Jacki Dickert is a New Jersey–based fine art and nature photographer whose work captures the profound beauty, wonder, and quiet magic of the natural world. A lifelong observer of the outdoors, Dickert grew up exploring the woods and fields near her home—an early immersion that shaped her intuitive connection to the environment. The daughter of a nature photographer, she informally studied the medium throughout her life, blending technical skill with a poetic sensibility that celebrates the sacredness of everyday landscapes. A transformative trip to Iceland in 2006 deepened her commitment to photography, inspiring her to share the world’s splendor with others through her lens.
Guided by curiosity and an “ecstatic wanderer’s” spirit, Dickert photographs with an openness to the present moment, embracing both grand vistas and intimate details. Her images range from sweeping natural scenes to the subtle, often overlooked patterns and textures found in the land, water, and light. With each frame, she seeks to reveal nature’s quiet artistry—what she calls the “found design” of the living world—while also using the tools of modern photography to create expressive, imaginative compositions.
Dickert’s photographs have been exhibited widely throughout New Jersey and beyond, appearing in galleries, public installations, and print publications. Her work has been featured in Backpacker and The Sun magazines, on book covers, billboards, and in textbooks. In 2023, she received the prestigious Citation Award from the New Jersey Federation of Camera Clubs (NJFCC). One of her images was displayed at Newark Liberty International Airport for a year following the renovation of Terminal A, and she self-publishes the annual World of Wonder and Local Landscapes calendars, celebrating both global and familiar beauty.
Now retired from a long career in elementary education, Dickert continues to teach photography to children and adults, fostering a sense of creative curiosity in others. She is an active member of the Camera Naturalist Photo Club, a frequent presenter and judge for the NJFCC, and volunteers her time and artistic skill to support environmental conservation efforts.
For Dickert, photography is both meditation and celebration—a way to reconnect with the magic that often hides in plain sight. Her images invite viewers to slow down, look closer, and rediscover the harmony that exists between imagination and nature. Through her work, she reminds us that wonder is not distant or rare—it is everywhere, waiting to be seen.
Photography Workshop Residencies
Photography educator, private classes, group photowalks, and workshops for all ages, 2012–present
Nature photography for everyone, workshop at trailside nature and science center, mountainside, nj, 2023
Pathway to creativity, photography lecture for south jersey camera club, 2025
Photography lecturer and keynote speaker, nj federation of camera clubs, 2012–present
Guest speaker and workshop leader, nj audubon society
Instructor, one river school of art & design, clark, nj
Elementary school teacher, winfield and bernardsville schools, 1994–2019
NJ Audubon Society Instructor
Solo and Group Shows
Seen & Unseen, memorial group art exhibit, Monmouth University, West Long Branch, NJ, 2025
Eyesights 2025, open photography exhibition, Guild of Creative Art, Shrewsbury, NJ, 2025
Scenic Union County, solo show at Commissioners’ Gallery, Elizabeth, NJ, 2022–2023
Scenic and Wild Union County, exhibit at Trailside Nature and Science Center, Mountainside, NJ, 2023
NJ: Journey of Surprises, group exhibit at Newark Liberty International Airport Terminal A, 2022–2023
The Art of Water, wall of art photography exhibit, Hanover Township Town Hall, NJ, 2023
Camera Naturalists-Namibia Series, group show at Somerset County Courthouse, NJ, 2022
Homegrown2, selected works at Gallery Space, Rahway, NJ, 2022
Turning Toward the Light, Artfront Galleries, Newark, NJ, 2020
Landscapes of Wonder, solo show at Pearl Street Gallery, Elizabeth, NJ, 2020
Land, Water, and Light of the Rahway River, Rahway River Watershed Association, Rahway, NJ, 2019
World of Wonder, solo show at Palmer Museum, Springfield, NJ, 2017
Press and Publications
The Sun Magazine, featured photographer, issues through 2026
Backpacker Magazine, featured photography
World of Wonder and Local Landscapes, self-published annual calendars
Textbooks and book covers, various photography contributions
NJFCC Citation, highest individual honor from NJ Federation of Camera Clubs, 2023
Ansel Adams Contest, first place award, Fenimore Art Museum, NY
