Over the past 25 years, University of Wisconsin photographer Jeff Miller has captured the many images and moments that make up the Wisconsin experience — a job he says came thanks to being in the right place at the right time.
Miller first became interested in photography around seventh grade when he got hold of the family camera one day and set out to take pictures. Intrigued, Miller asked his parents for more film, which he said “horrified” them, because it was during an era when one roll of film contained an annual chronicle of family events. But acting on his curiosity, he continued to work with the camera.
Miller said he got involved in high school photography and started taking photos for the yearbook. He was also involved in an art program with a strong emphasis in photography, which is what started to get him out of his shell.
“I was always kind of a more quiet, introverted child,” Miller said. “I’m an only child, so I was always off doing my own thing. I found this was a new way to explore the world and interact with people.“
Miller later obtained a fine art degree in photography from University of Dayton, where he soaked up as much as he could.
He had an internship at a fine art gallery going into his senior year, and as he was nearing the end of his second semester, he saw a job opportunity for a part-time photographer at the university’s public relations office. Miller said it was during a time when institutions were beginning to incorporate photos into their communications efforts.
He received the position, which led to him staying in Dayton four and a half years after graduating. But while working in the public relations office, Miller developed a close relationship with the photo editor of the Chronicle for Higher Education.
In putting together a photo essay on college campuses, the editor published a portfolio by Miller and also provided his name to UW as they were looking for a photographer.
That’s when things started to happen quickly. In just two months, his life changed completely.
“I just started to turn my life upside down going from just turning 26, to being here for an interview in a state I’ve never been in, to being offered a position, packing my life up in a truck and going off on a bold new adventure,” Miller said. “And I’m still here.”
Miller said the transition to UW was extremely hard, and that he felt like a guppy in an ocean with strong currents.
But he used this feeling to his advantage, with photography serving as a creative outlet for any transition he has embarked on. Whether it was the divorce of his parents in high school to getting his sea legs at UW, Miller always found the ability to explore through the camera lens.
And 25 years later, Miller is going strong. When it comes to his work, Miller said he looks for “moments and connection.”
He tries to find photographs that will allow him to mirror or express an opinion about an image and share that perception. He said people have strong connections to place, and when it comes to “this place,” he wants to capture the feel of Wisconsin and what’s special about it.
