From teacher to traveler — I’m Kathy Pudelko.

I’ve always dreamed of being a wildlife photographer — I just didn’t know how to get started when I was young. Instead, I spent over 40 years teaching and coaching, a career I loved deeply. Working with students of all ages gave me joy, purpose, and a lifetime of meaningful moments.

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When the world paused during COVID, I chose to retire… and finally follow the calling that had never left me: to travel and photograph wildlife, capturing animals in their natural homes, doing what they do best — simply being.

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Since then, I’ve been fortunate to travel across the globe — from Australia to Africa, South America to Southeast Asia. With a group of adventurous friends, one would plan, another would journal, and I? I had the camera. That’s how this journey began.

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Every photo you see here is real — not AI-generated, not overly retouched. I prefer to let nature speak for itself. Animals don’t pose. They don’t pretend. They live honestly, moment by moment. That’s the beauty I try to capture.

I hope, as you explore these images, you feel a little of that same wonder and joy I feel every time I lift my camera in the wild.