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The Launstein Imagery Wildlife Art Gallery is open in the Crowsnest Pass & Waterton Lakes National Park!

We would be delighted to welcome you to one of our Wildlife Art Galleries this year! Our main gallery is open year-round in the beautiful Crowsnest Pass in southwestern Alberta (conveniently located on Main Street in Blairmore), with our second gallery location open May to October in Waterton Lakes National Park! Please note our new location in Waterton, just 2 doors south of where we’ve been since 2020.

If you are in the area, please drop in and say hello and check out our selection of Fine Art Limited Edition & Open Edition Prints, Wildlife Mugs, Jewelry, Ornaments, Sculptures, Greeting Cards and Home and Gift items. Be sure to ask about our new line of wildlife coasters, magnets, tote bags, tumblers, puzzles and more, all produced by the Launstein family right here in the South Canadian Rockies.

Our business hours are posted here, but private shopping may also be available by appointment (here’s how to contact us).

Crowsnest Gallery Spring Hours

12pm-5pm

Wed-Sat
Also available for private shopping
by appointment

Waterton Gallery Spring Hours

12pm-5pm

Sat-Sun (Weather Dependent)
Private shopping may be available outside of regular business hours by appointment

Josiah Launstein stars in Nikon film about his work and his passion for wildlife and conservation photography!

Click here

Welcome to the online home of Launstein Imagery! We are a family of internationally-awarded wildlife and conservation photographers based in beautiful SW Alberta, Canada, not far from the town of Pincher Creek and the mountains of the Crowsnest Pass.

We are committed to artistically crafting visual stories showcasing the beauty and behaviour of the wildlife of western Canada. A quote from Jenaya accompanying her work on exhibit in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History sums up our purpose perfectly:

“I hope my pictures help people care more about the animals I have the privilege of photographing.”

A carefully-chosen selection of our images are available as fine art limited edition prints, with an additional collection of open editions. You can view our work in person at our Crowsnest Pass Wildlife Art Gallery in Blairmore, Alberta, our Waterton Wildlife Art Gallery in Waterton Park, Alberta, or at a growing number of shops and galleries.

We’re excited to be launching a new online store in the near future where you can purchase our Fine Art Limited Edition and Open Edition prints, canvases and acrylics, greeting cards, pottery, jewelry and more, but in the meantime if you have any questions or are interested in ordering prints or greeting cards, please do not hesitate to contact us directly! Please also consider joining our mailing list by filling out the form here so we can share some of our adventures with you as well as give you a head’s up on new releases and news bits along with some special offers available only to our subscribers. And while you’re online, don’t forget to connect with us on our Launstein Imagery Facebook page and follow us on Twitter @LaunsteinFamily and Instagram @LaunsteinImagery!

Thanks for dropping by! (And please scroll down for some fantastic news for Jenaya and Josiah!)

John, Jenaya, and Josiah Launstein (the photographers), Marlise and Charis (wildlife artists themselves in a variety of mediums) and Melanie (Wildlife Art Gallery manager, number one wildlife spotter and official family cheerleader)

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Call us at 403.627.3969

Josiah makes history in repeat win as Young Outdoor Photographer of the Year

We could not be more proud to share that Josiah has been named the international Young Outdoor Photographer of the Year for the second time! This is the first time a photographer of any age has won a major category twice in the history of the competition.

As humbled as he is by this honour, Josiah could not be more pleased that his winning image was once again of a bighorn ram, his favourite subject to spend time with behind the lens.

“Ridgeline Sentinel” is an image that only came to be after a tremendous effort and perseverance by our young photographer. You can read the full story here.

If you would like to learn more about Josiah and his wildlife and conservation photography, drop by our About the Launstein Family and About Josiah Launstein pages, where you can also watch Josiah in action in a few short films.

Ridgeline Sentinel by Josiah Launstein

While he was still behind the lens, Josiah knew “Ridgeline Sentinel” would be a black and white print in a more narrow, panoramic aspect ratio. He also knew it was immediately going to be one of his favourites, especially after the amount of work he went through to be rewarded with this image. But he certainly did not expect it would be showcased around the world and featured by the likes of CNN after he was named the Young Outdoor Photographer of the Year with this special work. Click here to read the story behind “Ridgeline Sentinel”.

"First Snow" by Josiah Launstein selected for exhibit in the Smithsonian

We get a lot of comments about Josiah following in his big sister Jenaya’s footsteps, and they have now shared another honour: having their work exhibited in one of the most famous museums in the world, the Smithsonian.

Josiah’s “First Snow” was awarded in the 2018 Nature’s Best Photography Windland Smith Rice International Awards and has been selected for a year-long exhibit in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC, commencing October, 2018.

“First Snow” is one of Josiah’s most popular Fine Art Limited Edition Print releases amongst collectors, and has received numerous recognitions since he crafted the image. We are so honoured to now have it on display in the Smithsonian for even more people to fall in love with this adorable young Red Fox kit.

If you would like to learn more about Josiah and his wildlife and conservation photography, drop by our About the Launstein Family and About Josiah Launstein pages.

