National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP)

I have belonged to NAPP for several years and it has been a great resource for anything Photoshop.  The website is a wealth of information including tutorials, a help desk and a member forum.  Included in the membership is 10 issues a year of Photoshop User magazine which in itself is worth the price of membership.  Check it out if your interested in learning more about Adobe Photoshop.

Snow, snow and more snow...

We might break a record for December snowfall in Minnesota.  Twenty inches were dumped on us last week, and then 5 more yesterday.  I like the look of it, really hate driving in it.  Lately I have felt like the world is closing in on me because of the giant snowbanks everywhere.  They are these mountains of whiteness that block all scenery and also block intersections of traffic making it really hard to see around the corners.  Here is a huge snowbank I pulled up to in a parking lot yesterday.  Certainly not the largest I've seen.  Go into a school parking lot or a mall parking lot and there you will see some real impressive giants!

Ashes and Snow

This is one of my favorite websites.  Go there.  Spend some time.  Enjoy.

2010 Christmas Card

 I finally finished my Christmas Card for this year.  Whew!
Click on the picture to see it larger.

Final word about jobs I have held

O.K... let's see if I can remember a few more jobs I have had.  My current part-time job is at a wonderful photography studio called Lance Hill Photography.  Lance is an amazing portrait photographer who is a pleasure to work for.  When clients leave our studio after having their portraits taken, all they talk about is their great experience with Lance.  My main task at the photo studio is working at the computer with Adobe Photoshop and doing stuff with the photos.  I love it... it is challenging and rewarding to take part in creating memories for families and senior high school graduates.  I have worked there for about 10 years.
Here is a list of more jobs I have held over the years:  Nanny in New York;  Lifeguard at Bunker Hills Wave Pool;  Swim Instructor and Camp Counselor at Camp Kippewa in Maine;  Desk Attendant at Northtown Racquetball Club;  Slide Developer at Kodak;  Lifeguard at YMCA; Bingo worker at Little Canada Bingo Hall;  and last but not least I work occasionally throughout the year for Kittleson Marketing putting Butterbraid orders together.  I am positive I am leaving out a few jobs (for some of my other favorite jobs see previous blog posts).

A book I had to buy

So I love books.  When I moved to a new home a few months ago I packed my first 17 boxes with books.  And I wasn't even finished.  I am sure there is something to be said in the future with Kindles and Nooks and the like.  But I do consider real paper books to be something I decorate my home with.  Photographs and Books.  The stuff my home is made from.  (Besides family and friends and love of course... but right after those things are photographs and books :)  Anyway, I cannot go into any bookstore and not at least glance into the photography section...so today lo and behold I spied a book I knew I had to have.  "The Daily Book of Photography".  Set up to be like those daily doses of inspiration books.  So of course I bought it.  Because we all need to read inspirational books.

More Jobs

I worked at PartyCrashers Photography as a picture framer and occasional studio assistant when the photographer Tom needed help "wrangling" the live animals he was shooting the kids with.  Tom is an awesome photographer and I witnessed him work some true magic with kids and animals.  I also shot quite a few weddings with Deborah Sussex who is based in Ely, Minnesota.  You can't ask for a nicer and more down to earth photographer.  It was a pleasure to work with her and she is a great inspiration to me.  I ran my own business of Hartmann Custom Framing for a few years.  I was a really good picture framer.  But one day I decided it was really boring and I would rather be out taking and framing my own pictures.  So I pretty much stopped framing for others.  I do find it funny though that even many years later people still ask me to frame their pictures.  I have learned to politely say No.  Let's see... how about one more for todays post... how about Little Canada Bingo Hall.  Good money, crazy ladies with having fun displaying their trolls for good luck, me going to bed smelling like smoke... oh the memories....

