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About
Hi! My name is Christine 'Cat' Antoniuk.
I am the photographer behind life+wild.
I believe I was destined to become a nature photographer, considering an interview with Cardplayer magazine from 1998…
The question was: CHOSEN PROFESSION IF STARTING OVER?
I answered:
Nature Photographer/
Neurosurgeon/
Astronomer
I included the latter two responses because they seemed more attainable!
At the time, I did not have the creative confidence to imagine a career in nature photography was possible for me.
Fast forward to the present.
What a long, strange trip it’s been – but I’m finally where I’m supposed to be.
I am Globally Sourced, Locally Engaged and Cosmically Inspired.
Globally Sourced
My Origin Story
I was born in Germany. Although I spent most of my formative years in the United States, my first language is German.
Upon graduating from the University of Washington, I entered the IT world, working for Unisys, Pacific Bell, and Remedy corporations, and living on both U.S. coasts.
After having children, I traded the corporate track for the title of Domestic Goddess, and soon thereafter we moved to Washington state. We built a dream home, and for the first time, I realized that I had a creative side! As a result, I began to study interior design at Bellevue College.
In 2007, our family landed in Boise, Idaho, primarily so that we could be closer to family. The financial crisis subverted my prospects as an interior designer. Instead I pivoted to practicing freelance graphic design.
Both interior and graphic design have provided a great foundation for photo editing.
I was always drawn to competitive cerebral games, and was playing in chess tournaments at the time I met my husband. This later morphed into poker, which I took very seriously.
I spent many summers in Las Vegas at the World Series of Poker (WSOP), and played an untold number of tournaments. However, I never achieved the financial success I was striving for.
As I became more and more disenchanted, I attempted a foray into e-commerce, launching an eco-friendly poker gear store with the idea of donating a portion of the profits to conservation. Unfortunately, I failed to research this very narrow niche, and my business flopped. But the seed was planted to do something more in line with my ultimate passion – nature.
In 2022, I finally threw in the towel, trading cards for a camera. My only regret is that it took me so long!
Poker vs Photography
An unlikely pair
At first glance, no-limit poker and wildlife photography seem unrelated. One has traditionally taken place in smoke-filled, dimly lit rooms, while the other requires the outdoors, preferably well-lit and devoid of other humans.
However, both endeavors rely on a shared set of skills to achieve mastery.
Continue Reading
If you’re impatient in poker, you’ll find yourself either giving tells, which alert your opponents to your intent, or, worse, putting your bankroll at risk out of sheer boredom.
A lack of patience in nature photography can result in movement that startles your subject, or leaving the environment before the action happens.
Having played the game for thirty years, I’ve learned to sit still for hours at a time, waiting for the right moment to pounce. This ability has transferred well to wildlife photography.
Attention to detail is also necessary. In poker, it’s a crucial advantage separating the amateur from the pro. Unless you’re very focused, you won’t realize that the guy to the right of you will only go all-in with pocket Aces. Or that the woman four seats to the left of you is into her third martini.
It goes without saying that this same edge pertains to great wildlife photography. Noticing how the chirping of an Anna’s hummingbird differs from that of a black-chinned hummingbird helps to locate your desired target. And what sets a stop-you-in-your-tracks image apart from a meh photo can rest in the tiniest details, such as a catchlight in the subject’s eye.
Professionals in both disciplines share many other traits, including the ability to make split-second decisions and use psychology to understand motivation.
Suffice it to say, my decades of poker experience have proven remarkably suited to photography.
Locally Engaged
Finding Home
I still reside in Boise, along with my ever-patient husband, occasionally two fledglings, and two dissimilar cats.
Living in the same neighborhood for 15 years has given me an intimate knowledge of some of my wild neighbors – and not just the feathered and furry ones!
(Speaking of furry neighbors though – in just one small patch near my home, the size of which is less than 100 sq. ft., I have seen at various times a buck, a beaver, and a bobcat. The buck has a very special place in my heart – check out the story.)
I’ve also grown roots, for the first time in my life. As a result, I feel very vested in the well-being of my community.
I have volunteered with the Golden Eagle Audubon Society and assisted the Intermountain Bird Observatory, Citizens’ Climate Lobby, and Idaho Parks and Recreation.
In addition to donating to wildlife charities from online wall art sales, I donate prints to local non-profit organizations, such as the Winter Wildlands Alliance, for fundraisers.
When I’m not out and about with my camera, you might find me paddleboarding or playing in a pool league. I’ve picked up pickleball spuriously, but it may only be because I have a penchant for activities that start with the letter “p!”
Cosmically Inspired
My Why
As you can probably tell, wildlife has captivated me my whole life.
When I was a child, my room was filled with stuffed animals, not dolls, and I religiously watched Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom.
I grew up hiking and camping in national parks. During road trips, I would stare out car windows for hours, hoping to glimpse a deer or bear through the massive trees lining the road.
These days, I am still delirious about wildlife sightings, whether in my backyard or the other side of the world. I’ve coined the term Animal Tourette Syndrome in a feeble attempt to explain my outbursts to others.
My heroes are Jacques Cousteau, Jane Goodall and Sir David Attenborough. Additionally, I worship photographers who use their craft to advocate for conservation. Cristina Mittermeyer, Paul Nicklen, Thomas Mangelson, and Andy Parkinson (my mentor) come to mind, just to name a few. It is not only their voices, but the caliber of their work that serves as my goalpost.
My deepest desire is to instill a love for all creatures, great and small through my art, fostering the connection we share with them.
Emphatically and empathetically,
Poker vs Photography
An unlikely pair
At first glance, no-limit poker and wildlife photography seem unrelated. One has traditionally taken place in smoke-filled, dimly lit rooms, while the other requires the outdoors, preferably well-lit and devoid of other humans.
However, both endeavors rely on a shared set of skills to achieve mastery.
Continue Reading
If you’re impatient in poker, you’ll find yourself either giving tells, which alert your opponents to your intent, or, worse, putting your bankroll at risk out of sheer boredom.
A lack of patience in nature photography can result in movement that startles your subject, or leaving the environment before the action happens.
Having played the game for thirty years, I’ve learned to sit still for hours at a time, waiting for the right moment to pounce. This ability has transferred well to wildlife photography.
Attention to detail is also necessary. In poker, it’s a crucial advantage separating the amateur from the pro. Unless you are very focused, you won’t realize that the guy to the right of you will only go all-in with pocket Aces. Or that the woman four seats to the left of you is into her third martini.
It goes without saying that this same edge pertains to great wildlife photography. Noticing how the chirping of an Anna’s hummingbird differs from that of a black-chinned hummingbird helps to locate your desired target.
And what sets a stop-you-in-your-tracks image apart from a meh photo can rest in the tiniest details, such as a catchlight in the subject’s eye.
Professionals in both disciplines share many other traits, including the ability to make split-second decisions and use psychology to understand motivation.
Suffice it to say, my decades of poker experience have proven remarkably suited to photography.
