Wildlife/Animals nominee

There are few moments that stand out in our lives, where we know without hesitation that we are right where we are meant to be, at just the right time. This photograph captures one of those rare moments for me; I was working as a sea kayak guide in Antarctica and managed to witness this incredible scene of ice calving from a massive iceberg, as a playful humpback whale repeatedly breached before my eyes in performance I know I will never forget.

Natalie has a passion for wilderness exploration and has worked as a professional sea kayaking, hiking, whitewater and floe edge guide since 2009. Spending months at a time in the field has provided her ample opportunity to pursue her photography in some of the most remote and beautiful landscapes on Earth; she divides her year by chasing the summer light between the Arctic and Antarctic regions, while also pursuing her commercial pilot licence and Masters Degree in Political Ecology between her travels. A lover of high altitude and high latitude wilderness areas, her research is focused on the dynamic relationship between humans and the natural world, a dominant theme that shapes her photographic pursuits.

World Wildlife Fund Canada 2017 Grand Prize winner.
Arctic Change 2017 Grand Prize winner.