After waiting several hours in the freezing cold during a spring snowstorm in the Rockies, Josiah made the most of the opportunity when this young Red Fox Kit appeared. “First Snow” has become one of Josiah’s most popular prints and now hangs in the Smithsonian. 

Josiah awarded in 2017 Wildlife Photographer of the Year

We are so honoured to share that Josiah has been awarded for the third time in the revered Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition! This year’s competition saw nearly 50,000 images submitted from professional and amateur wildlife photographers from 92 countries.

“Raindrops” is a very different image from Josiah, crafted while in Thailand during a Nikon film production about Josiah’s photography. You can learn the full story and see pictures of the image on exhibit in the Natural History Museum in London, UK on our blog.

“Raindrops” will be released as a Fine Art Limited Edition Print in November, 2017.

If you would like to learn more about Josiah and his wildlife and conservation photography, drop by our About the Launstein Family and About Josiah Launstein pages.

A creative depiction of  a monkey moth caterpillar in the rain, “Raindrops” has been awarded in Wildlife Photographer of the Year 53 and is now on exhibit in the Natural History Museum in London (UK). Click here to learn the story behind this award-winning image from Josiah Launstein.

Jenaya’s "Ramscape" selected for extended exhibit in the Smithsonian

She’s done it again! Jenaya returns to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History with one of her all-time favourite images, “Ramscape.” This striking image of a Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep ram atop a rock outcropping in Waterton Lakes National Park is featured in an extended exhibit in the prestigious museum from October, 2016 to September, 2017.

“Ramscape” was selected for exhibition after being awarded in the 2016 Nature’s Best Windland Smith Rice International Photography Awards. The competition judged some 25,000 entries before awarding the top images from around the world.

This marks the third time Jenaya’s work has graced the walls of the Smithsonian since she was named Youth Photographer of the Year 2014, including her best-selling “Yukon Porcupine” being selected for the “Best of the Best” exhibition in 2015. This landmark exhibition was made up of 102 outstanding prints chosen from a staggering 500,000 images submitted to Nature’s Best over the past 20 years!

“Ramscape” is available as a Fine Art Limited Edition Print or Canvas. A framed canvas hangs above the fireplace in the Launstein Imagery Wildlife Art Gallery in the Crowsnest Pass, and has become a perennial favourite since its release. Click through to read the story behind “Ramscape” and it’s journey to the walls of the Smithsonian.

If you would like to learn more about Jenaya and her wildlife and conservation photography, drop by our About the Launstein Family and About Jenaya Launstein pages.

“Ramscape” has been one of Jenaya’s favourite images since she captured the moment. A carefully crafted image, she’s honoured to have one of her favourite species from one of her favourite spots near her home in SW Alberta represented on the walls of the Smithsonian. Click here to learn the story behind this awarded image.

Josiah Awarded in Prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year and Por el Planeta Competitions

We are so excited to share that Josiah has had two images awarded in the oldest and most prestigious wildlife photography competitions in the world, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition put on by the Natural History Museum (U.K.) and BBC Wildlife.

This year’s competition saw over 42,000 images submitted from 96 countries, and the competition in the Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year categories has never been stronger.

Both of Josiah’s winning images were taken this year, a testament to the growth he is showing in his photography.

His “Goose Attack” image was taken in Burnaby, British Columbia while out with fellow award-winner Connor Stefanison (2013 and 2015 Rising Star Portfolio Award winner). The image also reveals Josiah’s attentiveness when out in nature, as only Josiah spotted this territorial interaction across the bay while John, Jenaya and Connor were busy photographing wood ducks.

“Snowy Snowy,” the second awarded image, was definitely the result of a determination to return with a unique image of a snowy owl. John, Jenaya and Josiah endured an all-day prairie snowstorm while searching for snowy owls in early January. They finally spotted a few at the very end of the day, but once again only Josiah found and photographed this handsome male owl perched on a weather-beaten old fence. The image has also been awarded in the global conservation photography competition, Por el Planeta.

Please click the accompanying images to learn more about “Goose Attack” and “Snowy Snowy,” both of which are now available as Fine Art Limited Edition Prints.

You can view the 2015 Wildlife Photographer of the Year (WPY51) awarded images here (click on “Young Awards” at the top right of the page to view Josiah’s images along with other awarded photographers under age 18).

If you would like to learn more about Josiah and his wildlife photography, drop by our About the Launstein Family and About Josiah Launstein pages.

“Goose Attack” is one of Josiah’s favourite images of his young career, capturing an aggressive goose exploding from the shallows to defend its territory. You can learn the story behind this award-winning image and discover how to purchase it as a Limited Edition Print here. 

“Snowy Snowy” is an atmospheric image showing a beautiful male snowy owl surveying the surrounding fields for movement in the midst of a brutal prairie snowstorm. You can learn the story behind this award-winning image and discover how to purchase it as a Limited Edition Print here. 

Jenaya wins the Youth Division of Big Picture, awarded in Por el Planeta

We’re delighted to announce that Jenaya has won the Youth Division of the 2015 Big Picture Natural World Photography Competition, with a second image being awarded as well.

