WEYBURN - The 2025 calendar for the Weyburn Credit Union will feature the photography of Marianne Robillard, with scenes of wildlife and landscapes caught in and around the Weyburn area.
While she has photographed at a number of events in the community, primarily her photography is a hobby that she loves as she scouts around constantly while out with her dog or her husband.
Robillard first started into the hobby in high school when she became the yearbook photographer, and the school’s shop teacher taught her how to use a 35mm film camera, and then to do darkroom work to print her photos.
“From that, I bought a camera and went backpacking on a six-month trip. It was a Pentax ME Super, and I shot for six months straight with that camera and I loved it,” said Robillard. “That’s when I really got rolling with it.”
She took a hiatus from photography as her career and family became very busy, but once she retired from her job, she got back into photography when she was given a 35mm digital camera as a Christmas present.
Robillard took workshops from a number of well-known photographers, such as Greg Johnson, Lori Maxim and Colin Chatfield, and she began scouting around for possible photos anytime she was out for a walk or a drive in the country.
A number of the photos in the calendar show wildlife on the Tatagwa park trails, or on farms nearby, such as one image of a cat in the window of a barn, a young fox backlit by the sun, or a pronghorn antelope with a fawn.
“As much free time as I have, I try to spend time out scouting. I like event photography, but other than that it’s more of a hobby, the nature and wildlife photography,” said Robillard.
Asked what she enjoys most about the craft, she said, “I think it’s a combination of so many things. One is art, the other is nature and wildlife, the outdoors – it’s kind of a combination of all those things. It’s like unwrapping a Christmas present, coming home and downloading my photos to see what I’ve got. It really excites me every time I do it, and I don’t think it’ll ever get old for me.”
To have her photos now featured in the Weyburn Credit Union’s calendar, which goes out to customers and anyone who wants it, she said, I’m really very humbled and honoured that Tana sought me out. It’s really an honour to share these with somebody other than my family and friends. I hope people enjoy them as much as I enjoy taking them, and make the effort to do it. That’s the bonus for me.”
