“Lee is not just any photographer; he's a trailblazer, carving his own path through the rugged terrain of creativity and capturing the essence of nature's grandeur.”

— Edward Forbes, President of the Calgary Camera Club

Lee Nordbye is a landscape photographer, speaker, and teacher based in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta, Canada. An award-winning and published photographer, Lee is known for a bold photographic style that highlights the intimate details and nuances of the natural world. Call him a fine art photographer with an adventurous spirit, Lee enjoys spending time in the outdoors and immersing himself in his subject in order to capture scenes in the moment. His elegant and soulful approach to photography is matched by a passion to challenge himself, explore wild places, and have fun while doing it.

A recovering accountant, Lee retired in 2016 after 26 years of number-crunching and now dedicates his detail-oriented mind to scanning the landscape for elements often lost in grand, sweeping images. Growing up in Slave Lake, he explored Northern Alberta on motorized vehicles and had an early introduction to camping and hiking in the Rockies. Lee has now shifted his focus to primarily exploring off the beaten track and using his two feet to get there. The result is the creation of a body of photographic work that showcases the landscapes and involves a process that is as rewarding creatively as it is to Lee’s passion and well-being. 

Lee considers himself a lifelong student of the art of photography. His first camera, a Kodak Instamatic, came as a gift from his dad, who was an avid amateur. In 2015, Lee invested in workshops with some of Canada’s leading landscape photographers, and his own unique approach to photography emerged. Today he is an admired photography instructor and speaker. He has presented to such groups as the Professional Photographers of Canada (Alberta Region), the Land & See Conference, and camera clubs across the country. Through his mentorship program, he works annually with a select group of photographers each year to help them grow in their craft and skill. He is also one of four moderators behind the popular black-and-white Facebook group, Tones of Place.

When he’s not behind the lens, Lee’s interests include travel, curating bad dad jokes, learning to play guitar, training with hot yoga, hockey, and watching Formula 1 racing, bad sitcoms, and British crime dramas. In his ideal world, these are best enjoyed with dark chocolate and coffee. 

Contact Lee

Bio photo above by Stasia Schmidt.