Tamara Lackey

Tamara Lackey is an internationally recognized photographer, Nikon USA Ambassador, show host, author, and nonprofit founder whose work spans wildlife and adventure photography, education, and animal welfare. 

​

Her photography takes her around the world, capturing extraordinary wildlife, breathtaking landscapes, and connections between people, animals, and the natural world. Her work with Nikon includes commercial campaigns and a featured onstage presentation at its historic global launch event in Tokyo, introducing an entirely new mirrorless camera system.

​

A sought-after speaker and educator, Tamara has presented at Harvard, Google, Disney, CES, and major photography conferences worldwide. She has led photography adventure workshops across six continents, combining extraordinary wildlife encounters, landscapes, and cultural experiences with personalized instruction. Her teaching emphasizes creative vision, technical expertise, and visual storytelling, inspiring photographers to connect more deeply with the world around them.

​

Tamara hosts The Chasing Frames Show with Tamara Lackey on PBS.org, exploring photography through travel and adventure. She is also the author of nine books, including the award-winning Capturing Life Through (Better) Photography™ and The Posing Playbook.

​

Tamara's belief in photography's power to create meaningful change led her to co-found Beautiful Together Animal Sanctuary in 2014, where she continues to serve as Executive Director. Originally established to support children waiting for families in Ethiopia through tangible projects, Beautiful Together has since rescued thousands of animals and built a thriving, 83-acre animal sanctuary and community campus in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Built from the ground up and continuing to expand, the sanctuary combines rescue, rehabilitation, and adoption with youth enrichment, education, and community engagement. Photography remains central to its mission, using powerful imagery and storytelling to build empathy, inspire action, and connect people with lives they can help change.

Extending her commitment to animal welfare and sustainability, Tamara also co-founded Coco Bistro & Bar, an award-winning plant-based restaurant serving "seriously delicious food that takes less from our planet".

​

Across her photography, teaching, and nonprofit work, Tamara is driven by a belief in the power of creativity, connection, and compassion to change lives for the better. She lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, with her family and a lively menagerie of rescued pets.

​

​

​

​

​