About Michelle - Life Behind the Lens

Michelle Valberg, C.M. is one of Canada’s most celebrated wildlife and nature photographers, an award-winning visual storyteller, Nikon Ambassador, and recipient of the Order of Canada whose career spans more than four decades and all seven continents.

Known for her evocative wildlife photography and powerful environmental storytelling, Michelle creates images that go beyond what we see and reach into what we feel. From spirit bears in the Great Bear Rainforest to polar bears in the Arctic and intimate portraits of wildlife across the globe, her work captures connection, emotion, and the fragile beauty of the natural world. Her photography invites viewers to engage, reflect, and care more deeply about conservation and our shared planet.

Michelle is the Photographer-in-Residence for Canadian Geographic, and her work has appeared on magazine covers, Canadian coins and postage stamps, public art installations, and in galleries worldwide. She is a Fellow and Board of Governors member of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society and a member of The Explorers Club in New York City. She is a finalist at the 2026 World Photographic Cup in Iceland, one of the most prestigious international competitions in professional photography.

Her work has received global recognition, including the Wildlife Photographer gold medal at the 2022 World Photographic Cup, the Julia Margaret Cameron Award for Women Photographers, and the Louie Kamookak Medal for making Canada’s geography better known to Canadians and the world.

Driven by a deep connection to wildlife and wild places, Michelle uses photography as a tool for impact. She is the founder of Project North, a not-for-profit initiative that delivered over $2 million in sporting equipment to youth in more than 40 Arctic communities. After 17 years of meaningful impact, the program has now come to a close, leaving a lasting legacy across Canada’s North.

Michelle leads immersive photography workshops and expeditions around the world, from the Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary to Churchill’s polar bear habitats and beyond. Through her teaching, speaking, and online courses, she inspires photographers of all levels to elevate their craft, deepen their vision, and tell more meaningful stories.

At the heart of Michelle’s work is a simple truth. Photography is more than an image. It is emotion, connection, and a way to give voice to the wild places and species that need us most.