2011 Conservation Photographer of the Year - Nature’s Best Photography
Work placed in the permanent collection at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History
40 Most Influential Nature Photographers - Outdoor Photography
Polar Dance named one of the 40 Most Important Nature Photographs of All Time - International League of Conservation Photographers
Legend Behind the Lens - Nikon
Unlock all of Mangelsen’s Awards & Honors
Portrait of an Artist
“The diversity of life on this planet is a miraculous gift. What gives me the greatest joy is being able to share glimpses of it. I hope my work stands as a testament to the power of timeless beauty and as a reminder that we must not take our fellow wild creatures for granted.”
Thomas D. Mangelsen is one of the most influential nature photographers in the world. His images, treasured as collectible fine art, are known for their awe-inspiring portrayals of wildlife and natural landscapes. Like Ansel Adams, Eliot Porter and others who came before him, Mangelsen has explored Earth’s wildest regions, carrying on the photographic tradition of bearing witness.
Guided by a deep conservation ethic, Mangelsen is legendary for his advocacy in seeking protection of rare and imperiled species. “People sometimes don’t understand what the big deal is if we lose one species of salamander or the California gnatcatcher. What’s one bird, or one insect? These animals, even the most seemingly insignificant ones, are a barometer of the planet’s health and a product of eons of evolution, just as we are. If one disappears, a food source for an entire species may vanish. We are on that chain, we are all linked in nature, interdependent on one another in ways we may not yet be able to imagine.”
Among the critical recognition Mangelsen has received is being named Conservation Photographer of the Year by Nature’s Best Photography and he appeared on Jane Goodall’s “Heroes of the Animal Planet.” He also has been honored numerous times for his conservation work, spoken before large audiences and been featured on radio and television programs.
Mangelsen’s photographs of polar bears in the Arctic are acclaimed for calling attention to the deepening impacts of climate change. His moody images of tigers in the jungles of India and, more recently, his work on rhinos and elephants in Africa are credited with helping to raise awareness about threats of extinction confronting these magnificent animals.
His forty most famous pictures, called the Legacy Reserve Collection, are currently traveling to museums across the country as a solo exhibition titled A LIFE IN THE WILD. One image, featured in the national museum tour, Catch of the Day, is hailed as one of the most wildly-recognized wildlife photographs in the modern age. Mangelsen is considered a master of capturing the perfect dramatic moment. This image portrays the exact instant a spawning salmon in Alaska leaps over rapids and into the awaiting jaws of a brown bear.
Mangelsen was profiled on the CBS News program 60 Minutes, where he told the story of making Catch of the Day and other compositions with Anderson Cooper.
A proud native son of Nebraska, he began his career with the aim of becoming a wildlife biologist, having spent his early years growing up along the Platte River. There, in the middle of the western prairie, one of the world’s true natural wonders plays out every spring—the annual migration of hundreds of thousands of sandhill cranes. This breathtaking phenomenon speaks to the glorious rhythms, patterns, colors and contrasts of light and shadow that distinguish Mangelsen’s photographic compositions.
Mangelsen does not digitally manipulate his images and is vehemently opposed to photographing “animal models” in game farms. Instead, he focuses on three main elements to capture the ideal photograph: patience, light, and animal behavior. Over the years, he has mentored many young photographers and was a founding fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers.
The Early Years
Born in 1946, Tom Mangelsen’s outdoor ethics are deeply rooted in a childhood filled with adventure along the Platte River in Nebraska. There, alongside his father and three brothers, Tom gained a passion for the wild that launched a lifetime commitment to the natural world.
First Camera
Tom purchased his first 35mm camera in 1969 at age 21. It was among the first SLRs on the market to offer a through-the-lens (TTL) exposure metering system. Thus eliminating the need for an external hand-held light meter.
Discovering Photography
Initially, Tom was fascinated with photographing birds in flight. In the early 1970s, Tom and his brother David began selling limited edition prints of his images. In 1978, Tom opened his first Mangelsen—Images of Nature Gallery in Jackson, Wyoming.
Photographic Adventures
From humble beginnings in Nebraska to becoming one of the most prolific and award winning nature photographers of our time, Mangelsen has captured rare moments and vast panoramas during photographic adventures on all seven continents. Mangelsen’s extensive portfolio includes several million images of wild animals and Earth’s last great wild places.
One of the 100 Most Important People in Photography
American Photo Magazine – recognized Mangelsen for the way he sees the natural world through a viewfinder.
Treasured Friendships
Tom Mangelsen and Dr. Jane Goodall met in Jackson, Wyoming when Tom introduced her for a lecture she was giving. Jane visited Tom’s Mangelsen—Images of Nature Gallery. Tom offered to take Jane on her first tour of Yellowstone National Park. After spending a day in the park a long-standing friendship developed. They now share a commitment to improve the lives of animals and further conservation. Tom is on the JGI International Advisory Council and Dr. Goodall is on the Cougar Fund Board of Directors, of which Tom is co-founder.
Conservation Photographer of the Year
Mangelsen named the “Conservation Photographer of the Year” in 2011 for the Nature’s Best Photography Windland Smith Rice International Awards.
The Legacy Reserve Edition
In 1975 when Mangelsen created his very first limited edition photograph, he made the decision to hold back his most cherished prints, numbered 1 through 20, so that one day as a career capstone they would be offered as part of a collection of Legacy Reserve images.
Collectors now have the unique opportunity to own one of the twenty numbers from his personal artist reserve. These masterworks represent the “best of the best” of Mangelsen’s prestigious fine art photographs.
Into the Wild with Thomas D. Mangelsen
60 Minutes segment with Anderson Cooper on CBS:
“His name is Tom Mangelsen, and at 73, he still travels to remote and inhospitable places. As we first showed you last year, what he brings back, are some of the most spectacular pictures of wild animals you’ll ever see.”
Mangelsen is as much a conservationist as he is an artist. Watch “Into the Wild with Thomas D. Mangelsen” through their CBS All Access subscription.
A LIFE IN THE WILD
Is a traveling exhibition containing 40 of Mangelsen’s most resonant images—images that take viewers on a journey into the haunts of iconic species whose struggles for survival are metaphorical fulcrums for reflection in the 21st century.
A complete retrospective of legacy images from over 40 years of nature and wildlife photography capturing Earth’s last great wild places echoing a resounding call to conservation and the preservation of our natural world.
At a time when digital technology is, notoriously, reprogramming its users to have shorter attention spans, A LIFE IN THE WILD stands as a testament to the rewards that can come to people who slow down their lives and wait for nature’s revelations to happen.
“Being immersed in nature is a humbling and spiritual experience for me. Capturing that one photograph that withstands the test of time can be elusive. The opportunity may only present itself for a split second and then it’s gone. When all of the elements converge, it’s magical.”
One of the most prolific nature photographers of our time, Mangelsen is as much a conservationist as he is an artist.
Polar Dance, 1989. Hudson Bay, Churchill, Manitoba, Canada
Recognitions
In addition, Mangelsen is co-founder of The Cougar Fund, a founding Fellow of The International League of Conservation Photographers, on the international advisory council for the Jane Goodall Institute and a board ambassador for the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance.
Visit The Cougar Fund