Unable to find the right angle, Kinley Bollinger needed a higher perspective to capture the scene she wanted to photograph. Against her mother’s advice, she climbed on top the family SUV and waited for sunset.

“Then it just happened,” Bollinger said.

The sun cooperated and a warm glow filled her frame. For her effort, Bollinger was awarded honorable mention in Wyoming Wildlife magazine’s annual contest. She was among several regional photographers to be honored in the contest.

Bollinger also received recognition for a photograph of Buffalo Bill Reservoir as a storm rolled in — and it wasn’t her first win in the contest, either. Actually, she exactly duplicated her 2018 results this year.

“She’s always laying on her belly or upside-down, looking at something differently,” said Annette Bollinger, Kinley’s mother.

Considering Kinley is still a 16-year-old sophomore at Cody High School, it appears she has a bright future with a camera in her hands. But Bollinger — whose father Kirk is a doctor at Cody Regional Health — plans to attend Northwest College for two years before enrolling in the University of Wyoming’s medical program.

“I’m looking to go into surgery. I think that’s really interesting,” she said. “But I really enjoy photography and if that’s where [life] takes me, I’m up for it.”

While still having a couple years to make up her mind, Annette has no doubt Kinley can do anything she gets in her sights.

“I’ve never known anyone that’s determined as she is,” Annette said of her daughter. “I’m amazed every day. She decides to do something and there’s nothing that’s going to stop her.”

Annette, her mother Joyce Groathouse and Kinley have made photography trips a family affair. Groathouse, 73, is always “up for adventure,” Annette said, and the three hit the road looking for Wyoming’s photogenic destinations. They’re planning a trip to the Tetons for snowy peaks this weekend.

Kinley’s interest in photography started about four years ago, when she was 12 and began playing with a camera that her father had bought for her mother.

“Living where we do and being involved in the outdoors like I am, I started taking the camera out with me and from there it has grown into what I do now,” she said.

Kinley saved money she earned from photography and composition contests and eventually bought her own Nikon.

“It means a lot to her. It’s her baby,” Annette said.

Kinley hasn’t retired her mother’s camera, but it now serves as a backup when conditions are sandy or wet.

James Yule

Worland’s James Yule also made a return trip to Wyoming Wildlife’s podium, being honored for three photos this year.

The secret of his success? He loves solitude. Whether in a blind waiting for a fleeting glimpse of a mink, on the Shoshone River looking for a perfect photo of grizzlies, or even photographing birds in his own backyard, Yule loves to be alone. Retirement has helped in his pursuit.

In 2019, he spent 45 days waiting for the perfect photograph of a mink — one of his prize-winning shots. He also spent more than a month photographing a parliament of owls, winning an award for an eastern screech owl. He also won for a photograph of a family of raccoons poking their heads out of a knot in a tree.

Most of the time, “except when in [Yellowstone National] park,” Yule is alone in nature.

“When you go to the park, you have to prepare yourself to be part of animal sightings. Cellphones have changed photographing wildlife there. One text message goes out and a crowd quickly appears.”

Although Yule is occasionally seen amongst the crowd, photographing animals acclimated to humans, when in isolated areas he’s very conscious of the stress human presence can place on wildlife.

“I’d rather go home than stress them,” he said.

The North Fork is one of the last great places to be alone in nature, Yule said. He’s getting pretty good at melting into isolated environments. Since beginning to enter the Wyoming Wildlife contest, Yule has had four grand prize winners, 10 first place photos and 34 other awards in the competition. He’s also had two of his photos appear in the state magazine’s annual calendar.

Vicki Olson

Powell’s Vicki Olson won her first award in the contest with a third-place scenic photo called Petrified Sand Creek Dunes. The long-time adjunct professor of Northwest College decided to go back to school after retirement to hone her skills. She enrolled in the photographic communications program at Northwest despite starting photography at an early age.

“I got my first camera when I was 8,” she said.

The classes helped develop her skills and she now does freelance assignments as well as landscape photography.

More than 3,300 photos were entered this year, a record for the contest. It features photographers from around the country, but only of photos of wildlife and natural settings in the Cowboy State.

Other regional photographers who won awards in the Wyoming Wildlife contest included Clark’s Kathy Lichtendahl, Cody’s Amy Gerber and Greybull’s Mike Blissett.

(Editor’s note: The author of this story, Mark Davis, received an honorable mention for recreation, for a photo of a Wyoming Back Country Horsemen of America member taking in the view from atop Windy Mountain, alongside his mule.)