Rob was a biologist, conservationist, activist, and filmmaker. Born in 1979, Rob dedicated his life to conservation, saying, “Conservation is the preservation of human life on earth. And that, above all else is worth fighting for.”
His greatest impact was through his three films – Sharkwater, Revolution, and Sharkwater Extinction – as well as his books and the millions of supporters that carry on his mission worldwide. Rob was born and raised in Toronto, Canada and he began photographing the underwater when he was 13. By the age of 18, he became a scuba instructor and then moved on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. Rob was the first to bring the devastating issue of shark finning for shark fin soup to the world stage. Sharkwater continues to change laws and public policy throughout the world and created hundreds of shark conservation groups.
Please visit https://www.robstewartsharkwaterfoundation.org/ to see more of Rob’s work. Rob chose to protecting sharks.
Brian Skerry is a photojournalist and film producer specializing in marine wildlife and
underwater environments with a focus on ocean conservation. Since 1998 he has been a contributing photographer for National Geographic Magazine, covering stories on every continent and in nearly every ocean habitat. For NGM, Brian has produced a wide range of stories, from the harp seal’s struggle to survive in frozen waters to the alarming decrease in the world’s fisheries.
Brian is the author of 12 books including the acclaimed monographs Ocean Soul and Shark. His latest book, Secrets of the Whales, was released by National Geographic as part of a multiplatform project he created that also includes a cover story in National Geographic magazine and a 4-part, Disney+ documentary film series that won the 2021 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary.
Brian has received numerous awards for his photography and is an 11-time award winner in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. Solo photographer exhibits of his work have been held in cities worldwide including Washington, DC, Perpignan, Geneva, Barcelona, Sharjah, Lisbon and Shanghai. He is a founding member and Senior Fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers.
Brian frequently lectures on ocean exploration, storytelling and conservation, having presented at venues such as The United Nations General Assembly, The World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, TED Talks, The Royal Geographical Society in London and the Sydney Opera House in Australia.
Please visit www.brianskerry.com to see more of Brian’s work. Brian chose to support the International League of Conservation Photographers – specifically their Marine Protected Areas Initiative from sales of his scarves.
Michelle is an award-winning Canadian wildlife photographer who has been telling stories with her camera for more than 30 years. She has traveled to all continents in search of adventure and photographic opportunities. She is particularly celebrated for her passion for Canada and the Arctic.
A Canadian Nikon Ambassador, her images appear on magazine covers, in numerous publications, exhibitions and embassies worldwide. Her iconic images appear on a Royal Canadian Mint coin and on Canada Post stamps. Michelle received the Louise Kamookak Medal from the Royal Canadian Geographic Society in 2019 and was the overall winner of the 16th Julia Margaret Cameron Award for Women Photographers in 2021.
Michelle’s work extends beyond photography. In 2009, she founded Project North, a not-for-profit organization committed to delivering education and sport-based opportunities to youth in Canada’s Arctic. Since its inception, $1,000,000 in new sports equipment has been delivered to more than 30 northern communities in Canada.
Michelle is the first Canadian Geographic Photographer-in-Residence and she has published 4 books. Michelle is a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society and an International Fellow of the Explorer's Club in New York City.
Please visit www.michellevalberg.com to see more of Michelle’s work. We donate 10% of Michelle’s scarf sales to charity, and she has chosen to support the Nature Foundation (www.foundation.nature.ca) and the Royal Canadian Geographic Society (www.rcgs.org).
He takes a documentary approach to stories about people and life in Northern Canada with a special focus on issues important to Indigenous people, including the relationship between land and identity.
Pat is a National Geographic Society grantee, a Royal Canadian Geographical Society grantee, and an alumni of the World Press Photo Joop Swart Masterclass.
He is the co-founder and president of the Far North Photo Festival — a platform to help elevate the work of visual storytellers across the Arctic. He’s also a mentor with Room Up Front, which is a mentorship program for emerging BIPOC Canadian photojournalists.
Pat identifies as mixed Indigenous/settler as a proud Algonquin Anishinaabe member of the Timiskaming First Nation (Quebec).
He’s part of the photo collectives Indigenous Photograph and Boreal Collective.
Please visit www.patkanephoto.com to see more of Pat’s work. We donate 10% of Pat’s scarf sales to charity, and he has chosen to support the Yellowknife Women’s Society (www.ykws.ca)
On a continual journey to seek out and capture the beauty of this world – whether it’s the beauty of some of the most extreme and pristine environments in the world, or the beauty of humanity, Dave is passionate across a wide spectrum of photographic genres and avoids labels.
