The frantic energy of a hospital emergency room is a far cry from the tranquility of Wapusk National Park in the Manitoba wilderness. For Don Gutoski, photographing out in the wild is an escape from his day-to-day life as an urgent care doctor at the St. Joseph's Hospital in London, Ontario, although, the excitement of capturing an incredible image is all too familiar. "When I have a good subject it's more like an adrenaline rush, I'm just very excited trying to get the shot, or some shots, whichever it happens to be."
Capturing images out in the wild is nothing new for Don, but his photography career was forever changed when he was named the 2015 Wildlife Photographer of the Year by the British Natural History Museum for his image "A Tale of Two Foxes." An avid amateur photographer, Gutoski submitted his photo along with over 42,000 other applicants from over 96 countries. The haunting photo of a red fox holding the carcass of its most recent meal, an Arctic White fox, paints a picture that would surprise most. The overlapping of the territory of these two cousin species has become even more prevalent in recent years due to climate change and this photo highlights just that. "The story behind that is really a big part of the photograph I think, and that’s a good reason why I think it won." The prestigious Natural History Museum photo competition, now in its 51st year, aims to highlight the beauty of the natural world, while also bringing attention to its struggles.
Gutoski, who has been photographing for over 40 years, was first introduced to the art in high school when he took his first photography course. His love of the outdoors and animals were an easy focus for his budding interest, and have continued to be the primary subject of his work ever since. "The one thing I enjoy about wildlife photography: you never know what’s going to happen or when and it’s always just a treat to be out there with the wildlife and seeing what happens."
To new photographers he has a simple yet invaluable advice, "It’s about enjoying both the wildlife and learning about the photographic equipment and how to use it. And then just head out and enjoy what you love to do. Things will develop from there." He certainly takes those words to heart, spending time not only shooting on his own property in Ontario but also as an experienced traveler, he has been around the world in search of new subjects for his photos, continuing to evolve his skills.
His dedication to photographing wildlife and patience to wait for the right moments have shaped his a personal photography style, and garnered worldwide attention and acclaim. While Don may consider himself an amateur, his collection of equipment speaks to the professional photographer. In choosing Canon for the extensive collection of telephoto lenses, he now finds himself shooting almost exclusively with his EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM lens. Paired with a Canon EOS-1D X, he considers his camera body a great asset for his photography, giving him the speed and focus to capture split second moments in unpredictable nature.
With new photography adventures already on his horizon, Gutoski has no plans to coast on his acclaim, continually driven to chase those perfect moments.
