First Snow
First Snow - A young Red Fox kit checks out the wintery world outside its den after a spring snowfall in the Rocky Mountains.
Little Hunter
Little Hunter - Runner-Up in 2020 National Wildlife Federation Photography Competition | A male Northern Pygmy Owl looks up at the sound of the photographer's shutter while perched on a small cedar during a hunting expedition. Awarded in 2018 Bird Photographer of the Year.
High Country Bighorn
High Country Bighorn - A Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep ram enjoying a rest in its home in the high country of the Canadian Rockies.
Detail in Blue
Detail in Blue | Extreme closeup of a male Mountain Bluebird as it pauses for a moment while out gathering nesting material with its mate.
Goose Attack © Josiah Launstein | www.launsteinimagery.com
Goose Attack - Awarded in 2015 Wildlife Photographer of the YearA Canadian Goose rushes out of shoreline to protect it's territory from an intruder in Burnaby Lake, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. I was photographing ducks and geese on a cold February morning when I noticed a goose that was being very aggressive toward any geese that came into its area. I quickly got my lens focused on it when it exploded from the shallows after this second goose. I love how you can see the water and mud flying!
Watching
Watching - A young cougar keeps watch on the photographer through the grass as it relaxes on grassy slope below the Rocky Mountains in Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta, Canada.
Winter Ghost
Winter Ghost - A Great Grey Owl perches in a massive fir tree while listening for sounds beneath the snow on the forest floor below. This is a natural scene of a wild owl that was not baited, called or lured in or manipulated in any way.
Winter is Coming
Winter is Coming - Awarded in 2020 National Wildlife Federation Photography Competition | Pikas almost never stop storing food for the winter, and when they do it's only to act as a sentry sounding out the alarm in case of danger. They pretty much never stop being ridiculously cute, either! I love the challenge of photographing these fast-moving, cautious mountain rodents. Once they grab a mouthful of greens, they dart for the closest stash beneath the rocks. Every once in a while, though, they stop and make sure you're still where you were the last time they checked on you, and that's when I managed to capture the shot I was after. | © Josiah Launstein | www.launsteinimagery.com
Ridgeline Sentinel
Ridgeline Sentinel - A Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep ram stands atop a ridge to survey the valley below after a winter storm in the Tranquille Ecological Preserve in central British Columbia, Canada. This image resulted in Josiah being named the international 2017 Young Outdoor Photographer of the Year.
Drifting Through
Drifting Through | A Snowy Owl stands atop a small rise searching for signs of mouse or vole on a windy, wintery day in the Canadian Prairies.
Waiting
Treetop Bear - A second year Black Bear Cub hangs out high in a tree top after it climbed to safety upon encountering an agressive male bear. The cub's mother is below, protecting the bottom of the tree to ensure the boar doesn't attack her young. She fought the male twice while my dad, sister and I photographed the encounter. The cub started off very alert and alarmed, but eventually got increasingly bored and even napped for a while a couple times!This is a sad picture for me because the tree this bear is perched in, along with the entire forest around him including the mountainside in the background, was destroyed by a devastating wildfire just 3-1/2 months after this picture was taken. Location: Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta, CanadaProcessing Notes:Adjustments to colour temperature, brightness and contrast (curves), dodging and burning, cropped lightly, light sharpening
Raindrops
Raindrops - Awarded in 2017 Wildlife Photographer of the YearThis summer I got to go to Thailand for a film production about my wildlife photography. I couldn't believe how many moths and caterpillars there were! When I was on a break between scenes I found a couple of hairy caterpillars crawling along in the rain. I loved the way they looked silhouetted against the bright overcast sky with the raindrops in their hair. My dad and I didn't bring all of our gear because of all the travel, so I used my 200-500mm lens and got as close as it allowed me to focus.
Evening in the Shallows
Evening in the Shallows - A Killdeer works its way across a flooded field in search of a meal.
Snowy Snowy
Snowy Snowy - A Snowy Owl perches on a weathered fence in a fierce snowstorm in the Canadian prairies near Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Owl was not baited, lured, called in or manipulated in any way. Photographed from open truck window.Nikon D7100Nikkor AF-S 300mm f/4D IF-ED with Nikon TC-14EII teleconverterISO 32001/320sec @ f/6.3Adjustments to colour balance, levels, contrast and curves. Cropped. Selective sharpening on owl.
Through the Web
Through the Web - 2020 Audubon Photography Awards Top 100 | A young American Robin spends a few moments on personal grooming as the day comes to a close.
The Eye
The Eye - A Rocky Mountain Bighorn Ram shows a wild eye as it curls his lip in what's known as a flehmen response at the beginning of the annual rut.
Bighorn Battle
Bighorn Battle - Overall Winner - 2014 Young Outdoor Photographer of the YearTwo Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep rams collide while doing battle in the lower slopes of the Rocky Mountains in Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta, Canada. I was photographing bighorns with my dad and sister when we heard loud crashes from further down the valley. My sister and I went to investigate and discovered three rams that were battling each other. I quickly found an angle I liked and adjusted my settings for the action and managed to get this picture right as they hit each other. I love all the hair and dander that is flying up from the impact!
Cattail Chickadee
Cattail Chickadee - A Black-Capped Chickadee perches amongst the cattails while plucking fluff for its nest on a cold spring day in southwest Alberta.
Coastal Blues
Coastal Blues - Awarded in 2017 Bird Photographer of the YearA Short-Eared Owl perches atop a lone tree for a better vantage of the salt marsh below while hunting for a meal along the coastline of the Pacific Ocean in southwestern British Columbia, Canada.
Elk Battle
Elk Battle - Two "teenager" bull elk practice their fighting skills during the annual rut in the Rocky Mountains.
Pastel Waxwings
Pastel Waxwings - A pair of Cedar Waxwings rest for a moment in the beautiful dusk light as evening falls along the Crowsnest River in southwestern Alberta, Canada.
JosiahLaunstein_BighornSheepCoupleBW_1200px
Bighorn Couple - A Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep ram courts an ewe during the annual rut. Photographed near Kootenay National Park in British Columbia, Canada.