Debra Garside

Debra was born and raised on Vancouver Island near Victoria, BC, Canada. The daughter of avid nature lovers, she grew up hiking, fishing and camping throughout the west coast. In her youth Debra was a promising young artist, but her passion for horses took her down a career path that led to her becoming one of Canada’s top professional horse trainers and equestrian coaches. Debra relocated to the Calgary area in 1982 and after a successful career with horses spanning over 30 years, she turned her eye back to her artistic roots in the form of digital photography.

With years of finely honed skills related to working with animals, Debra has put these skills into practice in a new way – getting close to her wildlife subjects. Debra spends much of her time following the wild horses of Alberta’s eastern slopes, and is one of the few photographers to gain access to remote Sable Island, Nova Scotia. Debra’s three expeditions to the island and their resulting imagery have gathered international attention. She exhibits her work across Canada and the USA, and was recently recognized by Photolife Magazine as one of Canada’s Emerging Photographers.

Debra currently resides near Water Valley, Alberta where she and her partner Paul Cooper own and operate Quiet Time Equine Retreat, a 160 acre farm for retired sport horses.

www.sableislandhorses.ca
www.truenorthfineimages.com