Photography is a family affair for the Launsteins.

Launstein patriarch John, daughters Jenaya, 18, and Marlise, 16, and son Josiah, 11 are all award winning photographers. Charis, 14, is an accomplished artist in her own right.

Last week, after years of dreaming, planning and snapping images, the family realized a dream with the opening of their own gallery in the Crowsnest Pass.

Launstein Imagery Wildlife Art Gallery will be managed by matriarch Melanie and the rest of the family, which is located on main street Blairmore, right across the street from The Greenhill Hotel.

John started in commercial and fine art photography back in 1989. After a break that included managerial roles in the non-profit industry, he and his daughter Jenaya got back into it, which eventually dragged in the whole family.

The Launsteins have won a number of prestigious prizes for their photographs, most of which feature the wildlife and natural splendour of their home in Southwest Alberta.

“It’s our home and we wanted to represent the animals from this corner of the world,” said John.

The family moved to their home at the base of the Porcupine Hills in 2006.

Jenaya’s accolades are almost too many to list. Her most recent recognition was being named the overall winner of the Youth Division in the 2015 Big Picture Natural World Photography Competition.

Her images have been published in numerous national and international magazines including Canadian Geographic, Nature’s Best, Nature Photographer Magazine, NWF’s National Wildlife and Ranger Rick, Jr., CWF’s Canadian Wildlife magazine, and WILD Magazine, amongst others. She was also featured in Outdoor Photography Canada as one of Canada’s best-kept secrets in wildlife photography.

One of Marlise’s images was selected as one of the Top 100 in the Audubon International Awards for bird photography. Josiah was awarded with two images in the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, which just completed a tour throughout more than 70 museums around the world.

In October, 2015, the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition put on by the Natural History Museum in the U.K. and BBC Wildlife announced that two of Josiah’s images had been awarded and selected as being in the top-100 images from over 42,000 submitted from 96 countries.

The images titled “Snowy Snowy” and “Goose Attack” are now being exhibited in top museums in more than 70 countries.

“He’s had some tremendous success for sure,” said John.

The gallery features Launstein works on everything from prints, canvases, a new line of greeting cards and calendars. It also features bronze works by local artist Donna Wilson.

The family is donating a portion of their sales to local conservation organizations.