Arctic Talent: David Kakuktinniq Jr.’s rise to proficiency in a ‘photographer’s paradise’

When David Kakuktinniq Jr. introduces himself, he often says he has a great job that pays the bills but that his true passion is photography.

“This is photographer’s paradise,” he said of his hometown of Rankin Inlet, almost shocked that he is one of only a handful of local photography aficionados.

To be able to get a good shot of a starry night, southern photographers must drive for hours into the wilderness to escape the light pollution from big-city lights that makes stars less visible.

Meanwhile, most of Kakuktinniq’s photos were taken within a 15-minute drive from his home.

“We don’t have much infrastructure development, that leaves the landscape more natural and we have crystal-clear sky,” he said.

Even though 32-year-old Kakuktinniq is keeping photography as a side hustle to his day job at Kivalliq Inuit Association, in recent years he earned recognition as a local photographer and is hoping to expand his reach by potentially mixing his photography talents and knowledge of a Rankin Inlet wildlife tour guide.

He recently talked to Nunatsiaq News about how his career has unfolded so far.

Minimal light pollution makes Nunavut a “photographer’s paradise” with stars and northern lights shining brighter than in the south, David Kakuktinniq Jr. says. (Photo courtesy of David Kakuktinniq Jr.)

• March 2012: Kakuktinniq was part of Nunavut’s four-member junior male curling team heading to Whitehorse for the Arctic Winter Games. He borrowed his older sister’s Nikon P500 camera and started taking pictures of mountain scenery and other participants in their uniforms. Although Kakuktinniq didn’t become an award-winning curler — his team ended up in last place — he discovered a new passion. “So I credit my sister for indirectly getting me into photography,” he says.
• Later in March 2012: As soon as he got back to Rankin Inlet, he got himself a Nikon P510, a step up from his sister’s camera, and started taking photos of landscapes, northern lights and starry skies.
• 2014: He got his first interchangeable-lens camera, a Nikon d7100. On one hand, being able to change lenses on a camera makes better photos. But this was also another step toward professional photography, which meant he was on the path to spending hundreds of dollars on lenses, gear and filters, trying to keep up with the ever-changing world of digital cameras.
• 2015: A major milestone — Kakuktinniq sold his first prints. One was a photo of the northern lights, and the other was a red sunset over a river. He sold each of the prints for $150, and that’s when he realized that he could start making money off his photos.
• 2015 to 2023: “Just a hobby” was starting to turn into a true passion. Five- to 10-minute photography trips outside of the town would gradually turn into three-hour trips that he would embark on at 2 a.m. to capture the best shots of the Milky Way or northern lights. As well, he earned himself a name doing event photography for the Government of Nunavut, Inuit organizations and businesses.
• August 2025: Kakuktinniq started inviting his friends and colleagues, especially those new to the North, to tag along during his photography trips on the land to watch the northern lights or the stars. In just two days, more than 30 people reached out asking to join him on those walks. “I want to share this experience with them,” he says.

Tip from the trade: Photography is one of those “just-do-it” skills. “Throw yourself out there — the only way you’re gonna learn is by trial and error,” Kakuktinniq says.

Kakuktinniq Arctic talent pick: His sister, Victoria Kakuktinniq, who along with kickstarting his photography career is an internationally renowned fashion designer as a founder of Victoria’s Arctic Fashion.