This is the first year Jenaya has entered this prestigious international competition, jurored by such notable photographers and editors as Art Wolfe, Sophie Stafford, Kathy Moran, Ian Shive, Sandra Bartocha, fellow-Canadian Neil Ever Osborne, and chaired by Suzi Eszterhas.

Jenaya’s winning image, photographed just a few kilometers from her home in Pincher Creek, Alberta, is a great example of her ability to craft a compelling scene as opposed to just snapping a picture of wildlife. After trying multiple camera/lens combinations she settled on one that allowed her to position two massive wind turbines at the edges of the composition, making a powerful statement and adding to the theme of the prevalent winds in our corner of the world. The weathered old granary, leaning heavily from the years of being buffeted from the west, adds both interest and drama, and serves as the perfect perch for three young Great Horned Owls.

You can view the 2015 awarded images here (be sure to click through to “View finalists in this category” under Jenaya’s image to see her second awarded image, a young Great Grey Owl branching in the last light of day).

Click the accompanying image to learn more about “Owls in the Wind,” which has also been awarded in the world’s largest conservation photography competition, Por el Planeta.

If you would like to learn more about Jenaya and her remarkable accomplishments in wildlife photography, drop by our About the Launstein Family and About Jenaya Launstein pages.

“Owls in the Wind” is an iconic Alberta image, representing the rich heritage and agricultural and wind energy influences of the area Jenaya grew up in. You can learn the story behind this award-winning image and discover how to purchase it as a Limited Edition Print here. 

Josiah Chosen as the 2014 Young Outdoor Photographer of the Year!

We are so excited to announce that Josiah, who recently turned 10, has been named the 2014 Young Outdoor Photographer of the Year!

Josiah decided to follow in his big sister’s footsteps and begin entering select competitions in 2014 as his commitment to learning the craft of wildlife photography was clearly resulting in increased skill and results. He got off to a great start with seven of the eight images he submitted to the 2014 NHM/BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition chosen as finalists! While he did not win, it was a great experience for him and helped encourage him to dive into his photography with even greater dedication.

This winter, Josiah decided to submit some of his favourite images in the Outdoor Photographer of the Year competition. The competition this year saw a huge response, with over 10,000 images submitted from around the world. Josiah was ecstatic to learn that eight of the ten images he submitted were selected as finalists in a category filled with incredible imagery from talented nature photographers 18 years old and younger. Then, on January 12, we received confirmation that Josiah had indeed won the title of Young Outdoor Photographer of the Year with his image of two Rocky Mountain Bighorn rams doing battle in the Canadian Rockies not far from our home!

John (Josiah’s dad) and Jenaya (Josiah’s big sister and Nature’s Best 2013 Youth Photographer of the Year) were also finalists in the competition with seven images each, and could not be more excited for Josiah and this incredible accomplishment. Jenaya’s image, “Salmon Swatter” was also Commended in the competition.

If you are interested in learning more about Josiah’s and his sisters’ development in wildlife photography, a timeline can be found on our About the Launstein Family page, and his full bio along with a few of his favourite images from 2014 can be viewed at About Josiah Launstein.

“Bighorn Battle” by Josiah Launstein represents a major milestone for the young photographer…beyond the prestigious award it has won. Learn more about the story behind the image here.

Jenaya Named Youth Photographer of the Year!

In November, 2013, Jenaya become only the second young female wildlife photographer ever to be named the Youth Photographer of the Year in the Nature’s Best Photography Windland Smith Rice International Awards! We are so honoured for her to receive this recognition.

The image that was selected as the winner was this wonderful photograph of a North American Porcupine striking a pose as it surveys its route to a nearby forest near Kluane National Park, YT.

This image was selected to be part of the inaugural exhibit in the International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum in St. Louis, MO, and was also chosen as the Wildlife Photo of the Year for 2012 on the Nature Photographer’s Network. It was part of an extended feature exhibit through April 20, 2015 at the Smithsonian National Museum of History in Washington, D.C., before returning to the Smithsonian in 2016 as part of their “Best of the Best” exhibit of 113 image deemed to be the very best out of over 500,000 submitted to Nature’s Best over the past 20 years. Read the Smithsonian’s press release here on the winners of this prestigious competition that saw more than 20,000 entries from 50-some countries worldwide. “Yukon Porcupine” has become one of Launstein Imagery’s very best selling prints, and is a perpetual favourite in the gallery (and wherever it is displayed).

Did you know Jenaya has been awarded the top honours in more than 8 of the most highly-regarded nature photography competitions in the world? If you are interested in learning more about Jenaya’s remarkable accomplishments in wildlife photography, a timeline of her journey can be found on our About the Launstein Family page and her full bio and a listing of her awards can be viewed at About Jenaya Launstein.

“Yukon Porcupine” is Jenaya’s most highly-honoured image to date. How the image came to be is a remarkable story. To learn more about the story behind this endearing image, click here.

© Copyright 2010-2023 Launstein Imagery | All images © Copyright John, Jenaya, Josiah, Charis or Marlise Launstein | All rights reserved.