Go Behind the Scenes With Award-Winning Nature Photographer Thomas Mangelsen

Nature and wildlife photography can often be a difficult genre of photography to be successful in. But award-winning nature photographer Thomas Mangelsen is an exception. Watch this video to learn about what makes this photographer's work stand out from the rest. 

Mangelsen is one of my favorite nature photographers, and someone I look up to as an artist and a person in general. One reason for this is simply because of his genuine love for being in the outdoors — whether he captures a beautiful moment or not. I've met several nature photographers who approach the outdoors as a studio and who visit a scene only to take a picture. If the location or light isn't “good,” they'll leave. But Mangelsen spends time in the woods simply because he loves to be there, and I think that passion and love for his subjects shines through in his photographs and helps set his work on a higher tier than his competition.

It's about fishing and not catching a fish. It's about being out and just enjoying it. If you see something great that's better. If you see something great and get a picture of it that's better yet. And if you see something, get a picture of it, and actually make a print of it and hang it in your gallery, that's even better yet. But those are few and far between. 

Another aspect that makes Mangelsen such a great photographer, and a trait that's often in other world-class photographers, is being a perfectionist. In the video, Mangelsen mentions how he rarely says “I got it.” Even when he captures a stunning moment in time and creates a beautiful print, he's still able to self-critique and find something that isn't 100 percent perfect with the image, which helps him edit or shoot differently next time. 

Watch the video above to learn more about what makes Mangelsen tick. 

Lead photo by Diana Parkhouse via Unsplash.