“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take,
 but by the number of moments that take our breath away.”

Karen Schuenemann is a nature and wildlife photographer whose work focuses on the “Urban Wilderness” that exists next to the roads, homes and businesses in Southern California and now in Central Florida.  As she captures images of birds, animals and nature that coexist in these increasingly urbanized environments, her hope is that her photography will inspire people to truly care and protect the natural world.  

Schuenemann’s work has garnered numerous awards and has been exhibited in collections and publications around the world.  In 2018 she received a Highly Commended Award from the London Natural History Museum in the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest.   Audubon recognized her image in 2017 as one of the top five images in their national contest.  She has written several published articles on photography. 

Karen founded Wilderness At Heart Photography providing personal instructions, classes, lectures and  leading workshops to places ranging from Bosque Del Apache, New Mexico, to the Grand Tetons to Africa.   She teaches classes at Tuttle Cameras in Long Beach and Samy's Cameras, Los Angeles.  

Karen celebrates life with her husband and two dogs in Lakeland Florida!  


​Photo by Karen Bruechle

​​​​Artist's Bio:  Karen Schuenemann

          KAREN SCHUENEMANN PHOTOGRAPHY

Copyright Karen Schuenemann, Wilderness At Heart Photography. ​All rights reserved. 

RESUME:

2024

Bosque Del Apache and White Sands Workshop, January, 2024

Florida Museum of Photographic Arts  Members' Show  January, 2024  

Julia Margaret Cameron Awards  3 Honorable Mentions    Barcelona, Spain  February, 2024

NANPA Florida Workshop,  March, 2023    


2023

Bosque Del Apache and Inaugural White Sands National Park Workshop, January, 2023

Florida NANPA Workshop  April, 2023

Grand Teton National Park Workshop  May, 2023

Kenya, 2023

Botswana, 2023

Florida Museum of Photographic Arts  One image selected for show

Rancho Research Institute Instructor, October, 2023

Wildlife Class at Samy's Cameras in Southern California


2022

Bosque, January, 2022

Florida with Samy's Cameras, February, 2022

Grand Teton National Park,  May, 2022

Kenya, August, 2022

Java Jivers, ZOOM Wildlife and my life, September, 2022 

Florida Museum of Photographic Arts,   "Forever Young Show"   1 image selected 


2021  

Grand Tetons National Park, May, 2022

Samy's Cameras,  Los Angeles Zoo  workshop

Tuttle Cameras, The Living Desert workshop


2020

Orange County Photographers,  Zoom Presentation, July,  2020

Samy's Cameras,  Zoom Wildlife Photography Class,  June, 2020

Santa Rosa Photographic Society Zoom Presentation, June 2020

Pasadena Art Center College of Design, Speaker, March, 2020

Article in NANPA Expressions   "75/25",  February, 2020

Wilderness At Heart Bosque Del Apache Workshop, January, 2020

NANPA Nature Day Judge, 2020


2019

Featured in Smart Blog, "Eighty Five of the Best Wildlife Photographers and their Stunning Nature 

Images"  April, 2019

Image included in Davos, Switzerland Wildlife Photographer of the Year presentation at the 

World Economic Summit, January, 2019

NANPA Faculty for High School Scholarship Program in the Smoky Mountains, Tennessee

Salton Sea Workshop Leader  with Center for Digital Arts


2018

Juried in The Winter Show,  Palos Verdes Art Center

"You Already Have No"  Wrote article that was  published in NANPA

Published in USA Today

https://www.usatoday.com/picture-gallery/news/world/2018/10/17/winners-wildlife-photographer-year-2018-competition/1672041002/?fbclid=IwAR2iIlnwjUfsbZSDj6v4AX33iWIAkOZUaTIv-kJWpmfZntwoOEj1dIkiCkg
Wildlife Photographer of the Year, London Natural History Museum, Highly Commended Photo

Bird Behavior Category,  1 of 5 images for this category,  selected out of 46,000 images, 

Image currently hanging at the  London Natural History Museum  

www.nhm.ac.uk/visit/wpy/gallery/2018/adult.html
2018 North American Nature Photography Association  (NANPA) Showcase   Top 100 Awarded Image

Wildlife Photography Course (2 part), Tuttle Cameras, Long Beach California  December, 2018

Wilderness At Heart Photography Workshop to the Tetons, May, 2018 and September, 2018

Guest speaker at Desert Artists in Yucca Valley, California,  October, 2018

La Crescenta Sierra Club Speaker, May 7, 2018

South Bay Camera Club presentation on March 26, 2018

Speaker at South Bay Audubon, March 20, 2018

​Presentation for Audubon, San Fernando Valley on February 22, 2018

​California Center for Digital Arts, Sonny Bono Refuge Workshop,  Workshop Leader,  February, 2018

Speaker on January 31, 2018 at the Sierra Club in Palos Verdes

South Bay Audubon Contest, 3rd Place, 3 images selected for show, Palos Verdes, South Bay, California

2018 North American Nature Photography Association  (NANPA)   Top 100 Awarded Image out of 3, 225 submitted images

Wilderness At Heart Photography Workshop to Bosque Del Apache, New Mexico, January, 2018


2017

Published in Nature's Best Photography   Fall/Winter, 2017

Joined Center of Digital Arts, teaching Birds in Flight Class and leading Salton Sea Sonny Bono Wildlife Refuge workshop, November, 2017 and February, 2018

