Tony C. Zappia is an award-winning outdoors photographer and writer. His work has graced the pages of an array of magazines including, Field & Stream, Outdoor Life, NRA American Hunter, Shooting Sportsman, Retriever Journal, North American Fisherman, Wildfowl, Gun Dog, Willow Creek Press, Brown Trout Publications, Harris Publications and Game & Fish publications. For nearly 30 years, Zappia served as Outdoors Editor of the Massena Observer, The Advance News and the Watertown Daily Times. In addition, his photographs have appeared in calendars, books and advertising campaigns. Tony currently works as a freelance still photographer/writer, and is a proud member of the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA).
Born in Northern New York on the Canadian border, Tony spent the majority of his youth exploring the outdoors along the St. Lawrence River and Adirondack Mountains. There he began to acquire his skills of wildlife behavior which became a vital component of wildlife photography and outdoors writing. Tony's love for photography began in the 1960's and since that time he has won numerous national and regional photo awards.
In 2014, Tony was awarded the coveted Pinnacle Award for Photography from the Professional Outdoor Media Association for a cover image of a Golden Retriever he photographed for The Retriever Journal Magazine.
Tony has traveled extensively; hunting, fishing and photographing throughout the United States and Canada as well as Sweden and Finland. Presently, Tony resides on the banks of the St. Lawrence River with his wife, Barbara, his three Golden Retrievers, Emme, Tea and Ice. These days he spends considerable time at the home of Fourth Coast Golden Retrievers training and field trialing his Goldens. In 2009 Tea won the Golden Retriever Club of America National Specialty Derby and in 2013 she earned her Canadian Field Trial Champion title. His youngest Golden, Ice, is currently back at home competing in American and Canadian Field Trials. And, on August 27, 2016, Ice - at age 3 - placed 2nd in the Lake Champlain Field Trial Qualifying thereby giving her the Qualified All-Age status.
