Your cart is currently empty
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 threw in the latter two responses because they actually 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 2026.
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.
Global Sourcing
My Origin Story
I was born in Germany. German is my first language, but I spent most of my formative years in the United States.
Upon graduating from the University of Washington, I entered the software world, working for Unisys, Pacific Bell, and Remedy Corporation, and living on both U.S. coasts.
After motherhood entered the picture, 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 there was a creative side to me! 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 switched to practicing freelance graphic design.
Both interior and graphic design provided a great foundation for photo editing.
I have always been drawn to cerebral games, and was playing competitive chess when I met my husband. This later morphed into poker, which I took very seriously.
For example, I would spend summers in Las Vegas at the World Series of Poker (WSOP). However, I could never achieve the financial success I was striving for.
As I became more disenchanted, I attempted a foray into e-commerce, launching eco-friendly poker gear with the idea of donating a portion of the profits to conservation. However, I did not research this very narrow niche sufficiently, and my business flopped. But the seed was planted to do something more in line with my ultimate passion – nature.
So, in 2022, I finally threw in the towel, and traded cards for a camera. I only wish I had done this a decade earlier!
Poker vs Photography
An unlikely pair
At first glance, there are no similarities between no-limit poker and wildlife photography. 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, a mastery of both requires some of the same skills. Foremost, patience is necessary in both endeavors. 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 wildlife photography can result in movement that startles your subject, or you 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.
Continue Reading
Attention to detail is another requirement. In poker, it’s a crucial advantage separating the amateur from the pro. Unless you’ve paid close attention, you won’t realize that the guy to the right of you will always and 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 is necessary for great wildlife photography. Noticing how the chirping of an Anna’s hummingbird compares to that of a black-chinned hummingbird helps to locate your desired target. And the difference between an ok and a stop-you-in-your-tracks image can rest in the tiniest details, such as a catchlight in the subject’s eye.
There are additional characteristics of professionals in both disciplines, such as the ability to make split-second decisions, but suffice it to say that my decades of poker experience have proven remarkably suitable for photography.
Local Engagement
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!”
Cosmic Inspiration
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,
Christine