​Teaching Birds in Flight Class, Tuttle Cameras, Long Beach  November, 2017

​Image Featured in Fullerton Arboretum,  Orange County Agricultural and Nikkei Heritage Museum, November 4- December 3, 2017

​​Lead Wilderness At Heart Photography Teton Wildlife and Nature Photo Safaris, September 17-22, 2017 and September 23-27, 2017

​Winning Audubon Image published in Audubon Magazine, Summer 2017 

2017 Audubon Photography Awards,  Professional Honorable Mention,   One of two top awards in Professional Category and 7 top awards in entire contest  with over 5500 submissions from 49 states and 8 provinces of Canada.  

https://www.audubon.org/magazine/summer-2017/the-2017-audubon-photography-awards-winners

Orange County Fair, First Place, Birds Category,  July, 2017

"PADA LOFT SHOW"  The Loft, San Pedro, California  July 6-August 3, 2017

Sierra Club Speaker, "Ten Tips to Improve Your Bird  Photography"   July 10, 2017

Authorized Permittee of the National Park Service   Commercial Use Authorization granted by Grand Teton National Park, May, 2017
Wilderness At Heart Photography   Launched Boutique Workshops to Grand Teton National Park, Bosque Del Apache, New Mexico, Nevada Wild Horses and Africa

Lead Bosque Del Apache, New Mexico workshop, January 15-19, 2017

2016
“100 Years of National Parks: The West “   G2 Gallery,  Venice, California    October-November, 2016 Juried Image, Sold opening night

Guest Speaker, "Bird Photography",  South Bay Camera Club  October, 2016

TAG Children's Weeklong  Photography  Camp,  Instructor,  August, 2016
“Celebrating PVAC Artists”    Palos Verdes Art Center, Palos Verdes, California   August, 2016    Juried image awarded Earl Veits Award for Photographic Art
“Best of Nature Show”   San Diego Natural History Museum, San Diego, California   April-August, 2016 Juried image in Museum exhibit

Guest Speaker, "Urban Wilderness"  Redondo Beach Arts Group  May, 2016

Faculty Coordinator,  Palm Springs Photo Festival, April 24-April 29, 2016

North American Nature Photography Association  (NANPA) Top 250 Photos for 2016



2015

Educator,  Creative Photo Academy at Paul’s Photo, Torrance, California- Bird Photography Classes and Walks 2015-August, 2017

Educator, Tuttle’s Camera, Long Beach, California - Bird Photography Classes,   2015-Present
Workshop Leader, Creative Photo Academy at Paul’s Photo, Torrance, California  Leading workshops in Bosque Del Apache, Africa  January, 2015-August, 2017

Lead Bosque Del Apache Workshop December 1-5, 2015
2015 British Natural History Museum Photographer of the Year   Finalist 2 images
Orange County Fair        2 Juried images July, 2015
“Untitled: San Pedro”    Southbay Contemporary and The Loft   2 Images   July, 2015
“Art Fusion”   Phantom Gallery, Hawthorne, CA     1 Juried image   July, 2015
2015 National Park Contest   Honorable Mention, Wildlife Category
North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA) Top 250 Photos for 2015

2014

“Optic Nerve “   Summer Studio Arts Academy, Lomita, CA   3 images
2014 British Natural History Museum Wildlife Photographer of the Year   Final Round 2 images
Orange County Fair   Honorable Mention   “Circle of Life”
International Bird Rescue Blog   Photographer in Focus, August, 2014
Shadow and Light Magazine   Featured Photographer, October, 2014
“The PADA Show”   The Loft, San Pedro, California   4 images   December, 2014

2013
“California Open Show”    The Loft, San Pedro, CA   2 juried images
“Both Sides of the Lens”   Manhattan Beach Creative Arts Center, Manhattan Beach, California   2 juried images
California Fine Art Exhibition State Fair   Award of Merit and Image Sale

2012
Los Angeles County Fair   BEST OF SHOW   “Coot Reflection”, First Place and Third Place two images
“Wilderness At Heart”   El Dorado Regional Nature Center  December, 2012,  7 Images sold in solo show

2011
North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA)   Tier 11 Showcase Winner   “Dolphin Jumping”  Top 100 images
Veolia Wildlife Photographer of the Year   Semi Finalist 3 Images
“Five Elements”   Torrance Art Museum, Torrance, California   3 juried images

2010
“Nature’s Best”   Picture of the Week 9/16/10-9/22/10   “The Narrows”
2010 Juried All Media Exhibition   Palos Verdes Art Center   2 juried images
“The Journey”   Welcome Café, Redondo Beach, CA   Solo Show
Windland Rice Competition   Semi Finalist 8 images
Kelpfest   Image Selected for Banners Raising Awareness of Kelp in Oceans

2009
Birds in Focus   Audubon Magazine   Top 100 Images
El Dorado Park Photo Day   Co-creator of day long photography event   7/19/09
Veolia Environment Wildlife Photographer of the Year   Semi Finalist 7 images
North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA)   “Expressions” Top 250 Images

2008
“Become the Voice of the Voiceless”   Armenia   2 Juried images
BBC 2008 Wildlife Photographer of the Year   Quarter Finalist
“Birds of the Southern California Wetlands”   El Dorado Nature Center and Bolsa Chica Nature Center Juried Show

2006

“American Photo Magazine”   Photography at the Summit article by Editor, David Schonauer   Featuring image “Moose Necking” in publication
Easy Reader Contest   South Bay, California  Honorable Mention “A Day to Kite"