The Indianhead
PHOTOGRAPHER
In the Spirit of Cooperation, Not Competition
Published by the Indianhead Photographers, Inc. Editor: Tom Blomlie F-IPPA
October 2006
Indianhead
Photographers, Inc..
Officers &
Board of Directors
June Gold Arrow
President
Kirk Kolpitcke
1903 N Mountain Rd.
Wausau WI 54401
715-842-5946
amountainstudio@verizon.net
Vice President
Treasure
Ginny Otto
5487 Elmwood Ave
Stevens Point WI 54481
715-341-9001
ottophotography@charter.net
Secretary
Katie Scott
866 115th Street
Amery WI 54001
Time with my Friends
715-268-9363
kmc_photo@yahoo.com
Past President Matthew Murray
Program Chair
Paul Hafermann
130 8th St. N
Wisconsin Rapids WI 54494
Directors: Dave Ambers Rick McNitt Jane Bores Bill Nieman
715-424-3979
hafermannphoto@charter.net
The President’s Message
Kirk Kolpitcke F-IPPA
Happy Autumn everyone!
Thanks Tom, for the reminder that I need to get this
off.
My eyes are buggy from sitting in front of the com-
puter, getting yearbook files ready for the high
schools. I’m not sure if I would rather be sticking
negs to cards or manipulating images on the com-
puter.
With summer winding down, I hope you took some time to enjoy family and
friends. Thanks to Jane and Al for hosting a great get together back in June.
Al sure does know how to build a bonfire! It was nice to see so many of you
at the picnic in Wisconsin Rapids in August. Thanks to
Paul and Jenny for hosting the event and everyone who
Indianhead
brought all the goodies. Always a good time.
Photographers, Inc.
Appointed Chairs
Even though the weather man is saying that our leaves
are not at peak yet, plan on taking a colorful ride to
Print Chairman
Marilyn Graveen Merrill Oct 9. Phil Ziesemer is going to be busy hosting
45 Burns Street the meeting and giving the presentation, 12 points of a
Wausau WI 5440
75-675-9757 Merit Print, just in time for state convention. The next
photomdg@yahoo.com
week, plan on driving to Waukesha for the state confer-
ence. Lots of great speakers.
Newsletter
Editor
Oh well, back to Photoshop. See you in Merrill!
Tom Blomlie
798 54th Ave
Chippewa Falls WI 5479 Kirk
75-73-636
tblomlie@charter.net
Membership
Tom Giles
4 S. Hastings Way
Eau Claire WI 5470
75-834-993
tom@gilesphoto.com
Historian: Pat Clifton, Service Award: Paul Hafermann, Fellowship: Tom Blomlie
than the people who did it with film
From the Editor and the traditional printing methods. I
remember when I first started in this pro-
Tom Blomlie F-IPPA fession, I would go to Steve Johnson's
studio with a fist full of negatives, and
we would do a marathon printing--mak-
Hi everyone, ing changes, printing again, making
more changes, printing again, etc. Once
I hope your sum- we had it the way we though it would
mer was busy and merit, we then had to pick out a mat
that you found color for the underlayment and one for
some time to the base. We would mount the print to
spend with your the underlay mat, cut it so you only have
family and friends. a sliver of mat showing, then ATG tape
Diane and I went to the Hafermann pic- that mat to the base mat, take the mat
nic this summer, and we had a great to the spray booth and put many layers
time. If you missed this, you should of high gloss spray on it. My first three
make sure to put it in your calendar for merits I owe to Steve. My question is,
next year, that is if Paul and Jenny are does he deserve the merit or do I? At
going to have one next year. We had least I had some say in the print, but he
great weather for it (started out a little did most of the work. Today we do it all
cool but warmed up as the day went in the computer--the mat, the underlay-
on). We played some silly game called ment, the testing; and when it's all ready
Bocce Ball. It was fun, and we all got to go, hit print. Then take it over to the
some exercise to burn up all the great laminator and put the best high gloss
food. We did have to put up with Dick finish you can get, that is if there are no
Standeven's story of the sailing trip to defects in the piece of laminate that you
Door County and Madeline Island. It didn't see. But if that happens, you just
reminded me of Giligan's Island. Come hit print again, and you have the very
to think of it, Dick does look a lot like the same results as the first print, try that in
skipper and Cindy like Ginger. the conventional darkroom.
