Erika Larsen (born 1976) is a transdisciplinary storyteller and photographer who is known for her intimate essays about cultures that maintain strong connections with nature. She immerses readers in cultures through her visual storytelling.

Life

Erika Larsen grew up in

Washington, D.C Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

. Her father was one of the designers of the

Hubble Space Telescope The Hubble Space Telescope (HST or Hubble) is a space telescope that was launched into low Earth orbit in 1990 and remains in operation. It was not the Orbiting Solar Observatory, first space telescope, but it is one of the largest and most ...

. Strongly moved by the Hubble images, Larsen picked a technical university to hone her photography skills, and become a storyteller in the process. Between 1994 and 1999, Larsen received a B.F.A in Photographic Illustration and a M.F.A. in Computer Graphics and Film/Video from the

Rochester Institute of Technology The Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) is a private university, private research university in Henrietta, New York, a suburb of Rochester, New York, Rochester. It was founded in 1829. It is one of only two institute of technology, institut ...

in New York. She began working professionally as a magazine photographer in 2000, specializing in human-interest stories.

Work

Erika Larsen's work uses photography, video and writing to learn about cultures. She seeks to explore our human connection to the natural world, as these are expressed through culturally unique elements, including ritual, spirituality, language, adornments and customs, and family and world views. One of Larsen's specific interest areas,

hunting Hunting is the Human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, and killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to obtain the animal's body for meat and useful animal products (fur/hide (sk ...

, took her to the Scandinavian Arctic in 2007. This led to her first ''

National Geographic ''National Geographic'' (formerly ''The National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as ''Nat Geo'') is an American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. The magazine was founded in 1888 as a scholarly journal, nine ...

'' assignment. While working on her four-year photography project among the Sámi, Erika chose to live as a "beaga," a housekeeper for the

reindeer herding Reindeer herding is when reindeer are herded by people in a limited area. Currently, reindeer are the only semi-domesticated animal which naturally belong to the North. Reindeer herding is conducted in nine countries: Norway, Finland, Sweden, Russ ...

family of Nils Peder and Ingrid Gaup while photographing in Norway and Sweden. The

Sámi people The Sámi ( ; also spelled Sami or Saami) are the traditionally Sámi languages, Sámi-speaking indigenous people inhabiting the region of Sápmi, which today encompasses large northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and of the Kola Peninsula ...

, who live in the Arctic region of northern Scandinavia and Russia. From that intimate vantage point, she was able to immerse herself in the culture, language, and land of the northern Sámi. Her first monograph (a detailed written study of a specialized subject or aspect of it), "''Samí: Walking With A Reindeer,"'' was released in 2013. Larsen traveled to many locations in the United States to learn about the significance of the horse in

Native American tribes In the United States, an American Indian tribe, Native American tribe, Alaska Native village, Indigenous tribe, or Tribal nation may be any current or historical tribe, band, or nation of Native Americans in the United States. Modern forms of t ...

– culturally, spiritually, and economically. ⁠Her photographs were featured in the March 2014 issue of National Geographic. In 2018, Erika Larsen took part in a National Geographic traveling exhibition and publication titled "''Women of Vision,"'' commemorating the 125th anniversary of the magazine. A tribute to the spirit and ambition of these forward-thinking and distinguished female photographers and underscores the momentous work they have done to bring narratives from all over the world to the pages of National Geographic and into the homes of millions of people. The exhibition underscores National Geographic's history of documenting the world through photography and its ongoing commitment to supporting photographers as important and innovative storytellers who can make a difference with their work. She was a

National Geographic Society The National Geographic Society, headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, is one of the largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations in the world. Founded in 1888, its interests include geography, archaeology, natural sc ...

Fellow exploring the landscape of the Americas in relation to the animals and natural resources which are interpreting our current environment.

Awards

*2008:

Fulbright Fellowship The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States cultural exchange programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people o ...

*2008: World Press Award *New Jersey State Arts Council Fellowship

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Larsen, Erika Living people 1976 births American photojournalists National Geographic photographers American women photojournalists 21st-century American women photographers 21st-century American photographers Rochester Institute of Technology alumni