A former soldier with a deep passion for nature turned her combat boots in for a camera after being injured as a artillery soldier in the Canadian Armed Forces two years ago. Now, nature is her new office and photography is her new calling.

Kady Ouimette is now a nature photographer based in East Coast Canada, and she specializes in photographing moose. Ouimette loved nature and also liked to snap photos as a child, she told Kinute.

A bull moose stares Ouimette down as she captures a glorious photo. Photo by Kady Ouimette

"In August 2020, I was released from the Canadian Armed Forces due to an injury. I was an artillery soldier so I used my combat boots well! My last year of service I spent my time with the military photographers," Ouimette said. 

Her boots-to-photography story is also highlighted on her Instagram. 

"During my time there I learnt a lot about portraits and how to use my camera to its best ability during fast pace scenarios like tanks firing for example, " she said.

She explained that she always "loved taking photos ever since I was a kid." In fact, she would take her mother's disposal cameras and use them all up. 

"Later I started to get my own cameras and kept upgrading ever since!" she said. "I started a little side gig photographing weddings and families while I was still serving. Military and photography overlapped each other."

When asked what she loves about nature and what lessons it can offer, Ouimette responded, "I absolutely love being in nature. Every time I go out I see something new. It could be an animal or even a mushroom I have never seen before. The beauty of it all is endless.

Ouimette likes to snap her shots in the first and last hours of daylight, which gives them a golden glow. Photo by Kady Ouimette

"Nature is a very grounding thing for humans and I truly believe it," she said. "While being out in the woods, it has taught me to slow down," she said. "Being ex-military, I find myself rushing through life a lot. Everything used to be on a timing and in nature it is not. It has definitely taught me to be more present and to slow down."

Ouimette explained that she has been specializing in photographing moose as "moose is a massive animal that can weigh over 1,000 pounds and be taller than a full-size vehicle! They are very intimidating. Moose can even stick their eyeballs out to make themselves seem more intimidating to the subject. I love to photograph moose because they are all unique and are a challenge to me."

She said deer are easy to find, but moose are much more challenging. 

"...with moose I spent an entire year trying to find one at a swamp and with persistence it paid off," she said. "Now the more I have learned, the more successful I have been. It’s very fun and satisfying to me. I have spotted a moose from 1,600 yards away. I walked about three-quarters of that to get close enough for a photo before the moose ran off, but other times you're driving and they are already close by! I like to get as close as possible."

Weighting up to 1,800 pounds and standing over 6 feet tall, moose are the largest species of deer in the world . Photo by Kady Ouimette

Ouimette knows moose, and she also knows how to read their body language.

"Moose can be very aggressive....especially if they are in rut, which is the peak time to photograph moose as they show off their full-grown shedded racks," she said. "Cow moose with their calves can also be risky. It’s important to know how to read the animal and what their body does when feeling threatened. Moose will pin their ears back and hair will stand up on their back. Paying attention to the warning signs is key."

The key to a getting a great photograph, she explained, "can be many things."

"For me, I love to shoot in the first hour of daylight and the last hour of daylight. It gives a beautiful glow," Ouimette said.

She said that "putting the sun behind the subject can make a nice glow around the object creating dreamy light. If I was to shoot during the day and not those times I would use my camera for proper exposure in manual mode."

Photographing wildlife is challenging, she added.

"Position of wildlife can be tricky, they don’t ever go where you want them to," she said. "A lot of the magic happens in the editing process."

Ouimette runs into birds both big and small on the east coast of Canada. Photo by Kady Ouimette

She said there have been a great deal of wildlife she has seen in the New Brunswick area. She was she saw a mother bobcat and four kittens this past summer and it was an "incredible and rare encounter."

"Another rare encounter I had was a river otter," she said. "In the woods you’ll see a lot of deer, bears, moose, beavers! Tons of ponds everywhere. You can also see bald eagles, all kinds of hawks and little birds. One of the biggest birds you’ll see is the great blue heron. They are always along the St. John River," she said. If one goes along the coast, she said sea lions and whales can be seen. There are a variety of whales in New Brunswick and she also photographed them too. She added that humpback and finback whales and also the Atlantic Puffin can be seen.

Ouimette is also involved in Hunt For Heroes Outdoors, a nonprofit organization that was founded by a retired Canadian Army veteran who is also a lover of the outdoors.

Ouimette captures a shot for Hunt for Heroes. Photo by Kady Ouimette

Peter Sova, a 20-year veteran of the Canadian forces, served in two deployments in Afghanistan, according to its website. He was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and operational stress injury in 2013, and released from service four years later. After his struggles with alcohol and other issues, which sometimes became a "life and death situation many times along my road...finally discovering that the outdoors and my passion for the traditions of hunting and fishing, quite literally saved my life..." Sova said on its website.

The group is run by volunteers who coordinate mental health and outdoor adventures to Canadian Armed Forces veterans, their families and first responders.

"One of my co-workers started it and it has been very successful!" Ouimette said. "I am a H4H member as well as their photographer. I will take photos of their events as well as go out and take photos of wildlife with the founder. It’s been great for my healing and many others!"

Kady Ouimette. Photo by Tori Claire Photography

When asked where she sees herself 10 years from now, Ouimette she is uncertain what the future holds but says nature will be involved.

"...Where I want myself to be is very involved in wildlife," she said. "I want to help other veterans and share my knowledge and experience with others. Nature is healing and I know it to be firsthand. I never leave the woods in a bad mood! In 10 years, I hope to be the best version of myself and to help others become the best version of themselves, too."