Kathleen Milks: Photography

Wildlife and Landscape Photography

I have loved photography since I was a child in Upstate NY. As my dad likes to say, I always had one of those things in front of my face. I remember being fascinated with the images of Ansel Adams and having a goal of capturing the world in that way. No matter what turns life has taken, being behind the camera has always felt right.
I hike most days, usually with a 4-legged companion and camera in tow. I love to find new areas or just a new way of seeing an area. I’m always up for an adventure and willing to do almost anything for the shot.

I do love photographing wildlife, but I also have a healthy respect for being in their space and try my best not to disturb them. I very much believe in leaving as little trace as possible when in the great outdoors. Leave nothing but footprints, and take nothing but photos.

My images have been chosen as winners by listeners of Wyoming Public Media for a few years now in their yearly photo contest. I’ve also had an image in an online science publication. I think the biggest honor is when someone tells me how much they love seeing an image of mine on their wall on a daily basis.

I specialize in images of things ‘that don’t usually talk to me,’ as I like to say. If you’re looking for a wonderful landscape to brighten up a room or some magnificent wildlife to inspire you, I would love to help. 

In third grade, we had a project that changed how I saw the world. We created ‘cameras’ out of oatmeal containers. The image was of something simple, a desktop object, and I was simply hooked. For most of my life since that moment, I have had a camera of some sort with me. I documented a lot of family moments and events, my life and friendships, and after moving to Wyoming, I documented and shared prints of my life out here.


Friends often mention that I see things they would never have noticed, and I take that as a compliment. I enjoy capturing those things, from the small bud of the first flowers of spring to the sunlight shining through ice-covered streams. I love capturing people and pets, enjoying nature, watching wildlife acting as if I weren’t there, and the natural beauty that is so abundant if we just take a second to see it. I enjoy bringing those images to people that have had an experience, and my image brings memories of that for them. I also enjoy when someone who will maybe never get to experience a wildlife encounter or certain type of landscape gets a glimpse into that world with one of my images.