With almost 30 years of experience, Tom Mangelsen is one of the premier natural history photographers in the world. His work is frequently seen in major publications such as
National Geographic,
Audubon,
Smithsonian,
Time and
Life. However, the bulk of his photographs are made with an end result in mind: pieces of artwork that stand alone.
In 2000, the North American Nature Photography Association honored Tom with its "Outstanding Photographer of the Year" award for the most impressive body of work by a single photographer. In 1994 Tom was chosen by the BBC as "Wildlife Photographer of the Year," the most prestigious international award given in nature photography. His winning photograph was exhibited in the Museum of Natural History in London, part of a traveling exhibition that later toured the United States.
In 2001, Mangelsen co-founded a nonprofit organization called The Cougar Fund, which strives to protect the cougar throughout the Americas and to educate the public on the value of cougars in nature. Tom decided to co-found the organization after a once-in-a-lifetime experience in his hometown of Jackson, Wyoming. A mountain lion mother and her three young cubs came to the nearby National Elk Refuge, and Tom was so inspired that he spent 39 days photographing this family of cats.
Mr. Mangelsen's photographs are represented through his Images of Nature galleries in 16 locations across North America, and his books include the bestselling
Images of Nature: The Photographs of Thomas D. Mangelsen (1988);
Polar Dance: Born of the North Wind (1996), which won the BEA Award for Best of Small Press of 1997 and was featured on
Good Morning America and
The Today Show. Tom recently released a book based on his time with the mountain lions called
Spirit of the Rockies: The Mountain Lions of Jackson Hole. Tom also sits on the boards of The Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance, Stewards of the Platte, Polar Bears Alive! and Vital Ground.
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