Government official finds second life as a wildlife photographer

When Simon d’Entremont retired from his government job last year, he found himself an unexpected new career path that lies far from the hallowed halls of Province House.

After all, Nova Scotia’s former deputy minister of the Department of Energy and Mines became a wildlife photographer.

“I’m the type of person, when I jump into something I like to kind of do it well I guess,” laughs d’Entremont, who discovered the world of photography around seven years ago.

Then, well into his decade-long career as a civil servant with the Nova Scotia government, d’Entremont came by photography naturally enough. Growing up, he spent much of his youth fishing and hunting — a pastime which led to a lifelong interest in nature.

However, a few years ago the Bedford resident went for a walk in the woods and took a camera just in case he got bored.

“I thought going for a hike in the woods and doing nothing would be boring, so I brought a camera along to photograph some wildlife if I saw some,” recalls d’Entremont. “And that’s how I started.”

Since then, d’Entremont has gained a respectable following of fans with a wild array of photography — particularly of birds as well as nightscapes and astrophotograhy.

“I like the time in nature, and I like being able to share the appreciation of nature with other people,” says d’Entremont, who adds much of the feedback he gets is from people who can’t reach nature due to accessibility or mobility issues.

“For a lot of reasons, a lot of people who aspire to get into nature can’t, so I give them a window into things they can’t see on their own and it makes me feel really good.”

The talented shutterbug doesn’t just share his photography either. Having recently created a YouTube page, d’Entremont has branched out into videography as well — posting stunning wildlife scenes on the social media website.

“Photography cameras are getting quite capable on the video front so I have a good camera that has good video specs,” says d’Entremont, noting he was inspired to experiment after capturing live video of a couple thousand sandpipers in murmuration being targeted by a peregrine falcon. “I realized then how much more dynamic video is as a medium.”

However, d’Entremont’s YouTube page also features videos with tips and tricks of the trade — another part of the profession that the wildlife photographer enjoys sharing with the public. 

In fact, d’Entremont is eager to help out would-be wildlife photographers in anyway he can.  As a result, he will be hosting a free webinar entitled Bird & Wildlife Photography: Taking it to the Next Level through ViewPoint Gallery’s Third Thursday Talk Series.

Taking place at 7 p.m. on June 16, the webinar will feature d’Entremont sharing his favourite tricks and strategies for getting fantastic photographs of wildlife in nature.

“(It’s for) anyone who enjoys walking in the woods but every once in a while comes across a bird or a rabbit or something and wants to understand how to get a better photo,” says d’Entremont of the webinar.

While he is happy to spread his knowledge of wildlife photography with aspiring shutterbugs, d’Entremont also notes that patience and experience over time goes a long way when aspiring to be a skilled nature photographer.

“Unfortunately, you have to put in the time to learn how animals act and react,” says d’Entremont. He specifically offers the tip that bigger birds need to take off into the wind like airplanes so photographers should position themselves upwind to obtain great pictures — a trick he learned by example.

“After a while, you learn all these different behaviours,” adds d'Entremont. “And you get better over time by just understanding the wildlife better.”

For more information on Simon d’Entremont’s free webinar in June 16, visit the ViewPoint Gallery website.