wildlife photography?
I have had a camera in my hands for over 40 years but really got immersed into wildlife photography about 10 years ago.
5. Why did you get into doing wildlife photography?
It was my way of finding balance from my hectic and sometimes stressful day job. Being out in nature rejuvenates my soul. To sit quietly and in nature and just be is something so few people do anymore. I am particularly drawn to the Boreal Forest it feels like home to me. It’s a place where time slows down, where the rhythms of nature take over, and where I feel a deep connection to something far greater than myself. It’s a world that gives me hope, and it’s a world I feel compelled to share through my photography. Every time I step outside, I discover something new a call I’ve never heard before, a behavior I’ve never seen, an interaction that reveals a hidden world. This connection drew me into wildlife photography and keeps me captivated.
One of the most interesting wildlife encounters I ever had was when I was watching two sandhill cranes in a field at dusk. I had creeped up to the edge of the field to photograph them, sitting along the treeline that bordered the field. As I watched the cranes seemed agitated but not because of me and they kept calling and jumping, working their way in my direction. The field was not level and had some dips where the cranes would drop out of sight. As I sat silently watching and the cranes still working their way towards me, I realized what had their attention. A skunk appeared on a ridge of one of the small hills with the cranes following behind it. The skunk was making its way to the trees for protection. Sitting still witnessing the dynamics between both species, the skunk made it to the trees. Thinking it would find a place to wait and hide I was beyond surprised when head down the skunk trotted along the tree line directly towards me. I thought it would spot me, but it did not, finally when the skunk was about 5 feet away from me i slapped my hand on the ground to get its attention. Looking up, it finally realized I was there and took a turn into the trees. And no it did not spray me.
Animal: Red Fox
Photographer: Donna Feledichuk
https://donnafeledichukphotography.com/collections/ready-to-ship-prints
Thank you, Donna, for part-taking in this series with me. It was a great honour. The stories you have shared, the love for the wildlife in Alberta and the wide varieties of species that live across this land. It was so great to hear your experiences, your thoughts, and your knowledge on this wonderful animals that live among us. Sharing your favourite animal with us, the Great Gray Owl, is truly an honour. Seeing the other images of wildlife that you have taken, the same animals I photographed in my time, I am greatly appreciative about it. Thank you for sharing your stories and your outstanding photography with me and with my readers of my blog here on my website. I feel like I have a much greater appreciation for the wildlife that resides in my backyard here in the Prairies of Alberta. I hope one day, to attend one of your classes that you offer, so I too can grow in my skill and knowledge as a wildlife photographer.
Thank you!
With that, I want to share the last image you shared with me which is one of my favorites from the collection you sent. I mean, I love the Great Grey Owl but this one is one that keeps my jaw on the floor. It has taken my breath away. It is one animal that I hope to one day get a chance to photograph. Before I share, I want to thank the readers that have weekly come to this blog to read our stories. Thank you everyone and I hope you enjoy this last image as much as I do from Donna.
Tschüss!
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