Scottsdale photographer discovered respite in nature after household grief

Nature turned Jackie Marlowe’s church after the deaths of her sister and father 5 years in the past.

And pictures, she stated, helped give her peace.

One of her images and the opposite profitable photographs are printed in Arizona Wildlife Views’ full-size 2026 wildlife calendar.

“Born and raised in the cold tundra known as Wisconsin, I sought refuge in the desert heat some 20 years ago. When I first came to Arizona, I worked as an archaeologist, which afforded me the opportunity to travel the state and search every nook and crevice of the Southwest,” Marlowe stated.

“I fell in love with the environment and the wildlife.”

Always an outside fanatic, she stated, it was one other, extra tragic life-changing occasion that set her on the path of changing into a wildlife photographer.

“In the winter of 2020, my sister unexpectedly fell ill and transitioned from this life at the young age of 42 years old. Days later, my father also died unexpectedly,” she stated.

That summer time, she stated she set out into the desert panorama virtually every day, attempting to make sense of the occasions and grieve.

“Nature turned my church, and the lakes and rivers turned a spot for me to seek out respite from the ache of grief.

“And the wild animals, to say they became my therapists is not giving them enough credit,” Marlowe stated.

“The animals saved my life, saved my heart from grief and provided me with the wildlife friends that I began to photograph.”

The featured coatimundi on the 2026 calendar is simply one of many numbers of “beautiful souls” she stated she has encountered.

“Five years into photography, and I have even more passion for the outdoors and wildlife than ever. I have had the good fortune to travel to many amazing places around the world to photograph animals such as manatees, horses and jaguars,” Marlowe stated.

“What I look for in the wild is connection. Whether it’s to the place, the trees and waters, or the wild animals individually. When I feel connected to the moment it is easy to create beautiful images that heal my heart.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is one in a three-part sequence specializing in East Valley photographers whose work seems within the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s 2026 calendar.

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Dan McCarthy
Web content material

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Meet Dan
Dan McCarthy joined Independent Newsmedia as net content material editor after a 40-plus yr profession as a reporter and editor in New Jersey and Arizona. During his time in Arizona, he has been an editor of every day and weekly papers in Tempe, Scottsdale, Chandler, Ahwatukee, Sun City, Sun City West, Surprise, Peoria and Glendale. Prior to shifting to Arizona in 1984, when he was employed to be assistant metropolis editor on the Tempe Daily News, he coated regional police/fireplace information, municipal, county and state governments in New Jersey, the latter as bureau chief on the state Capitol.

Community: He has served on a number of boards over time, together with the Tempe Community Action Agency and the Tempe St. Luke’s Hospital Board of Governors. He is a graduate of the Tempe Leadership and Scottsdale Leadership packages, serving as media adviser for subsequent courses of Tempe Leadership.

Education: Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Science diploma in Journalism. 

Random Fact: Set winter/summer time monitor data within the 60-, 100- and 220-yard dashes at his highschool in New Jersey. 

Hobbies: Tai chi, cooking, eating at his must-eat-once locations across the U.S. and the Cincinnati Reds, his favourite workforce since 1961.