Adventures in Photography
Damien Bouchard Focuses on the Night Sky and Wildlife
Story by Bonnie Schiedel, Photos by Damien Bouchard
“During the pandemic, I really wanted to take my still photography to another level,” says local photographer and videographer Damien Bouchard. Bouchard, who studied television broadcasting at Confederation College and Indigenous independent filmmaking at Capilano University in Vancouver, began following photography accounts on Instagram and learned more about astrophotography when he became friends with Thunder Bay photographer Kay Lee.
A member of Aroland First Nation, Bouchard says that photography has been a tool for helping heal intergenerational trauma. “[It’s] looking to tell a new story about myself being Ahnishanabek,” he says. “My language journey is connected to photographs of everyday living, sparked by the efforts of Matawa Waka Tere Indigenous Language Revitalization Project.” For example, an image description on his social media refers to Gookooko’oo, the Anishinaabemowin word for owl.
The full moon is one of his favourite subjects, and he uses apps like Planit Pro and PhotoPills to plan the perfect shot. “I can predict where the moon will rise and when it comes up over the Giant’s head, and where I need to be at that precise moment,” he explains. In addition to being a technical challenge, the moon has an emotional connection too. “It reminds me of my grandmother Mary Newatchageesic: every time it comes up, I think of her,” he says. “A lot of people put a negative spin on [the full moon], but for me, it’s kind of the opposite. It gets my creativity going and makes me ponder my existence in the universe and the cosmos, and why I’m here, what I’m supposed to be here doing.”
Birdwatching and taking photos of birds is another passion, and Bouchard often spends weekends with his eight-year-old son driving to semi-rural areas of Thunder Bay and Geraldton and seeing what they can spot. “I try to get out there and just clear my mind. It’s good for mental health, for sure—go for a hike, see some birds, see some landscapes. We have a great time when we go for these little adventures.”
To see more of Damien Bouchard’s work, find @crowcreator on Instagram and @crowcreations on Facebook.