Cody Photographer Who Grew Up In Yellowstone’s Shadow Debuts Wildlife Book

Who doesn’t wonder about the story behind an amazing wildlife photograph? 

How high did the photographer have to climb to find mountain goats? How many hours did he have to stay still to catch a photo of a mother badger emerging from her den? What exactly is a “pika,” anyway?

Those questions were in the mind of Cody resident Julia Cook when she took on the task of creating a unique photo book featuring the creatures who inhabit Yellowstone National Park. 

Cook’s degree in environmental science from the University of Wyoming, paired with her skills as a wildlife photographer, were in full play when she began work on the book that became “Wild Wonders: The Untamed and Enigmatic Animals that Inhabit Yellowstone National Park.”

The book, now in wide release across the U.S., is more than just a photo album. 

“Wild Wonders” takes the reader on a field trip diving into biology, ecology and the nature of Yellowstone.

Young Photographer

For someone so young (Cook graduated from Cody High School in 2019), the variety of wildlife featured in the book, as well as the quality of the photos, would make one believe that this collection was a decade or more in the making. 

But Cook said her love affair with photography began just five years ago.

“I didn't really start photography until 2020, when all my college classes went online,” she said. “I've always loved Yellowstone, and we'd always go to the park. 

"And so while it's free time, I guess I'll go to Yellowstone a little more often than I'm used to.”

Cook said that she originally got a camera to simply document the wildlife she was encountering — and she got “hooked” fast.

“So then in the fall semester, and the rest of my time in college, I worked with my professors to get all online classes so I could stay in Cody and do school remotely, and go into Yellowstone almost every day,” she said.  

Photography Meets Science

Cook discovered that wildlife photography requires infinitely more patience than the wildlife watching she did with her parents and brother.

“When I was a kid, like, we'd sit and we'd watch a bear for a couple minutes and then leave,” she said. “But with photography, you’re sitting there and watching the animal over a couple hours.”

Cook files wildlife photography into both the “art” and the “science” folders.

“I've always been artistic and loved being creative, but I've also really loved science, too,” she said. “I always try to not let my presence affect the animals’ behavior or movement or anything, and that comes from the science background of being able to identify animal behavior, things like tracking, and knowing body language.” 

When it came to writing the book, Cook said she felt it was important to include both the art and the science to bring her subjects to life.

“So much of what conservation is, is people connecting with the photos and the wild animals,” she said. “So each section starts with the scientific facts, the ecology, any threats to the species, and then after that, there's a couple of photos for each species that tells my experience in the field behind that photo.”

Cook said her goal was to make the reader feel like they were there with her.

“I tried to make the narrative stories feel like someone was just sitting with me, out in the field, watching the wildlife with me,” she said.

Social Media Inspired

For anyone who might dismiss the impact of social media on a person’s career, it was Cook’s Instagram posts that inspired the book. 

She said publishing company The Quarto Group reached out to her because of the quality of her photographs on the social media platform.

“I thought it was a scam email at first,” said Cook, although some research quickly determined that the company was credible. “They had done a couple of illustrated books on national parks by artists, and they wanted to try something photography related.”

One of the editors had been following Cook’s Instagram account, which brought her to Quarto’s attention. 

“They first just asked if I'd be interested in using any of my photos for a photo book,” said Cook. “And then they asked if I knew anyone that knew anything about the wildlife of Yellowstone that would maybe want to write it.”

So Cook sent the publishers examples of her writing from her time at UW, and they offered her the opportunity to write the text of the book.

“They pretty much gave me creative control over what direction to go,” she said.

The Selection Process

Growing up in Cody, Cook said her inspiration for the layout of the book was the Draper Museum of Natural History at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West.

“I’ve been volunteering in their lab for about seven years, and one day walking through on my way to the lab, I got the idea to organize it by elevation, like the Draper,” she said. “The book starts in the plains and moves up in elevation through the mountain meadows and forests before ending in the alpine.”

Because of the wealth of photographs Cook has collected in the last five years, she said it was difficult to narrow down the pictures that would make it into “Wild Wonders.”

“Elk are most photographed during the rut, and the bulls. And so I wanted to include a cow elk,” she said. “And for the different grizzly bears that I photographed, I wanted to show them across the seasons.”

Although her focus was on the mammals of Yellowstone, there were some animals she wanted to include in the book that eluded her efforts.

“It's a joke with all my friends, but a pine marten is, like, my nemesis,” said Cook. “I can never get photos of a pine marten.”

So she said she included a section at the end of the book about the elusive animals of Yellowstone.

“The mountain lions and the things that were there, but I haven’t photographed,” said Cook. “I saw wolverine a couple years ago, so I talked about it in that section, but I didn't get any photos of it.”

For Cook, one of the joys of creating her book has been introducing others to the world she grew up in.

“For me growing up in Yellowstone, so many things are just ‘normal,’” she said. “And then I'd send (the editors) photos and sample texts, and it was funny. 

"They didn't know what a pika was, and they were all like, ‘This is the cutest animal ever.’”

Other Photography Adventures

While “Wild Wonders” is solely focused on the animals and ecosystem of Yellowstone, Cook’s website and Instagram accounts showcase the other wildlife she has photographed.

“I just got back from a trip photographing polar bears up in Canada,” she said. “I booked with a company up in Churchill (Manitoba), and spent five full days up there photographing polar bears. It was so cool.”

Additionally, Cook is hosting photography safaris and workshops in the Yellowstone region.

“I have one in February up in Cooke City,” she said. “I've been working with the Skyline guest ranch up there, doing some guiding and workshops. And I have another one of those in June sometime.”

Until then, Cook keeps her website and Instagram accounts updated with those stunning photographs.

“I have a website where I sell prints, and I have calendars too, and I just like sharing my photos with other people,” she said. 

Nationwide Exposure

One of the thrills for Cook is knowing that her view of Yellowstone is being shared across the nation. 

Her older brother, Trevor, is a dancer and choreographer in New York City (who also wrote the foreword for the book), and he discovered “Wild Wonders” in a major bookstore in Manhattan.

“He was in a Barnes and Noble in Manhattan, and just happened to see it there,” said Cook.

“So he sent me pictures of him holding it, and he had it open to the pages that he wrote.”

The book can also be found on Amazon, as well as in stores or online at Barnes and Noble. 

Cook said she knows it’s in Cody’s bookstore, Legends, but is unsure about the availability at other hometown stores.

“The publisher handled all the marketing stuff, which was really nice, because that's something that I don't really know much about,” she said.

The important thing for Cook is sharing Yellowstone with those who have never been, or who don’t get to be there as often as she does.

“I just try to inspire people to care about wildlife and spend time outside,” she said. “Really, the value of seeing wildlife is just seeing it — you don't have to get a photo for it to mean something. 

"There's so many days that I go and I don't even turn my camera on, but I still spend the day in Yellowstone. There's worse ways to spend some time.”

Wendy Corr can be reached at wendy@cowboystatedaily.com.