As a person who refuses to wear her prescription glasses, the world is always a bit out of focus for Jaklyn Larsen, at least until her camera is in front of her eyes. Some of her earliest memories of photography include taking horrible photos in Washington D.C. as an 8th grader, and sneaking her grandma’s disposable camera out to a pasture to photograph vultures feasting. She grew up in the Willamette Valley, thankful to live in a community that celebrates the great outdoors. She usually talks to the birds she photographs, because, as noted above, she grew up in Oregon.
In 2020, Jaklyn took on a new job as the world’s first and foremost Toilet Paper Funeral Director, creating more than twenty funerals to honor the world’s diminishing paper supplies. She created funerals fit for Pharaohs, held sky burials, donated the TP bodies to science, and even held a Jazz funeral. This new venture landed her in the news internationally, with her videos amassing millions of views across her social media accounts. Her name is now inextricably linked to toilet paper.
In 2021, Jaklyn began sharing stories and videos about her friendship with a crow named Clumsy. Her goal in sharing was to help others see how crows, so common and so commonly misunderstood, are incredible creatures who should deserve all the respect we can give them. Her videos of Clumsy and his family’s antics connected with others in ways she never expected. It isn’t the millions of views or the tens of thousands of likes that have made sharing the stories of Clumsy special for Jaklyn. It’s hearing the stories of individuals who have decided to reconsider their perspectives on crows, who have shared how they now look at them in a new light. May we all be willing to reconsider our views of the creatures around us who are so often misunderstood. To see videos of Clumsy and his family, click here.
Although she doesn’t like to bring up her accomplishments much, she really wants to find a polite way to mention that she was part of an Emmy Award winning production, and her videos have appeared in other Emmy nominated works. It’s not every day she gets to see her name in the credits of something like that!
Jaklyn currently lives on the Oregon coast with her family. Now that she is retired from directing toilet paper funerals, she finds herself in constant pursuit of capturing images of the natural beauty that surrounds us all. It’s a huge task to undertake, but one she is ready and willing to attempt.
jaklynlarsen.com 