Our program this month is the twelve Hope to see all of you in Merrill.
elements to a merit print. I'm looking for-
ward to that as I'm still trying to get my
master's degree. I have a lot of respect
for anyone who has their masters as it
isn't as easy as just entering print com-
petition. You really have to put a lot of Next Newsletter Deadline
work into each print as anyone knows October 27, 2006
who has entered trying to get a merit
print. However, I think we have it easier
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From the Hafermann Picnic
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From the June Meeting
Past Presidents
From left to right: Steve McConnell, Mary Bolas, Phil Ziesemer, Bill Nieman,
Dick Standeven, Tom Blomlie, Tom Giles, Phil Dammen, Pat Clifton, Steve
Johnson, Jim Bayliss, Paul Hafermann, Carol Clifton, Virg Byng, Ken Noesen,
Ron Burg, Rick McNitt, Dave Wacker, JD Wacker.
Special Service Awards
Dick and Cindy Standeven Jane Byng
Special Service Award 2006 Special Service Award 2006
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Directions to Phil Ziesmer Photography
Click on the map for driving directions from your studio or home
Directions to Club Modern
Click on the map for driving directions from your studio or home
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Oct MeetIng InFORMatIOn
IPPA Meeting October 9, 2006
Hosted by Phil Ziesemer
Club Modern
1005 S. Center Ave.
Merrill WI
715-536-5672
Schedule
Open house 8:30 AM to 0:00 AM
There will be some items for sale such as backgrounds and props
9:30 Board Meeting at Club Modern
0:5 Regular Business Meeting
:00 Print Competition Seniors/open ( prints)
:00 Lunch
:00 Program Phil Ziesemer & Dan Stoller
Lunch Menu
Buffet style w/salad bar, broasted chicken,
salisbury steak, swiss steak, vegetables, mashed potatoes and gravy
RSVP BY 12 PM Oct 7 A Step above
Indianhead Meeting and Beyond
Reservation Form the Ordinary...
Contact the host to reserve a place
PPA Certification
for lunch. You can pay the host at the
meeting, but we need to know how
many people are attending.
Monday October 9th
Lunch No._____
$11 RSVP or $13 at the door
Name:_________________ For application package Contact:
Phil Ziesemer 715-536-4540
Studio:_________________
Phil Ziesemer
1200 E. 7th Street
Merrill WI 54452
715-536-4540 Indianhead Website
philz@pzphoto.com www.indianheadphotographers.org
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General Meeting Minutes
6-12-06
Rice Lake, WI
Kirk Kolpitcke called the meeting to order at 10:22am.
Introductions were made.
Secretaries Report: Published. Motion to accept by Tom Giles second by Pat Clifton.
Treasurers Report: Verbal Report Given. Motion to accept by Jim Bayliss second by Steve
McConnell.
Membership: New Members: Jonathan Accardo, Portrait City and Troxel Green, Apollo Photo
Imaging were approved for membership.
Newsletter: New advertiser: Portrait City from Kansas City, MO.
Special Services Award: Paul Hafermann! Past recipients: Jane Byng in memory of Jack &
Betty Anderson, RES Photography-the studio as a whole.
August 6th picnic in WI Rapids at 11:00am
PPA Report: No Report.
WPPA Report: Sponsorship not required (nor for PPA)-called blacklisting. Still have to qualify
and be approved, just taken off paper.
Old Business: Tom Blomlie exploring to purchase InDesign. Print Rule updates: Helen K.
Marilyn, Jim B, and Ginny O. reviewing to keep in line with PPA. Final report later.
New Business: Pictures for newsletter. Workshop-Wakers with Paul Hayashi flyer passed out.
Treehaven: Early Bird Special already 50+ registered so pick your classes now! Next payment
due: June 15th.
Next meeting: Merrill, WI on October 9, 2006. 12 Elements of a Merit Print.
