I’m Ashley Nixon, a photographer, filmmaker, writer, and university teacher living in Calgary, Canada. I am a curious explorer and passionate communicator on sustainability, culture and natural heritage.
I grew up in the village of Haworth, in Yorkshire, England, well-known for its connections with the Brontë sisters, its splendid, rugged moorland and cobbled main street, as featured in my book Cobbled Together.
My international business career focused on environmental and social performance management and communications, and I teach writing about photography at Mount Royal University. I am a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society.
I earned my Ph.D. in ecology from Coventry University, studying environmental changes associated with woodland restoration on the beautiful island of Rum in the Scottish Hebrides. A camera and binoculars, notebooks, Lamy pens and field guides tucked into my Fjallraven jacket pockets became part of my regular appearance!
I established Betula Books in 2021 as an independent publisher of photography books exploring sustainability, culture and natural heritage.
Free download of PeruZine with Betula Books Bulletin
It would be great to connect with you via the Betula Books Bulletin for some of the behind the scenes about my work, news and special offers. By connecting, you can download a free pdf copy of the first edition of PeruZine, my series of books about people and places in Peru with a focus on sustainability and culture. You can, of course, unsubscribe at any time.
Please click on the button below to find out more.
Books
My first book Environmental Assessment in Practice (Routledge, 1999) was written while working around the world as an environmental consultant. Developing Communities in Peru (2018) emerged from working in mining and energy in Peru. I have published a history of the Calgary Canucks Rugby Club, photo books about female hockey, pop culture and cosplayers (All Dressed Up) and musical performance (Sledding).
Beyond the Mask is about the Huaconada, an ancient ritual dance in Mito, Peru, recognized by UNESCO for its intangible cultural heritage. Written in English and Spanish, it compliments my documentary film La Máscara y Más, which you can see on my Vimeo site. The full version was featured on Peruvian national television; the short version was a finalist in the RATMA International Film Festival in 2021.
World Heritage. Environmental Change (2022), examines climate change with images from World Heritage sites in Canada.
Photography and films
You can see galleries of my images in my photography portfolio. My documentary films are posted on my Vimeo film site. If you are looking for help or collaboration on photography, films or other sustainability projects, it would be great to hear from you via this contact form.
NixonScan 