He is proudly a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society, a Sigma Pro Photographer, a PhotoLife contributing writer, and a Strobepro Professional. He is the co-founder of the OFFBEAT photographic community and offers photographic workshops and tours across Canada and the world.
He is a proud father and loyal friend.
Please visit www.davebrosha.com to see more of Dave’s work. We donate 10% of Dave’s scarf sales to charity, and he has chosen to support Island Nature Trust (www.islandnaturetrust.ca).
Adam Hill, is a nature photographer concerned with conveying the beauty he sees and feels in Nature.
Hill's award-winning photography has been published in books, magazines, calendars, and his prints have been collected all over the world, from Greenland to South Africa.
Hill was raised in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada, surrounded by the lakes, rivers, highlands and coast lines. Cape Breton's influence on his life has been profound, inspiring him to seek the natural beauty that the rest of Canada has to offer.
Please visit www.adamhillstudios.ca to see more of Adam’s work. We donate 10% of Adam’s scarf sales to charity, and he has chosen to support CPAWS Nova Scotia Chapter (www.cpawsns.org).
Michelle is an award-winning Canadian wildlife photographer who has been telling stories with her camera for more than 35 years. She has traveled to all continents in search of adventure and photographic opportunities. She is particularly celebrated for her passion for Canada and the Arctic. Michelle was appointed to the Order of Canada on June 29th, 2022.
She is a Nikon Ambassador and her images appear on magazine covers, in numerous publications, exhibitions and embassies worldwide. Her iconic images appear on a Royal Canadian Mint coin and on Canada Post stamps. Michelle received the Louise Kamookak Medal from the RCGS in 2019, she won the Julia Margaret Cameron Award for Women Photographers in 2021 and was a gold medalist at the World Photographic Cup in Rome 2022.
Michelle’s work extends beyond photography. In 2009, she founded Project North, a not-for-profit organization committed to delivering education and sport-based opportunities to youth in Canada’s Arctic. Since its inception, $1,500,000 in new sports equipment has been delivered to more than 30 northern communities in Canada.
Michelle is the first Canadian Geographic Photographer-in-Residence and she has published 4 books. Michelle is a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society and an International Fellow of the Explorer's Club in New York City.
Please visit www.michellevalberg.com to see more of Michelle’s work. She has chosen to support the Nature Foundation (https://foundation.nature.ca) and the Raincoast Conservation Foundation (www.raincoast.org)
BUY MICHELLE'S 'The Boss' SCARF BUY MICHELLE'S 'Sable Island Horses - Freedom' SCARF BUY MICHELLE'S 'Pond Inlet - Floe Edge' SCARF See MICHELLE'S Sold out 'Arctic Fjord' SCARFBefore Clarence Mills was born, his Grandmother told his mother that Clarence was destined to become a Haida carver – a prophecy that Clarence develops and fulfills on a daily basis.
At eighteen years old, he felt inspired by the culture of his ancestors and began to study the great Haida totems of argillite and cedar. He felt compelled to capture the traditional spirit of his culture through the development of his own art. With some guidance from his uncle, Doug Wilson (carver and author), he learned to seek out the simple, smooth flowing style of the Haida, while at the same time developing his own personalized style of intricate, meticulous, integrated artwork.
Aspects of his Haida culture are incorporated into carvings in argillite, ivory, red and yellow cedar, boxes, bowls, doors, plaques, limited edition silkscreen prints, engraved silver and gold jewelry and, most recently, monumental size totem poles for international events.
He continues to learn by exploring the history of Haida culture guided by the Great Spirit, his ancestors and the land.
“The great spirit has breathed art into my soul to carry throughout the world the
dreams, wants and desires of my people, so we may continue to strive for peace, love
and happiness for all.”
Gah Ghin Skuss has chosen to support Skidgate Inlet Adult Day Program @ skidegate.ca.
BUY Clarence'S SCARFCIRCA 1983 is the photography of Owen Perry, a 30 something visual designer and photographer based out of British Columbia, Canada. Specializing in landscape, travel and adventure, Owen's work borrows inspiration from the nostalgic qualities of film as well as Canadian cultural narratives owed to the Group of Seven, National Film Board of Canada (NFB), Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), and National Geographic. Although firmly rooted in the digital photography world, Owen treats post production and editing much like a film photographer might use chemicals in a dark room; treatment of light and colour is as important as initial capture itself, granting fuller expression over the story or feeling of a photograph.
Owen's work has received acclaim from numerous publications and press outlets both online and in print. Recently he's had his work showcased in gallery format at Science World Vancouver and Hus Galleries London, as well as in commercial campaigns for brands such as Filson, Land Rover, Tens Sunglasses, and Postmark Brewing.
