Sharon Grainger

Sharon’s degrees in Psychology and Anthropology from Eastern Washington University have given her a good base to pursue her profession as a naturalist and photographer. With five generations of artists behind her, she has developed a portfolio of images covering many interests including indigenous cultures, ethnobotany, natural and cultural history. Photography gives voice and interpretation to her experience of the world. Spending many years with Native peoples has dramatically affected her attitude towards how and what she sees. She recognized, through these experiences, the diversity of peoples around the world. This began a lifelong curiosity about the variety of ways in which different cultures relate to each other and this planet.

Camera in hand, she has explored this world and its inhabitants, though her heartfelt home is the northwest coast of North America. Sharon calls Alert Bay, the archipelago of Haida Gwaii both in British Columbia and the Lummi Nation’s land in the San Juan Islands home and spends much of her time with the Indigenous peoples of these places. She considers them family, enjoying the lifelong lesson of the First Nations and Native people’s connectedness to their homeland.

Sharon currently lives on Lummi Island in Washington State. She received her Photo Instructor certification in a multi-day training, taught by National Geographic and Lindblad Expeditions photographers. The workshop helped her develop additional insight and skills necessary to help you better understand your camera and capture the moments at the heart of your expedition.