Past Presidents Recognition
Motion to adjourn meeting by Tom Giles, second by Steve McConnell. 10:51am
Respectfully Submitted,
Katie Scott, IPPA Secretary
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Notice to all IPPA members
All,
Our good friend Louie Bock has been in and out of the hospital for the
last several weeks. If you've met him, you like him. He's one of the
true gentleman of our profession and he deserves whatever comfort
we can bring him right now. Please do for him as you would like your
photographic comrades to do for you in such a situation. He's at the
Ripon Medical Center at 933 Newbury Street in Ripon WI 5497,
Room 201. We have a rather solitary profession. At times like these,
all we have is each other. Let Louie and Shelby know that you're think-
ing of them.
Todd Kunstman
President of Fox Valley Professional Photographers Association Inc. 06-07
1120 North Hickory Farm Lane
Appleton, WI. 54914
920-734-5328
commddot@aol.com
www.kenmarstudio.com
9
evald spot.qxp 6/7/2005 12:11 PM Page 1
evaldmoulding@mcleodusa.net
www.evaldmoulding.com
• One-day chop service
• Length moulding Watertown, Wisconsin
• Readymade frames
• Ovals & specialty frames
(800)873–3300
Fax (800)871–4771
“What I love most about
Portrait City is the personal,
one-on-one relationships
that we develop with each
of our clients.”
Jonathan Accardo
Portrait City Account Representative
Personal Care Is Our Finishing Touch
www.portraitcity.net a Custom Color Company
0
Some Fun at Treehaven
Photos by Kirk
Photo by Paul Hafermann
Carl making good light out of bad.
Gold Arrow
Time with my Friends
Matthew Murray
For Sale
9x12 Ply Bags
$35 per 1000
Contact
Rick McNitt
at
rickmcnitt@yahoo.com
October Program
12 Attributes
of the
Merit print
Phillip R. Ziesemer began his career as a wedding photographer in Phillip R. Ziesemer
CPP, M.Photog., F-IPPA
Milwaukee at the age of 17, just after his high school graduation in 1969.
After graduating from the photography program at the Milwaukee Area Technical College, he
moved to Platteville, where he completed his studies for a bachelors degree in visual communi-
cations. After a six-year tour as a news photographer and writer in Merrill, he accepted a posi-
tion as a human resources professional in a manufacturing facility. Seven years later, he and his
wife, Mary, opened their studio. 21 years later, Phil Ziesemer Photography is one of the premier
studios in Central Wisconsin. Phillip is one of only 45 CPP's in the state and one of the few
Master Photographers in North Central Wisconsin. He completed the PPA judging course in San
Diego, CA in 2005.
Daniel J. Stoller (who will be presenting the program with Phil) has
been a full-time professional color lab technician and photographer
since 1970. After a 10 year apprenticeship with Harmann Studios in
Green Bay, he and Charles Leinginger of Photography by Leinginger,
Inc., founded Print Masters Imaging, Inc. After 25 years, Print Masters
became known as one of the best high-end, carriage trade labs in the
Midwest. A PPA Master Photographer and Photographic Craftsman
with over 75 print merits, Dan became an approved international juror
in 1984.
Daniel J. Stoller
CPP, M.Photog., Cr.
Their program will cover the 12 attributes of the merit print. It will include examples and a
lively explanation of the 12 points that each judge considers when he or she evaluates a con-
vention submission. The program is intended to help the attendees understand the process
of becoming a Master Photographer.
Time permitting, Phil, who is the former CPP Liaison between the WPPA and the PPA, will
discuss the importance of achieving the CPP degree and the process of achieving it.
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Print competition
June 2006
Wedding
Our Beginnings Rick McNitt 75
Admiration in the Milk House Ken Noessen 77
Always a Brides Maid Jim Bayliss 75
Lauren Pat Clifton 76
Open
Dreaming Jean Wacker 77
She Likes Hats Dave Wacker 77
The Colors of Bangkok JD Wacker 78
Game Day Across from Wrigley Field Ken Noesen 77
Time with my Friends Matt Murray 81
Out of Africa JD Wacker 78
The Grand Master Dave Wacker 80
Kristen Tom Giles 77
Real Fakey Flowers Jim Bayliss 77
Hockey is my Passion Jean Wacker 79
Blown Away Dick Standeven 78
gold arrow
Time with my Friends Matt Murray 81
Use these labels for your print entry
IPPa PRInt cOMPetItIOn IPPa PRInt cOMPetItIOn
( 2 prints total) ( 2 prints total)
Circle one Circle one
Senior Open Wedding Open
Title:__________________________ Title:__________________________
Maker:________________________ Maker:________________________
Score:________ Score:________
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In-Focus
How it all began.....
