Kathleen Ricker has been in love with wildlife since she was 2 years old (she doesn’t remember when she first fell in love but her parents told her stories). She knew from an early age that she wanted to work with wildlife and conservation. Unfortunately no matter how much she loved these two areas she could not seem get a grasp on the science and math classes that were needed in order to study these fields. So she majored in photography and area that she studied since she was 13 years old. In 2008, she started her own full time wedding photography business and has had a successful career photographing weddings and portraits around the world since. 

In January 2013, Kathleen felt something in her life was missing. So she went online and found a photography program that was taking place the next month in South Africa. It was a month long program in southern South Africa that also worked with Great White Shark Research. She said to herself. Life is short, why not and went. People will tell you can’t just go to Africa once… and they are right. That one little trip kicked off a desire to travel and to see wildlife in its natural habitat all over the world. She put together a list… Gorillas, Polar Bears, Penguins… and thanks to her amazing husband she traveled to all seven continents photographing these beautiful creatures and telling their story of survival. 

Ricker’s Wildlife Safari’s was an idea long in the making. While traveling Kathleen’s passion for wildlife grew. Her experiences with these animals became something she wanted to share. She started bringing friends and family members with her and watching them experience these animals in the wild was just so beautiful. She wanted others to feel what it was like to be a few feet away from a silverback gorilla. She wanted people to know what it sounds like listening to the matriarch elephant rumble a call to her herd. She wanted people to be immersed in the wild and culture of the world. So , she traveled throughout Africa for five years, on over 100 safari’s, before she found the right guides that she felt were perfect to take clients with. She wanted her guides to have a good personality, fun and easy to talk to; they had to understand wildlife behavior so that they can make sure that her photography clients get the perfect shots, and most importantly they had to share a love of wildlife. It was also important that we developed working relationships with African based companies in order to keep the maximum amount of money in the hands of the people in the country. 

Kathleen has carefully developed tours that include the best wildlife experiences possible in a 2 week or less trip. She loves teaching beginner photographers how to take photos and watching their skills develop over the trip. But her favorite part is seeing the emotion on someone’s face as they see their first African animal walk past them. It is something you will never forget. 

Kathleen’s work has been featured in Galleries all over the world. She has also won many international photography awards for her wildlife art.

Ricker’s Wildlife Safari is based in Frederick Maryland. About 45 miles from Washington DC.