Rosemarie Keough, 2010 WINGS Elected Fellow

"Look for and share goodness, and the world will be a better place. A stumbling block can actually be a steppingstone depending on the choices you make." — Rosemarie Keough

Photographer and Private-press Publisher

Born: 1959-07-09

Hometown: Salt Spring Island, CANADA

Education: HBA in Business Administration

Achievements

Discoveries: The Keough's years of exploration with discoveries of karst features in Canada’s Nahanni, were shared through their photographic book, movie and a park proposal. These 1980s efforts inspired others. In 2009 Nahanni National Park was expanded from 4,800 km2 to over 30,000.

Expeditions: Antarctica and peri-Antarctic Islands; Arctic and sub-Arctic; deserts of Israel, Egypt, and California; the Pacific Northwest's Inside Passage; Sable Island; and many other unique places in Canada and the world.

Biography

Rosemarie Keough, born in London Canada, graduated with an Honours degree in Business Administration and worked three-years as a finance manager while spending all her spare time leading canoeing, hiking, and skiing expeditions with camera in hand. Fate intervened when she shared a month-long canoeing journey down the South Nahanni River with Pat Keough. Within six weeks was she was engaged and soon thereafter married. Together the couple embarked upon new careers in photography, television, exploration, and publishing. During the past 25 years Rosemarie and Pat have released seven art books exclusively portraying their imagery, and as well have produced or appeared in several television specials. The focus of her camera is natural and human heritage. Her explorations have taken her to Antarctica, the Canadian and Russian arctic, Nova Scotia and Sable Island, the Nahanni, the Chilcotin, Israel, Egypt, Papua New Guinea, Malaysia and Japan. The Keoughs and their photography have been featured in reviews, covers, and in-depth articles in numerous periodicals worldwide including Time, Forbes, and Smithsonian. Their latest tome ANTARCTICA is acclaimed by critics and curators to be among the finest art books of the modern era. Rosemarie and Pat are currently working on a monumental volume in celebration of The Inside Passage. Rosemarie is a Fellow and Director-at-Large, British Columbia/Yukon for The Explorers Club, and from 2004-2009, Regional Chair of The Explorers Club British Columbia/Yukon. In 2008 she was honoured by the Canadian Chapter of The Explorers Club to be the first recipient of the Steffansson Award and Medal for her contributions to the club and her photography of Antarctica. Together with Pat, she shares the Cherry Kearton Medal bestowed by the Royal Geographical Society of Britain. She is also founder of the annual Salt Spring Island Folk Dance Festival and she is mother of two fine young people, Rebekka Dawn and Glen.

Rosemarie writes of her and her husband's photography: "We are dedicated to taking evocative photographs of the regions we explore. Our photos tend to portray the familiar in an unusual way; for example, splatters of penguin excrement rendered through our lenses as abstract art. We're good at what we do because we inspire one another on a constant basis, also because we love each other so much that we view the world through a veil of confidence and happiness. This beauty from within transcends to all we create"

Fun Facts

Favorite Item to have in the field: Camera and good footwear

Heroes: Bill Anders, Apollo 8, whose image "Earthrise"-- together with Rachel Carson's book "Silent Spring" --focused attention on environmental concerns.

Publications

Books: Antarctica. The Nahanni Portfolio. The Niagara Escarpment: A Portfolio. Wild and Beautiful Sable Island.
Films: "The Nahanni" and "Rebekka Dawn"