November 2025
Rick McGregor
For this month, WRAC highlights the artistic career of photographer Rick McGregor.
My art is wildlife photography. It started as a hobby about 10 years ago and has since become an almost fulltime passion.
I am originally from Markham, Ontario. My wife and I bought a cottage on Pinawa Bay in 2015, and we moved here full time in 2022.
I am inspired by the beauty of nature. Trying to capture the colours and splendor of the birds and animals, exactly as my eyes see them, producing natural photos without the use of Photoshop or AI. I edit my photos only for brightness and sharpness adjustments to keep that natural effect.
I am essentially self taught as a photographer, having taken only an 8 night class in camera settings and technical settings. However, I do not use any of that training as I keep my camera in Auto mode 99% of the time. I have been told many times that I have a natural eye for capturing my subjects. I use inexpensive, point and shoot cameras and using the Auto setting lets Nikon or Canon determine the best settings for the shot. They know a lot more than I do.
I have also started making custom picture frames out of old barnboard and other reclaimed wood which has proven to be a huge hit and has increased my sales. I have taken custom orders for specific prints with this exquisite old wood enhancing the look of nature.
I am a member of the Pinawa Art Gallery and have also exhibited my work in the Flash Photography Festival and a couple of the Eastman Juried Art Competitions, each time taking home first place in the Photography category. Last year’s winning photograph, entitled “I Can’t Watch” of five Otters piled on top of each other sold seven times during the show. Multiple additional framed prints were required to fill the orders.
I also have several prints displayed for sale in the Stone Fort Trading Company gift shop in Lower Fort Garry just north of Winnipeg.
My photographs have been published many times in the Lac du Bonnet Clipper newspaper and the Lac du Bonnet Living magazine. I have also donated multiple photographs to the Lac du Bonnet Cash Calendar over the years. I have donated a number of my prints to charities over the years and was recently asked for a custom framed photo to be used as a gift that the RM of Lac du Bonnet presented to a partner organization.
I have been writing a column called Birds of a Feather for the LDB Clipper for about four years, which is published along with a photo of the featured bird as a way of helping to encourage others to appreciate birding and to educate people on the birds of the region. My wife and have also taken several trips to Latin American countries to photograph tropical wildlife, utilizing local bird guides to find and photograph many of their gorgeous birds and animals.
I have had many people over the years ask me what camera I use and which one they should buy to get started in wildlife photography. I tell each of them the same thing: you don’t have to spend a lot of money. I have two cameras, a Canon Powershot SX70 and a Nikon Coolpix P950. Both were under $1,000. Both have exceptional zoom capabilities which is very important in wildlife photography. They have some drawbacks, most notably night shots but that’s not the time to be photographing wildlife so is not important to me. I have sold in the neighbourhood of 200 photos taken with these cameras. You do not need to spend a lot of money to get into this hobby. Remember, the art is in the eye, not the wallet.
