The 13-Year-Old Award-Winning Wildlife Photographer

Since age seven, Josiah Launstein has been developing his photographic skill and style. Perhaps good parenting resulted in this child prodigy's success — it certainly helps to have a father who is a photographer — or maybe it was luck that led him to find what he's passionate about at an early age. Either way, this young Alberta native proves the saying, "age is just a number," to be true. 

Many photographers tirelessly spend their entire lives aspiring to win the awards this 13 year old has received. At age 10, Launstein became the youngest photographer ever to win the Young Outdoor Photographer of the Year award, with his black and white image of two battling Bighorn Sheep. In 2014, Launstein had six of seven submitted images selected as finalists in the NHM/BBC Wildlife Photography of the year competition. This year, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition recognized Launstein for his photograph, "Raindrops." The image will be on display in the Natural History Museum. It will also tour the globe with the traveling exhibition. 

“My best advice for anyone getting into photography would be just to photograph what you love,” said Launstein. “It shows in the pictures.”

For a better understanding of what makes this young photographer tick, be sure to watch the video above.

[via CBC Arts]