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Artist.
Horsewoman.
Writer.
Conservationist.
Adventurer.
“It has become much more than a photographic journey. In a very primal way, I feel as though I belong here in the wild – it is a visceral connection with the elements.”
– Debra Garside, Canadian Photographer
Debra’s award-winning work has been exhibited in such prestigious venues as the Smithsonian Natural History Museum in Washington, DC, and the Natural History Museum in London, UK. Debra’s thirty-year background as one of Canada’s most accredited horse trainers gives her a unique perspective into her wildlife subjects—particularly wild horses—as she produces intimate and nuanced photographs. In 2018, for her work as a photography educator, guide, and wild horse specialist, Debra was awarded a fellowship with the Royal Canadian Geographical Society College of Fellows. Debra currently lives on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.
Humble Beginnings: 1978 Debra galloping racehorse “Alder Jet” at Hastings Park, Vancouver, BC.
The International Ring, Spruce Meadows 1990 with Canadian Champion 1.45m jumper “Jack Frost”
The Garside Gallery & Studio was a popular destination in Longview, Alberta for seven years, closing in 2023. Debra returned to Vancouver Island in 2025 and is enjoying new opportunities on the west coast. She is currently represented at the Ladysmith Gallery (Ladysmith BC), and at Thunderbird Show Park equestrian facility near Fort Langley, BC with a two-week exhibit held annually during the Summer Fort Welcome and Summer Fort Classic in August. This website permits ease of purchase through online shopping year-round.
Debra is honoured to have three 40×60 pieces from her Alberta Wild Horses series selected for the permanent art collection at the new BMO Centre, Stampede Park, Calgary.
Debra Garside’s fine art photography, includes a permanent collection of Sable Island Wild Horse imagery as well as her bronze sculptures. Many of Debra’s pieces are ‘conservation editions’ from which donations are routed back to organizations in need of funding.
Throughout Debra’s artistic career she has been the recipient of many international photography awards. More importantly she has garnered the respect of naturalists and zoologists for the in-depth studies of her animal subjects and the lands that they inhabit. Debra’s tendency to delve deeper is one of the attributes that helps her stand apart. In 2018 Debra was awarded a Fellowship with the Royal Canadian Geographical Society for her role as an educator in the field of photography and nature.
Among Debra’s most valued accolades, are the ones that were bestowed upon her for imagery of Canada’s polar bears. These were recognized by the Nature’s Best Photography – Windland Smith Rice Awards Highly Honoured Award and inclusion in the Smithsonian Institute of Natural History photography exhibit. Her work has also appeared in the Natural History Museum (UK) Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibit in Royal Museums worldwide.
Debra has won dozens of awards from the International Photography Awards, Black & White Spider Awards, Oasis Magazine Awards (Italy), Lens Culture Photography Awards, Photolife Photography Awards, Calgary Stampede Photography Awards, Canada Parks & Wilderness Awards, and many more.
Debra at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum, Nature’s Best Photography Awards 2015 with her award-winning image “Peer Amid”.
Debra at the Museum of Natural History in London, UK 2016 with her award-winning image “Warm Embrace” on the big screen at the International Photographer of the Year Awards.
