Famous Photographers - Part 14 - Thomas D. Mangelsen
Famous Photographers - Part 14 - Thomas D. Mangelsen
When I was considering who my next famous photographer would be I got a suggestion from Kavika to look at Mangelsen's photos. What I saw were some of the most incredible wildlife and landscape photos I've ever seen, and decided that he would be my next famous photographer.
From his official biography:
One of the most prolific nature photographers of our time, Mangelsen is as much an artist as he is a conservationist. Tom was named the 2011 Conservation Photographer of the Year by Nature's Best Photography, placing his work in the permanent collection at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. He was named one of the 40 Most Influential Nature Photographers by Outdoor Photography. His image Polar Dance was selected by the International League of Conservation Photographers as one of the 40 Most Important Nature Photographs of All Time. He was chosen as one of Dr. Jane Goodall's Heroes of the Animal Planet and profiled in the television series of the same name. Mangelsen was named one of the 100 Most Important People in Photography by American Photo magazine and honored with Nikon's Legend Behind the Lens recognition. The North American Nature Photography Association named him Outstanding Nature Photographer of the Year, and Mangelsen also received the prestigious British Broadcasting Corporation's Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award. He was presented with an honorary doctorate from Doane College and received an Honorary Fellowship from The Royal Photographic Society.
You are now bound to enjoy not only his unforgettable wildlife photographs but also his magnificent landscapes. You will see that he travels the world in order to find his subjects. Following are 60 of his photos, and if I had the time I would have posted a lot more.
1. Polar Dance (Buzz note: This is the photo mentioned in his bio above as one of the 40 most important nature photographs of all time.)
2. The Old Grist Mill (Buzz note: I saw this photo years ago and didn't know if it was a photo or a painting, and until now did not know who the artist was. I saved it, and from time to time looked at it and fantasized owning that mill and converting it into a cottage, and I would spend a few days now and then relaxing, reading, trout fishing in that stream, cooking my meals with a wood stove and taking photos around the area.)
3. A Summer Affair
4. Maroon Bells Reflection
5. Eyes of the Wolf (Buzz note: This photo make me think of something Captain Jack Sparrow said in one of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies: "RUN!!!")
6. Magic Valley
7. Bad Boy of the Forest
8. Beacon for the Faithful - French Polynesia
9. Walking the Line - Panther Chameleon
10. A Walk in the Woods
11. Catch of the Day (Buzz note: This is another photo of his I recall seeing years ago. I was amazed at the timing, but I saw it before I knew cameras could take a burst of photos over a couple seconds.)
12. A Time Forgotten - Memories of Shane
13. Blue Waters
14. Fire on the River
15. A Council of Three (Buzz note: Why does this photo make me think of my ex-wife?)
16. Northern Dance - Northern Lights, Taken in Manitoba, Canada
17. The Chosen One
18. Ear of the Wind - Monument Valley, Arizona
19. Teton Rush Hour
20. Polynesian Dream
21. Racing Stripes
22. Black Water Cove
23. Safe Harbor - La Jolla, California
24. Teton Memories
25. Horseshoe Lake Loon
26. Winds of Change
27. Inger's Window
28. Bumblebee's Dream
29. Gift of the Rains
30. Shore Patrol
31. Christmas on the Chilkat (Buzz note: If the name offends anyone, I'll change the title to Winter Holiday on the Chilkat.)
32. A Change of Seasons
33. The Bluebonnet House
34. Mother's Love - Snow Monkees
The next three images are dedicated to Kavika without whose suggestion I may never have had the enjoyment of seeing these works by Thomas D. Mangelsen, and the aggravation of trying at least 5 or 6 times to create this essay without wiping it out accidentally by hitting the wrong key. It has taken me at least a week to present it, but it was worth the effort. Anyway, thank you Kavika. LOL
35. Rocky Mountain Indian Summer
36. Fire and Sandstone - Indian Paint Brush
37. Indian Summer - Tundra Swans
38. Morning Light - Bull Elk
39. Yellowstone Clouds
40. Eyes of the Forest
41. Mystical Valley of the Navajo
42. Winds of the Masai
43. Riding Wild Winds
44. Rooster Tail
45. Land of the Rising Sun
46. A Cool Drink
47. Breath of Winter
48. Gentle Giant - The Silverback
49. Arctic Morning
50. Wind Dancer
51. Bluebonnet Morning
52. Flipping Out
53. Appalachian Sojourn
54. Firelight - Bald Eagles
55. McKinley Reflections
56. Canyon Dweller - Coues Whitetail Deer
57. Fire in the Sky
58. The Bond
59. New Fire and Ice
60. Heart of the Forest - Northern Spotted Owl
I hope you enjoy these as much as I did. If you don't want to leave a comment, please just "thumb up" this comment so I will know enough members look at these photo-essays to encourage me to continue doing them.
There aren't words to describe his photos....They are beyond the beyond.
Thank you for the dedication of the three photos, Buzz.
Each and every photo in the essay is a masterpiece, done by the master.
Unbelievable!! There are no words to describe these pic's! Thanks for sharing them with us!!
What I find really interesting is the vast scope of his photos, animals, birds, fish from all parts of the world and all seasons.
I find the one with the porcupine looking in the window of the cabin to especially good. The dancing polar bears is a classic and one can see how it is considered one of the best wildlife photos.
These photos are stunning. I love naturalist photography and I like about Mangelsen's photos is that he so successfully combines the subject with an artistic flair. I was looking for a photo for a mural that I want to paint in my house and I think I found one from this collection. Thanks for sharing.
Which one?
Mangelsen is who I want to be when I grow up!
I saw some of these in their print form at the Mangelsen Gallery in the Denver International Airport. The prints, on various media, must be seen in person to be fully appreciated.
I was at his studio/store in Park City Utah a few years ago. To see the photos in person and in the different media is really a treat.
Are the actual prints superior because they are more vivid, because reproduction fades them, or perhaps also because they may be larger but still razor sharp? I have made note that when a photo is larger, it somehow improves the impression of it. Details are lost when the photo is smaller.
A combination of factors …
The prints are made with the highest quality inks, printed on the best of carriers be they canvas or papers that prevent or help colors and tones from "sinking" and fading, and, in galleries, they are viewed under "neutral color temperature" lighting.
Color monitors differ in calibration and transmission of colors which are optically mixed (RGB color), whereas pigments in a well-controlled, EXPENSIVE, HIGHLY SOPHISTICATED print process … are precise according to the specifications/objectives of artists like Mangelson.
I knew there had to be a reason.
These are beautiful, thank you.
I had to come back to the article and enjoy the photos one more time.
I don't blame you. I've looked at them many times already (and many others when I had to make the tough decisions on posting only 60) and it never ceases to impress me.
I'm starting to work on my next photo-essay. It will be about a woman named Tina Modotti, who was once the lover of famous photographer Edward Weston.
Looking forward to your next essay as I'm not familiar with Tina Modotti.
BTW, Red said to tell you what a spectacular essay this one is.
Will do, and I agree, she made an excellent choice in picking me....