Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor icon Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor

Aaron Raymond

R. Aaron Raymond started his career as an underwater photographer, which blossomed from his love for the ocean. He grew up on a sailboat diving for abalone off the coast of California. He loves to photograph landscapes, nature, and wildlife - anything that allows him to capture fleeting moments and showcase the interaction of light and the natural world. He has traveled as a photographer from the depths of Madagascar’s oceans to the heights of the Himalayas, cresting them at 18,500 feet via motorcycle to capture life on all sides of the planet.

After studying marine biology for two years, Aaron attended Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, California, one of the world’s top photography schools. He has taught photography workshops in the San Francisco Bay area and served on the faculty at India’s first professional photography institute, Light & Life Academy. He has photographed for NOAA and the National Parks Service as well as several underwater documentary companies. His photography has won many awards, including PDN and the Communication Arts photo annual competitions. Today, he focuses primarily on commercial photography, mostly portraiture and products and teaching photography.

Aaron is currently based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with his wife, young son, a black cat named Cleopatra, two main coons named Rocketship and Tennyson, and many boxes of large-format camera equipment he can’t bear to part with.