Please visit www.circa1983.ca to see more of Owen’s work. He has chosen to support Pacific Wild (https://pacificwild.org/).
Dee Lippingwell is a self-taught photographer with forty years worth of experience shooting Rock 'n' Roll stars live in concert! From AC/DC to ZZ Top and everyone in between, Dee has felt the action in 'the pit' and has captured some of the finest moments in Rock 'n' Roll!
It was her love of music that first propelled her into shooting local musicians back in the 70's. From there, she went on to capture some of the most famous rock stars and legends throughout the 80's and 90's and into the Millennium, capturing thousands of images of some of the world's greatest and most beloved music icons of our time.
It has been her great honor to be the recipient of Canada's Famous Woman Award as the first woman in her field to earn this distinction of achievement. Later, she received the honor of being inducted to the BC Country Music Association Hall of Fame in recognition of her photographic contributions to the Association.
Please visit https://www.deelippingwell.com/ to see more of Dee’s work. She has chosen to support Directions Youth Services (https://www.directionsyouthservices.ca/).
Kemp Edwards is the president of Ethical Profiling Ltd., a Canadian based company who consults, designs, produces and sources high performance, ethical, sustainable products for the corporate sector.
Ethical profiling works directly with domestic and international suppliers and manufacturers to ensure social and environmental compliancy and to create ways to minimize environmental impact through innovative product design and production methods.
Kemp is an avid ocean and snow sport enthusiast who has spent many years of his life travelling internationally. He is always looking for ways to generate awareness and revenue for causes and organizations he believes in. In Focus is Kemp's newest iteration on his path of "giving back".
The scarves in Kemp's collection are a product of his own photography and were originally intended as samples for proving out the InFocus concept. Due to overwhelming demand for the featured images, we've taken some straight through to production.
Please visit www.ethicalprofiling.com to see more of Kemp’s work. He has chosen to support the Vancouver Food Bank (https://foodbank.bc.ca/).
Clare Hodgetts is an entrepreneur and photographer who is inspired to bring art to people through new and innovative mediums that showcase the work of outstanding photographers. This vision led her to co-found InFocus Canada with Kemp Edwards – a project that raises money for charity through the sale of premium scarves made of recycled material showcasing images from professional photographers.
Clare has spent many years travelling the world working mainly with birds – from nine trips to the High Arctic of Canada to ventures to the southern tip of South America, as well as Iceland, Central America, Southeast Asia and India. The varied landscapes and wildlife, as well as different cultures and people, all provide inspiration for her work. Her environmental work includes research for Environment Canada studying the effects of pesticides on wildlife. Clare has a diploma in Photojournalism from the Western Academy of Photography in Victoria, BC. She also managed a team of 25 photographers for Coast Mountain Photography in Whistler, gaining much experience in portrait and action photography, and has published a variety of photojournalism articles for different organizations.
The current Athena Collection of scarves represents the culmination and fusion of Clare’s interests in people, wildlife and landscapes, and brings together the best work of many of North America’s most distinguished photographers to produce a collection of wearable art.
Please visit www.mophoto.ca to see more of her work. Clare has chosen to support the Canadian Wildlife Federation (www.cwf-fcf.org).
Kristi Odom is an internationally acclaimed photographer, a Nikon Ambassador, an Associate Fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers, and a motivational speaker. She makes her home in the Denver CO area and travels the world shooting, teaching, and sharing her insights so she can help make our planet a better, more loving place. With a background in sports, concerts, and wedding photography, she now works solely on her biggest passion, which is wildlife. A photographer and filmmaker, her work focuses on connecting people emotionally to animals and celebrating those who have a connection to the natural world. Her accolades include over 60 international photography awards including 2 Nature’s Best Photography awards, which exhibited her images at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. Her work has appeared either online and/or in print for the following clients: National Geographic, Nikon, Forbes, Rollingstone, Microsoft and Outside Magazine.
Please visit www.kristiodomfineart.com to see more of Kristi’s work. Kristi has chosen to support the Audubon Society of Northern Virginia (www.audubonva.org) and the Rob Stewart Sharkwater Foundation (www.robstewartsharkwaterfoundation.org).
Melissa Groo is a wildlife photographer, writer, and conservationist with a passion for educating people about the marvels of the natural world. She believes that photography can be both fine art and a powerful vehicle for storytelling, and considers herself a “wildlife biographer” as much as a wildlife photographer. By capturing and sharing stories about wild animals, she hopes to raise awareness and change minds about not only the extrinsic beauty of animals, but also their intrinsic worth.
