Mission & Values

Circle of Light is a collaboration between six landscape and nature photographers: Anna Morgan, Charlotte Gibb, Claudia Welsh, Jennifer Renwick. Michele Sons, and Sarah Marino. Below, you can learn more about what we hope to achieve through the Circle of Light, along with the values that guide our work.

Our Mission

Circle of Light seeks to elevate the art of nature photography by thoughtfully exploring beyond the conventional boundaries of our craft, with the goal of fostering a broader range of personal expression and creative flourishing. 

United by a shared commitment to celebrating the beauty and complexity of the natural world, we approach our work with authenticity, reverence, and quiet intention. 

By working together, we benefit from our distinct perspectives while expanding our impact and amplifying our reach. Six voices. One Circle of Light.

Purpose and Goals

Over time, we hope to build and sustain Circle of Light as a supportive community through which we develop collaborative initiatives involving and benefiting like-minded photographers and creative people.

We seek to assert our individual and collective legitimacy with the goal of improving equity for women in the field of nature photography overall, along with helping to make more space for all creative nature photographers working at the edges of or beyond the conventional boundaries of our craft.

We want to disrupt and reshape the dominant narratives in the field through action, increased visibility, leadership, and influence. 

We will elevate the natural world through the art of nature photography. 

We will lead with authenticity, quality, thoughtfulness, fresh perspectives, and innovation. 

Our Values

Through our collective activities and individual actions, we use these values to guide us:

  • Fostering mutual respect, building trust, and acting with integrity

  • Empowering ourselves and others

  • Authentic expression through our photography and writing, and promoting authentic expression as an important value in the field of landscape and nature photography

  • Orientation toward disruption through action but not antagonism 

  • Responsible stewardship of the natural world and support of Nature First Principles 

  • Focusing on projects that advance equity for and elevate women in the field of nature photography

Snow-covered evergreen trees in a dense forest during winter by Sarah Marino.
Bare trees under a snowy sky with snow falling heavily by Charlotte Gibb.
Close-up view of sand dunes with ripples and patterns, bathed in sunlight by Jennifer Renwick.
Snow falling on a dense forest of tall, thin trees, Rocky Mountains, by Michele Sons.
Close-up of white dandelion seed heads with a soft, blurred background by Anna Morgan.