My favorite and most unique job

A balloon chaser.  Not so many years ago I worked for Aamodt's Hot Air Balloon Company in Stillwater.  We would be on call and work wind permitting.  Anything over 9 or 10 mph winds and the balloons wouldn't go up for safety reasons.  Which meant I would work on the most gorgeous and beautiful sunrise and sunset days in the spring, summer and fall.  We would blow up the huge hot air balloons with the sun just rising over the horizon.  Peaceful, serene.  Then the balloon would go up with smiles on the customers faces.  Me and the crew would get in a van with our walkie talkies and follow the balloon for an hour and try to be at the spot where they would land.  The take down of the balloon was the hardest part, and the putting away of that big piece of fabric that had just been flying in the sky.  But I loved every minute of it.  I even loved it when I jumped on the basket to try to give it some more weight and then it crashed into a tree and I looked up and said, "trees on fire..." as me and the basket and the customers went bouncing down a steep hill.  I even loved it when me and the crew were running with all our speediness early in the morning through tall wet weeds to try to catch the balloon and I tripped and fell and me and the earth became one.  Ah... those were the days.... !

Lots of jobs, lots of learning, lots of fun

I work too much.  That is a given.  One day I hope to take it easier.  But for now work is an integral part of my life.  I love my jobs so that helps.  I also like learning new things... and one way to learn new things is by taking on a new job and getting paid for learning something new.  My main bread and butter job has stayed the same for 22 years.  I work at a preschool center that has changed names 3 times since I started there in 1988.  Daybridge Learning Center, Children's World and now currently Kindercare.  Over the next few days I will post some different jobs that I have had in the last 12 years or so that supplemented my income at the preschool and also helped fund my photography passion.  Oh, and those extra jobs also helped me purchase my beautiful red canoe.  Can't forget the canoe.  I love that thing.

Joe Seliga - Master Canoe Builder

Here is a photo of Joe Seliga the one time I got the honor to meet him. He was a Master Canoe Builder for most of his life up in Ely, Minnesota which is right on the border of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (bwcaw). I was helping to photograph a wedding up in Ely and he was attending the wedding. After talking to him for about 20 minutes or so I saw this empty rocking chair on the porch and asked him if I could take his picture with him in the chair. He chuckled and said Sure!

Joe died a few years back but you can read about him here.

My good friend and photographer Deborah Sussex also took all the photos for a book about Joe's canoe building. The book is titled, "The Art of the Canoe with Joe Seliga". Check it out if you are interested.

Praying Mantis Photo Session Outtakes

Long story short...I brought a Praying Mantis home to photograph. I set up a mini-table top photo studio over by a sliding glass door for natural light. I had big green leaves and a yellow flower. I had a blast photographing him. Sometimes he ran up my arm, sometimes he stared right at me, sometimes he turned his head and watched my TV. Here are two of the out-takes that make me smile. He would run over to the edge of the white board I had set up...he didn't quite know what to do when he reached the end of his world.

He is back living in my friends flower garden now...he does miss the TV though.

Photography Show

I just finished with the biggest and most fun photography project I have ever worked on.

I currently have 29 framed photographs on display at St. John's Hospital in Maplewood, MN. There are 4 artist walls in a busy hallway where they are hanging. Part of the proceeds from any sales goes to St. John's teen volunteer program.

I am honored to have my photos displayed there. Here is one of the walls. The photographs will be on display during the entire month of July.

Souris River Canoe Factory

Last May I was lucky enough to be able to canoe and camp in the Quetico Wilderness in Ontario, Canada for 6 days. When my friends and I exited the Quetico and went to the nearest town, it happened to be Atikokan where my canoe was built. We stopped and a friendly worker gave us a tour of how they make the Souris River canoe from beginning to end. Here is where the finished canoes are hung until they are purchased and put on the delivery truck. Most of these canoes were sold, just waiting to be delivered to their excited customer!

The Canoe

I decided it was appropriate for my first post on this blog to show you my canoe, after all... that is how the name Paddletramp came about. I love my canoe. I use it a lot and am not afraid to beat it up a bit all in the name of fun! My canoe is a red LeTigre Souris River Quetico 16. About 39 pounds of kevlar, light enough for me to carry it myself when I need to. It is made at the Souris River Company in Atikokan, Canada. You can buy them at the Red Rock Store in Ely, Minnesota. After 4 years I wanted to bring back the shine of my canoe, so I went to the Red Rock Store website where directions are posted for the process. Here are my Before, During and After results. Beautiful!