Fucci's lens records world of adventures

Nick Fucci of Bigfork stalks elusive jaguars and maned wolves through Brazilian jungles, brown bear, moose and caribou across the wilds of Alaska and exotic game in Africa and Central America.

Quietly and expertly, he aims, then fires — with his digital Canon 1D Mark II and Mark IV cameras. Even with more than 70 of these trophy photos published in international magazines, the thrill remains for Fucci.

“I still get excited every time I see my photos in magazines,” he said.

Along with magazines, Fucci shares his work in public presentations such as his armchair safari to Brazil’s Pantanal wetlands held last week at Flathead Valley Community College.

His exhibits include an upcoming artist-in-residence show at Glacier International Airport. “Your Adventure Begins Here” is slated to open toward the end of January. The 60 photos from around the world and Montana reflect the artistry evolved over four decades of shooting and honing his skills.

 A former resident of Alaska, Fucci, 52, moved to the Flathead Valley in 2004. He and his wife, Pam, a nurse, live near Echo Lake with her pack of “wiener dogs,” his Labrador retriever and Spinone hunting dogs, and their four llamas.

“They’re like giant dogs,” he said with a laugh about the llamas.

 Fucci traces his love of photography back to his youth and his grandmother, who had numerous photographs published. She shot with a Hasselblad and even had a darkroom in her garage.

“When I was 7 or 8 years old, I can remember trooping around with her with, believe it or not, a Brownie box camera,” he said. “By the time I was in junior high school, hanging around with your grandmother was not cool and I got away from it.”

After graduating from high school, Fucci joined the Air Force and ended up stationed in Alaska in 1979. When his hitch ended, he went to work in the oil fields  to support his education in civil engineering at the University of Alaska in Anchorage.

“I worked on the North Slope in Kuparuk,” he said. “I started as a field inspector and rolled into a consultant (engineering) for ARCO.”

His passion for photography rekindled in that majestic setting. Contrary to popular notions, Fucci said the oil fields drew wildlife like a magnet, offering shade from the nonstop summer sun on the treeless tundra.

He sought and received permission from ARCO to leave the roadway to photograph herds of caribou and musk ox, packs of wolves and the endangered speckled eider.

“You’re not allowed to hike on the tundra,” he said. “They want to protect the environment.”

After 12-hour shifts in the oil field, Fucci would grab his camera to take advantage of the 24 hours of daylight in the summer months. He said the early-morning hours offer three to four hours of an incredible golden light from the sun low on the horizon.

“At 1 a.m. in the morning, it was not unusual to see me out photographing a fox den,” he said.

Fucci got serious about breaking into the market with his photos in the late 1990s. He said he considered his work to be good until he began comparing it to those of some other members of the Alaska Society of Outdoor & Nature Photographers.

A past president of the society, Fucci said the Alaska organization is dedicated to improving members’ skills through education and sharing. The group also teaches members how to target and market their work.

With his colleagues’ help, Fucci upgraded his work and decided to concentrate on editorial photography, a middle ground between stock and art photography. He got results with his wildlife and outdoor work, which has now been published in at least 11 countries.

He is represented by Alaska Stock and the Verge Agency, who market his work internationally.

“I also do a lot of self-submitting to magazines and calendars,” he said.

With his name recognition from publication credits and exhibits, Fucci was able to expand his “Nick Fucci Outdoor & Nature Photography” business to include photo safaris, workshops and classes. He leads tours to the Alaska wilderness near Redoubt Mountain Volcano,  Michigan’s Upper Peninsula  and Costa Rica’s remote Osa Peninsula.

Fucci, a former fishing guide, includes fishing on Crescent Lake during the Alaska safari, in between photographing brown and black bears, moose, eagles and more. His trips to Costa Rica offer visits to pristine beaches and some of the last unspoiled tropical rain forests in Central America.

He said five people have signed up for the January departure for Costa Rica, his most budget-friendly trip. Fucci takes a maximum of eight people on this safari.

Even with the recession, he has found photography buffs of all ages interested in improving their skills in exotic locations.

“My tours have started to do very well,” he said.

He takes six to eight weeks a year off his civil engineering job with Bill Meyer and Hafferman in Kalispell to lead the tours as well as to take personal trips with other photographers. On the recent excursion to Brazil, Fucci traveled with famed photographers Roy Toft and Ben Cranke to the Pantanal, a region the size of Florida.

“It’s a wetland like the Everglades,” he said.

Their goal was to photograph the maned wolf and Brazil’s unique jaguar. Local guides managed to give them about five hours of long-lens shooting time with the muscular cats.

“Jaguars of Pantanal get up to 330 pounds — they’re the third largest cat in the world,” he said. “It’s one of only five cats that roar.”

Fucci had another spectacular trip with Toft to Zambia, Victoria and Botswana in Africa. He found the abundance of wildlife in the bush almost unbelievable.

“When you get off the plane in Africa, you feel like you’re home,” he said.  “It’s almost spiritual.”

 Fucci would love to devote all his time to photography travels, but the logistics and marketing for his business consume much of his time. His hard work has begun to pay off in the last three to four years.

 “It’s more than just taking pictures.” he said. “One thing civil engineering has taught me is to approach this as a job, not as a passion.”

For the last five years, Fucci has taught photography through continuing education at Flathead Valley Community College. He offers a six-week introduction to outdoor and nature photography class as well as an intermediate two-day workshop during most semesters.

Even with a full-time job, the trips and the classes, Fucci still tries to work in 10 hours a week behind his camera, shooting in Glacier National Park, the National Bison Range and other locales. He advises students to follow his example.

“You need to go out and shoot and shoot and shoot,” he said. “That’s what makes you a better photographer.”

Fucci will be presenting some of his work in person at the Holiday Craft Show today at Majestic Valley Arena. Visit www.nickfucciphoto.com for more information on his tours and exhibits.

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com.