I have often been asked how I got started or how long I've been
doing photography - I was born with a camera in my hand, and it
was a very painful birth for my mother.
Actually, I took my first photograph when I was about three or four
By years old. My father was an excellent amateur photographer in his
thomas W. giles younger years. My Dad is now 90 years old and has embraced digi-
M.Photog.Cr.,CPP,F-WPPA,F-IPPA
tal. He has a Nikon point and shoot digital camera and a 4x6 digi-
tal printer at home. I am one of five boys and we all grew up in our
black and white darkroom, learning the basics of developing our film and making prints.
I have enjoyed photography my entire life, but it wasn't until I was in college at UW-EC that I really
started doing photography for others. I was often asked to photograph the artwork of other art stu-
dents. It seemed that I was one of the few who knew what to do with a camera and they needed slides
to get into shows and graduate school. I earned two degrees at UW-EC, first a Bachelors of Business
Administration and then I went back for a second degree, a Bachelors of Fine Arts in design.
It was in graduate school, in Madison, that my photography really started to take over. I was studying
sculpture, but kept more and more involved in photography. I began shooting at rock concerts and soon
was doing all the photography for a Madison radio station as a tie-in for their promotional contests. I had
won tickets for the Paul McCartney concert in Chicago from WISM radio in Madison, and of course took
a few photographs. It's because of those photographs that the radio station began hiring me to do their
photography. It wasn't long before I was asked to do some photography for Isthmus, a weekly newspaper
in Madison, and soon the Mad City Music Sheet and eventually the Emerald City Chronicle.
I was photographing 60 to 80 concerts per year from 975 - 979. Because of my concert photography,
some of my clients that were buying concert photos, asked me to do family portraits and some weddings.
Of course, I didn't have any idea about what I was doing at a wedding, but the customer was happy.
(Scary isn't it!) I made all of $80 from my first wedding. I think most of us have been in this same
situation when we were getting started in our careers.
While in Madison my grandmother gave each of her grandchildren some money, so I took some of it
and bought a Nikon FM. What is interesting about this is that I went to two different camera stores in
Madison to look at equipment to buy. When I told the owner of the first store that I had one thousand
dollars to spend, he responded by telling me that basically I was broke. He wasn't sure that he could help
me get the combination of what I was looking for. Needless to say, I was very insulted. I had never had
$000 to spend like this before and I felt as though I was on top of the world with all this money. I went
to another store and told the owner, or manager, the same thing. He rubbed his hands together and said,
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"Let me show you what we can do." I bought my equipment from him and never went back into the
other store again.
In 979, the Emerald City Chronicle folded. Nancy, myself and our one-year-old daughter Dawn
moved back to Eau Claire. We built a new home and I worked a few jobs while getting a small in-home
photography business going. A little over a year after our move to Eau Claire, we made another big
move. An opportunity came up to buy a portrait studio; so on April , 98, we bought a studio that had
existed for 70 years.
Since I enjoy children and didn't have a problem being very silly around them, we developed a pretty
good children's photography business. Many of my merits have been of children. I also enjoy the chal-
lenge of pet photography, seniors and families. These combined, make up about 95% of my business. I
also do some commercial photography. I have retired from the wedding photography business.
I am a believer that we need to push beyond our comfort zone and try things that other photographers
won't, don't or can't do. A number of years ago I took on a commercial job that three other photogra-
phers turned down. They told the client that it couldn't be done. None of them took a look at the proj-
ect, but still decided that it couldn't be done. When I went over, I made a couple of suggestions that he
liked better than what he had requested. I hate to tell a client that something can't be done, I'd rather sug-
gest some other ways to do what they want that could be better and stands a better chance of success.
