Marla Smith grew up on Vashon Island, where she currently lives with her husband and daughter. She has been a professional photographer on the Island for over a decade now. While being a photographer is her creative love, it also shares space in her heart with a deep fascination and appreciation of the natural world around us. In her spare time, when she is not working, you will find her at the Island beaches chasing down orcas that frequent our Island waters. She is also a Marine Naturalist and volunteers with several conservation organizations to help photograph Transient and Resident orcas for their research archives and media. She also loves spending time with her family, gardening, kayaking, hiking, and going on adventures in her travel trailer.