Who is Thomas D. Mangelsen? Thomas Malgensen is a resident of Nebraska, he is known as one of the best nature photographers in the world. Mangelsen’s love of the environment, his outdoor life and business success were greatly influenced by his father. A dedicated sportsman, Harold Mangelsen took his children to his favorite spots along the Platte River in Nebraska to chase and watch the gigantic flocks of ducks, geese and cranes roaming about. From these outings, Mangelsen learned important lessons for photographing in the meadow, as well as patience, waiting for the right moment, and understanding animal behavior.

 

Around 1965, Mangelsen began studying business at the University of Nebraska. In 1967, Tom moved to Doane College in Crete, Nebraska, where his first love prevailed. In that same year, Tom graduated with a degree in biology. He completed graduate studies in zoology and wildlife biology at the University of Nebraska and Colorado State University. In 1974, he worked as a cinematographer, which gave him the opportunity to shoot whooping cranes for National Geographic. Since college, Mangelsen has been fascinated by photographing his first studies, birds in flight. In the early 1970s, he and his brother David began advertising limited edition prints of Tom’s images. In 1978, Mangelsen opened his first Nature® photo gallery in Jackson, Wyoming, and printed the first brochure of it. since then, fifteen galleries have been opened.

 

In 2005, Tom was named one of the “100 Greatest People in Photography” by American Photo magazine and was pleased to credit Nikon’s “The Legend Behind the Lens.” In 2002 Tom received an Honorary Fellowship from the Royal Photographic Society. He was also named the Nature Photographers Association of North America’s “Outstanding Wildlife Photographer of the Year” in 2000. In 2004, Mangelsen received the inspirational label for the “Wildlife Photographer of the Year” award, sponsored by the British Broadcasting Corporation and British Gas.

 

Mangelsen’s photos were shown in Vital Signs: Pictures of Biodiversity. This exhibition of ordinary history photography is a blend of Mangelsen’s skill and knowledge of science, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a fair and varied ecology. Vital Signs was co-sponsored by Images of Nature® and the San Diego Museum of Natural History and has been exhibited in museums throughout the United States and Canada. Tom’s work has also been exhibited at the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson, Wyoming, the Natural History Museum in London, and the King Sportsman’s Edge Gallery in New York City.

 

Mangelsen’s work has been published in National Geographic, Audubon, National Wildlife, Smithsonian, Natural History, Newsweek, Wildlife Art, American Photo, National Wildlife, and other magazines. In addition, there are a growing number of books for young readers, art cards, fine art posters, puzzles and calendars available through Images of Nature® galleries. Tom’s initial book, titled “Pictures from Nature: The Photographs of Thomas D. Mangelsen,” became available in 1989 and features over two hundred images documenting the various natural histories of North America. In 1996, his next book titled “Polar Dance: Born of the North Wind” was published, and was compiled after taking pictures of polar bears in the wild for eight years.

 

Tom’s devotion to protecting our delicate ordinary earth is excellently expressed in his own words; “May these images motivate you to know and protect the wonders of our natural world.”