Past Residencies - Imma Barrera

A portrait of a woman with short brown hair and a salmon colored shirt. — Astronomer in Residence, Imma Barrera, is a renowned night sky photographer.
Photo courtesy of Imma Barrera

Born in Barcelona, Barrera is based in New Jersey. She is a biologist and a graduate of the New York Institute of Photography who has exhibited her photographs in galleries worldwide. Her favorite subject to photograph is landscapes from dusk to dawn, including astrophotography. Barrera has been selected for several National Park Artist in Residence programs (Acadia National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, and Glacier National Park) for her night sky photography. In addition, she was shortlisted in the Landscape category of the 2019 Sony World Photography Awards/Professional Competition with her series “Under the Night Sky.” One of her night photographs was selected by the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) to represent the One Big Sky fundraising campaign and as cover for their 2020 calendar. Barrera also runs educational programs about photography and seminars to raise awareness about the need to protect our natural treasures.

“As a biologist, photographer, and conservationist, I feel uniquely positioned to capture the world that surrounds us and to use my images to educate others as to why preserving these ecosystems is critical for the health of our planet. My mission is to showcase the wonders of the night sky in our light-saturated world and inspire others to help preserve darkness and the night environment,” said Barrera.

As Grand Canyon's third Astronomer in Residence, Imma spent her time photographing the stars from all around the park. She also conducted formal and informal night sky photography workshops for visitors and employees.

A bright screen in front of a crowd of visitors. They sit on benches in a forested amphitheater. — "Night Sky Photography in our National Parks" presented on May 14th by Imma Barrera
NPS Photo

Residency Accomplishments

Created several fine art night sky photographs from the many locations in the park, including the South Rim, Desert View, Phantom Ranch, North Rim, and Tuweep.
May 4th: 3 Hour Night Sky Photography Workshop - Grand Canyon Visitor Center Plaza - 75 attendees.
May 14th: Night Sky Photography in our National Parks - Evening Program at McKee Amphitheater - 120 attendees.
May 18th - Night Sky Photography in our National Parks - Evening Program at North Rim's Bright Angel Point Amphitheater - 40 attendees.