Thomas D. Mangelsen is a Nikon Legend Behind the Lens

It's not about animals looking cute. It's not about pretty pictures. For Thomas D. Mangelsen, it's about respect for all nature's creatures and a passion to protect them.

"A lot of young photographers just getting into wildlife photography don't quite make the link that they have a responsibility to protect what's out there," Tom says. "We have the ability to make images that will teach people about endangered species and places needing protection, pictures that can even change minds, and we have a responsibility to do it. Sometimes I meet people who sort of skip that part. They want to take pictures because they think it's a cool thing to be a wildlife photographer. They don't quite understand they have the option to do more than just take pretty pictures."

Tom is one of the world's best nature photographers, honored for his images and his efforts on behalf of the environment. His photography has appeared in numerous magazines, including National Geographic and Audubon, and has been exhibited in museums and galleries here and abroad. A lifetime of effort and observation has shown him that "The best photographers, like the best people who spend time outdoors skiing or hiking or bird-watching, accept the responsibility of taking care of the environment."

Tom grew up in Nebraska and spent time on the Platte River with his father, hunting, fishing and trapping. He remembers that when he was about six years old, "A lot of the water in the Platte was being diverted for irrigation and for the cities, and the thought was that someday the river would be dry and there'd no longer be the migration of cranes, geese and ducks. This was a long time before 'ecology' became a common word, but even as a kid, the migration was something I knew was special, and it was something we needed to protect." Over a period of some 14 years he saw the habitat change. "The water didn't have the force to flood and scour the channel, which they used to say was a mile wide and an inch deep. It became a quarter-mile wide and four inches deep."

He started taking pictures at 21, "Mostly as a hobby, and because I thought it would be great to have pictures of the things I was seeing." Later he worked for a film company as a cinematographer. "I learned to handle a 16mm film camera, and I realized I could use that camera to shoot the Platte River, the waterfowl, deer and eagles, and show that to people so they'd realize it was such a special place. I guess I was slightly naive, but I did three films on the Platte." He continues to makes films—he was working on one about cougars when we spoke with him—but still photography is the main medium for the message.