Kasey Mueller Photography

10/06/2026

Well, this is a lovely surprise. ❤️

My photograph “Ten Lives in the Grass,” featuring the Golden Boys of the Serengeti, has been nominated for the Exposure One Photographer of the Year People’s Vote Award.

These three magnificent males — Rolo, Rasta and Kaka — gave me one of those mornings in the Serengeti I will never forget. I first heard their roars in the darkness outside our camp, and at dawn we found them together, moving through the grass on patrol.

I entered this image because I loved what it said about lions beyond their power and beauty: their relationships, their alliances, and the bonds that help them survive.

I am admittedly terrible at asking people to vote for me 😂, but apparently that is how a People’s Choice Award works.

So, if this image speaks to you, I would be incredibly grateful for your vote. And if you feel inclined to return another day, Exposure One allows one vote per day. Also, while you are there, get inspiration from and vote for my fellow nominees.

Mostly, I’m just pretty darn thrilled that the Golden Boys made it this far. 🦁🦁🦁

Thank you for cheering on my photography, my wildlife obsession, and the animals whose stories I’m so fortunate to share. ❤️

Photographer of the Year Contest People's Vote Awards by Exposure One Awards is Now Open

09/08/2026

🦌 WE HAVE ELK!!! 🦌

I am ridiculously, embarrassingly, can’t-think-straight excited about this.

Our game cameras at High Road Wildlife Preserve captured something we have been hoping for since day one: a magnificent bull elk and a cow, quietly grazing their way through our protected wildlife corridor.

ELK. AT HIGH ROAD. ❤️

When we began restoring and protecting these 10 acres, the dream was never simply to see more wildlife. It was to create a safe place for wildlife to move through—a little piece of connected habitat where animals coming down from the mountains could find food, cover, water and, most importantly, a place where they were welcome.

We’ve watched the deer use it. Moose have found us. Coyotes pass through. Eagles appeared. Owls moved in. Black Bear hang out. Cougars commute. Hummingbirds and bees feast and work in the pollinator gardens.

And now… ELK.

There’s an old saying, “If you build it, they will come.”

Apparently, sometimes they come with antlers. 😂🦌

I’m hoping these two are the first of many elk making their way down the mountain toward their winter range this year. For now, I’m simply going to celebrate this little victory for habitat, connectivity and coexistence.

Because sometimes conservation looks like huge initiatives and sweeping landscapes.

And sometimes it looks like protecting the little piece of earth you’ve been entrusted with—and waking up one morning to discover that wildlife noticed. ❤️🌲

Welcome to High Road, beautiful ones. We’ve been waiting for you.

05/10/2026

Of all the mothers I’ve spent time with this year — lions on the Serengeti, vigilant cheetahs, protective elephants, and watchful antelope — these tiny hummingbird mamas stole my heart.

No bigger than a thumb, they build intricate nests, defend their young fearlessly, and work tirelessly from dawn to dusk to keep impossibly tiny chicks alive. Resilient. Fierce. Determined.

To all the mothers, in nature — and beyond — including you- Happy Mother’s Day. 💕🐦

04/25/2026

I’m not a list maker on safari. I trust the guides, and I trust whatever Mother Nature decides to reveal.

That said… when our guide asked us what we wanted to see, after saying- whatever you and Nature want to show us, I may have thrown out jokingly a request for a caracal (which is kind of like asking for a unicorn).

Hours later, our incredible guide, , quietly stated that he had spotted “three cheetahs…”,
then paused and whispered—“…caracal.”

We spent the evening with this young male as he hunted, completely at ease with our presence.

Moral of the story:
Sometimes the most extraordinary moments come when you stop asking… and let nature decide what you are worthy of seeing.

04/09/2026

I see the world in black & white.

I actually shoot most of my images in monochrome—because it helps me focus on light, form, and emotion without distraction.

But here’s the magic of modern cameras… even when I shoot in monochrome, a full color file is still captured behind the scenes. No risk. Just a choice.

And sometimes—like this moment—I get to decide later:
timeless simplicity… or the full story in color.

So now I’m curious—
🖤 Monochrome or 🎨 Color?
Which one speaks to you?

03/14/2026

BREAKING NEWS: Wildlife Photographers attempt to migrate back to the USA (part 3 of the saga)

Our Nairobi hotel reservation has now also disappeared… apparently following our original flight into the tall grass.

