Eric Boutilier has always put attention to detail with his work.
Whether it was behind a video camera with Cogeco or behind the lens of this still camera as a journalist with Le Voyageur.
The North Bay native, who actually did some volunteer sports writing with BayToday in the 00s, was recently recognized for an amazing silhouette photo of a shadfly during sunset off Lake Nipissing.
Eric Boutilier, who has worked for Le Voyageur since 2013 won the "Photograph of the Year" award from the Association de la presse francophone (APF) for francophone publications in minority situations across Canada.
APF was founded in 1976 to represent French-language publications situated outside of Québec.
He says the getting that photo was all about the timing when he snapped the award-winning photograph last summer.
"I went to the waterfront and realized the sun was setting and I could tell I did not have a lot of time," said Boutilier.
"I saw a few shad flies on the guard rails at the marina and I thought this might be an opportunity for me to get something creative. It was really about being in the right place at the right time. I managed to frame the shad fly with the sun setting and you see the effect where the shad fly is reaching up to the sun with the silhouette of the shad fly and I think it was well achieved."
Boutilier also takes pride in getting the unique shot considering most North Bay area residents associate any photo of shad flies about the massive swarms not a single insect.
"A lot of photos I have taken of shad flies in the past were not the most flattering images let's be honest," Boutilier said.
"I wanted to present the shad fly in a different light and instead of grabbing just a quick shot of shad flies piled up onto one another or on a light post, let's see what else I can come up with."
Boutilier says the recognition is definitely one of his career highlights considering the award was chosen by many of his peers.
