‘Beauty of our planet’: Meline Ellwanger’s journey to nature photography

From the savannahs of Kenya to the rainforests of Brazil to the wild beauty of Yellowstone, Meline Ellwanger has devoted the past seven years to showing her love of nature through photography. 

Ellwanger, a senior studying fish and wildlife ecology management, moved to California from Germany when she was 15. After graduating high school, she moved to Bozeman to practice wildlife photography. According to her, she was drawn to the unique plants and animals that Montana has to offer. 

“I've always had a very big passion for wildlife, and in Germany, we don't have that much wildlife,” she said. “I love that after class I can just head to Yellowstone. I really want to continue doing my photography, and I want to be in a place where I can do that anytime I really want to.”

Ellwanger began exploring photography when she was 15 years old.

“I wanted to make one of those dog Instagrams for our dog,” Ellwanger said. “So I taught myself everything to do with blogs and everything about how a camera works.”

From there, her passion for photography continued to grow. In 2018, Ellwanger and her mother went on a cruise to Greenland so she could expand her wildlife photography portfolio. There, she was approached by a cruise director who asked her to showcase her photographs. Ellwanger said that this presentation is what kicked off her professional career.

Four years later, Ellwanger’s photography journey brought her to the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya, where she spent a month working at the Matira Bushcamp. Here, she created promotional content for German filmmaker Reinhard Radke, who was leading a study trip for clients interested in wildlife filmmaking. Ellwanger said she was responsible for filming clients on their safaris, as well as Radke’s fieldwork. 

While in Kenya, Ellwanger also visited Tepesua Village, a haven for young girls escaping abuse. 

“I photographed the girls for sponsor communications and learned a lot about the village, which was an incredibly moving experience,” she said. 

Ellwanger’s photography began to gain traction when she won the youth category for Nature’s Best Photography International Award in 2023. Nature’s Best is a photography magazine dedicated to promoting conservation through wildlife photography. 

“For photographers, one of the best ways besides social media to get your work out there and get recognized is through awards or competitions,” Ellwanger said. “[Winning] Nature’s Best was incredible.”

After winning the competition, Ellwanger was asked to become an ambassador for the magazine. She said she now works to promote conservation and connect people to nature through photography. 

“My hope is that with my images, I can bring people closer to nature and give them a piece of that even if they're not physically there,” Ellwanger said. “They have my pictures and can learn more about the animals, the environment and the ecosystem. They can also just see the beauty of our planet, and see what's at risk and what's at stake.”

According to her, wildlife photography can brighten anyone’s day.

“Seeing pictures of animals or just nature is very relaxing and calming,” Ellwanger said. “I don't think there's a single person [who] sees animal pictures and doesn't get happy.”

Ellwanger, who will graduate in the spring of 2026, said she hopes to bring her photography into the research field.

“[Something] I would love to eventually be part of in Kenya is [researching] the two last northern white rhinos,” Ellwanger said. “I'd love to be able to do journalism photography for conservation efforts like that, where we’re trying to bring them back from the brink of extinction.”

To learn more about Ellwanger and her photography, visit her website at https://meline-ellwanger.com/.