After a brief scramble we’ve secured a new temporary refuge and have officially activated the Escape Plan.

Next objective: reach the aircraft before it also evaporates.

Fingers crossed. 🐘✈️📷 2:00 AM Wheels Up!!

03/13/2026

How to accidentally become a temporary refugee:
A wildlife photographer’s field guide

Step 1: Plan a perfectly normal trip to Africa.
Step 2: Pack enough camera gear to photograph every species from elephant to dung beetle.
Step 3: Watch regional geopolitics close airspace like a herd of buffalo blocking the trail.
Step 4: Have your airline cancel, rebook, cancel again, and finally erase your flight entirely.
Step 5: Realize the panic-bought backup tickets you purchased two weeks ago (at prices normally reserved for small aircraft) are now your only escape plan.

We’re safe, well fed, and being treated incredibly kindly by the wonderful people here—so this remains firmly in the first-world adventure category.

But watching flights disappear overnight does make you think about how quickly travel systems can unravel—and about the millions of people who navigate that uncertainty without resources, backup plans, or a network helping them.

For now, we remain temporarily feral wildlife photographers waiting for March 18 like a leopard waiting at a watering hole.

Stay tuned. The migration home continues. 🐘📷✈️
Question for fellow travelers:
What’s the most unexpected place you’ve ever been stranded?

03/13/2026

How to accidentally become a temporary refugee:
A Wildlife Photographer’s Field Guide

Step 1: Plan a perfectly normal trip to Africa.
Step 2: Pack enough camera gear to photograph every species from elephant to dung beetle.
Step 3: Watch regional geopolitics close airs like a herd of buffalo blocking the trail.
Step 4: Have your airline cancel, rebook, cancel again, and finally erase your flight entirely.
Step 5: Realize the panic-bought backup tickets you purchased two weeks ago (at prices normally reserved for small aircraft) are now your only escape plan.

We’re safe, well fed, and being treated incredibly kindly by the wonderful people here—so this remains firmly in the first-world adventure category.

But watching flights disappear overnight does make you think about how quickly travel systems can unravel—and about the millions of people who navigate that uncertainty without resources, backup plans, or a network helping them.

For now, we remain temporarily feral wildlife photographers waiting for March 18 like a leopard waiting at a watering hole.

Stay tuned. The migration home continues. 🐘📷✈️

Question for fellow travelers:
What’s the most unexpected place you’ve ever been stranded?

03/13/2026

How to accidentally become a temporary refugee:
A Wildlife Photographer’s Field Guide

Step 1: Plan a perfectly normal trip to Africa.
Step 2: Pack enough camera gear to photograph every species from elephant to dung beetle.
Step 3: Watch regional geopolitics close airspace like a herd of buffalo blocking the trail.
Step 4: Have your airline cancel, rebook, cancel again, and finally erase your flight entirely.
Step 5: Realize the panic-bought backup tickets you purchased two weeks ago (at prices normally reserved for small aircraft) are now your only escape plan.

We’re safe, well fed, and being treated incredibly kindly by the wonderful people here—so this remains firmly in the first-world adventure category.

But watching flights disappear overnight does make you think about how quickly travel systems can unravel—and about the millions of people who navigate that uncertainty without resources, backup plans, or a network helping them.

For now, we remain temporarily feral wildlife photographers waiting for March 15th like a leopard waiting at a watering hole.

Stay tuned. The migration home continues. 🐘📷
Question for fellow travelers:
What’s the most unexpected place you’ve ever been stranded?

03/12/2026

BREAKING NEWS: Apparently we now live in Africa.

The Monday March 10th flight home vanished like a leopard at dusk. ✈️🐆
Cancelled. Rebooked. Cancelled again. Then gone.

Two weeks ago, after supporting friends stranded for 10 days + in Dubai, we panic-bought backup tickets for mid and late March at prices that should include a new prime lens or a small car, hoping that we would never need to use them. We laughed when we purchased them thinking that we would never have to use them. We aren’t laughing any more.

We’re safe (this is definitely a first-world problem), but watching flights disappear overnight makes you think about the people who face this reality without options.

The bright side? The people here have been incredibly kind and helpful while we figure out our unexpected extended stay.

For now we remain wildlife photographers… temporarily living in the wild.

Honestly, there are worse continents to be stranded on. 🐘📷