Melissa is an Associate Fellow with the International League of Conservation Photographers. She writes a bimonthly column on wildlife photography for Outdoor Photographer magazine, and is a contributing editor to Audubon magazine. Her work is represented by the National Geographic Image Collection.
In 2020, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology released a masterclass course on bird photography, taught by Melissa: "Bird Photography with Melissa Groo" is available to take online, via the Lab’s web site.
Melissa has received awards and honorable mentions in national and international photography competitions. Her photographs and articles have been published in numerous magazines including Smithsonian, Audubon, Outdoor Photographer, National Wildlife, and Natural History. Her fine art prints are in personal and corporate collections, and have been exhibited in numerous art galleries and museums, including the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. In 2017, the Melissa Groo Gallery was installed at Audubon Greenwich in Greenwich, Connecticut.
Please visit www.melissagroo.com to see more of Melissa’s work. She has chosen to support the Janet L. Swanson Wildlife Health Centre (www.vet.cornell.edu/hospitals/janet-l-swanson-wildlife-hospital).
Nikon Canada Ambassador and Lowepro Global Ambassador Viktoria Haack is an acclaimed photographer whose work covers the fields of landscape, portrait, wedding, event, promotion, editorial, stock and photography education. Originally from the UK, British Columbia in Canada has been her home since 2007, and her work is heavily influenced by the beautiful environment that surrounds her.
A background in fine art and anthropology combined with her love of the natural world brings a unique perspective to her photography. Her ethos is to tread lightly; observe and search out the subtle visual story within whichever photographic genre she is working in.
Viktoria has been published by numerous media outlets around the globe online and in print including the BBC, CBC, N Photo Magazine, Outdoor Photography, Practical Photography, Photo Life, Canadian Geographic and the cover of Digital Photo. She is a freelance writer for PHOTO News magazine and was a regular contributor to Outdoor Photography Canada Magazine. She is also involved with select collaborations including Nikon Canada, Lowepro, BCSPCA, Lee Filters, Purina, Vichy Canada, Gnarbox, Klymit, Telus, Heatholders and The National Trust (the largest conservation charity in the UK).
Please visit www.viktoriahaackphotography.ca to see more of Viktoria’s work. She has chosen to support the Nature Conservancy of Canada (www.natureconservancy.ca) and Exposed Wildlife Conservancy (www.exposedwildlifeconservancy.org).
Deanne Fitzmaurice is a Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer with a focus on contemporary culture. This San Francisco-based photographer is represented by the National Geographic Image Collection and is a member of the elite Nikon Ambassadors. Deanne has won awards from prestigious organizations including American Photography, Pictures of the Year, PDN Photo Annual, UNICEF, Best of Photojournalism and Communication Arts. Deanne is a regular lecturer and instructor at respected institutions including Stanford University Continuing Education where she teaches Visual Storytelling. After earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, Deanne began her career as a staff photographer for the San Francisco Chronicle. She is a co-founder, with her husband, photographer Kurt Rogers, of Think Tank Photo (www.thinktankphoto.com).
Please visit www.deannefitzmaurice.com to see more of Deanne’s work.
Deanne has chosen to support Earthjustice (www.earthjustice.org).
Nikon Ambassador and National Geographic Magazine photographer Ami Vitale has traveled to more than 100 countries, bearing witness not only to violence and conflict, but also to surreal beauty and the enduring power of the human spirit. Throughout the years, Ami has lived in mud huts and war zones, contracted malaria, and donned a panda suit— keeping true to her belief in the importance of “living the story.” In 2009, after shooting a powerful story on the transport and release of one the world’s last white rhinos, Ami shifted her focus to today’s most compelling wildlife and environmental stories.
Instyle Magazine named Ami one of fifty Badass Women, a series celebrating women who show up, speak up and get things done. She appeared alongside a group of incredible women including Jane Goodall, Christiane Amanpour and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She has been named Magazine photographer of the year in the International Photographer of the Year prize, received the Daniel Pearl Award for Outstanding Reporting and named Magazine Photographer of the Year by the National Press Photographer’s Association, among others.
She is a five-time recipient of World Press Photos, including 1st Prize for her 2018 National Geographic magazine story about a community in Kenya protecting elephants. She recently published a best-selling book, Panda Love, on the secret lives of pandas. Vitale was the subject of the Mission Cover Shot series on the National Geographic Channel as well as another documentary series featuring Madagascar (Over the Islands of Africa). She lectures for the National Geographic LIVE series, and she frequently gives workshops throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia.
Please visit www.amivitale.com to see more of Ami’s work.
Ami has chosen to support BioRescue Project – a project dedicated to saving Northern White Rhinos from extinction (www.biorescue.org)