The Detroit Zoo is home to 40 award-winning photographs this summer as it displays the work of renowned wildlife photographer Thomas D. Mangelson in its exhibit “A Life in the Wild” from June 19 – Sept 10. The photo gallery is in the Ford Exhibition Center and is free with Zoo admission, during regular Zoo hours.
Photos featured in the exhibit include the Polar Dance – an iconic photo of two wild polar bears appearing to waltz in the Arctic – and Catch of the Day, which is considered one of the most widely circulated wildlife photographs in history and has been called “a monumental achievement in photography” for Mangelsen’s split-second capture of a spawning salmon.
Ron Kagan, executive director and CEO of the Detroit Zoological Society said that “the awe-inspiring photographs in this spectacular exhibition provide insight into the beauty and drama of nature and wildlife.”
As one of the world’s most prolific nature photographers, Mangelsen 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 also named one of the 40 Most Influential Nature Photographers by Outdoor Photography, and one of the 100 Most Important People in Photography by American Photo magazine. The North American Nature Photography Association named him Outstanding Nature Photographer of the Year, while the British Broadcasting Corporation gave him its coveted, prestigious award, Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