My youngest daughter, Megan, was almost a year old when we bought the studio. Around the time she
was eight years old, she was coming along and helping me with weddings. By age ten, she was tak-
ing the time exposures from the balcony. When Megan was
twelve, she was at the studio with me one weekend when I was
working to finish my competition prints. During that week-
end, she started asking about competition and if there was an
age limit or not. I told her that I didn't think there was a limit,
but that she would have to come up with some ideas and start
shooting before she could enter. She came up with a number of
ideas and they would have probably been fine, but by late sum-
mer, she really wanted to get started. Her first attempt at com-
petition was with a portrait that she created of me with my 99
Mercedes Benz kit car. Dan Stoller did the printing and all the
extras for entering it in competition. At the WPPA Convention
that winter, at age 3, she received her first Seal of Approval.
At age 3, she was a member of PPA and WPPA. At the
national judging she earned another merit on a portrait of her
cousin. As far as anyone has been able to determine, she was
the youngest member to earn two merits. Now 3 years later,
Megan received her Master of Photography degree at the PPA
Convention this past January. Photography is her passion (I wonder where that came from), but this isn't
a career that she is drawn to, yet she still wants to compete and earn merits. This past year she had three
of her four entries earn merits. I had two. Although Megan is a Business Analyst in Target's Corporate
Headquarters in Minneapolis, she continues to be a part of my business as Vice President of our corpora-
tion.
At the 997 Fall Convention, Megan and I sat through a program by Rick Billings, and he showed us all
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the things that he was doing with his digital camera and Photoshop. We looked at each other and just
said WOW! Within a few weeks, Nancy and I were attending a three-day workshop in his Nebraska stu-
dio. Only two months later, in January 998, we were converting to all digital capture and had a Kodak
LED digital lab installed. I am sure the Kodak reps thought that we were out of our minds and that we
would certainly fail. Being the first portrait studio in the world to be shooting digital cameras and print-
ing on the LED in house had many advantages, but also included a huge learning curve. If you think
Photoshop is tough, try programing the layouts for the LED. Another photographer that installed one a
year or so later referred to it as severe bleeding and was working to get it to stop. Long hours and seven
days a week was our normal work schedule. Our first real day off was Christmas Day.
Shortly after we installed our LED, other photographers found out about what we were doing and wanted
us to print their work for them. Those kind photographers helped me pay for my lab. Thank you!!! We
also had a number of one-day seminars so that we could show other photographers what we were doing
and how we did it.
I'm now doing all the photography, imaging, print-
ing and packaging myself and am working to
reposition my studio as a more low volume studio.
I am having a lot of fun taking each image from
start to finish. It's long hours and a lot of work,
but it is very rewarding to the creative side of me
to have such total control of my work.
I joined Indianhead in 98 and shortly after that
the WPPA. I've found both organizations extreme-
ly beneficial in my growth as a photographer as
well as being associated with some of the best
people I know. I've learned so much from all of
the programs over the years and by being involved
Tom with daughters Dawn and Megan in Austin after the
in the board of both organizations. I worked my
awards ceremony at PPA
way up the ladder and was President of IPPA and
WPPA. Yes, that involved some of my time, but was well worth it. I have been able to work side-by-side
with some of the best photographers in the Midwest, if not the entire country.
Since I took my very first photograph, there have been a lot of changes in my photography and our
industry. The changes that have taken place over the past 5-0 years is only the start of the digital age
of photography. I don't have any idea where we are headed, I just know that I want to be a part of it and
continue to help our profession evolve. We all need to look at what we are doing, how we are doing it,
and what it is that we have to offer that the amateurs can't do themselves. Do that and you will have a
growing business for many years to come.
See you at the next Indianhead meeting!
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Indianhead Schedule of events
PRInt categORIeS 2006
January Open June Weddings
February Pre-State October Seniors
April Illustrative November Families
May Children
Host Programs
Oct 9 Phil Ziesemer Phil Ziesemer
Merrill Twelve points of a merit print
nov 13 Pat clifton tim Fries Financial Advisor
Chippewa Falls Retirement Planning for the Small Business
Jan 8 Bill nieman Pre State
Wisconsin Rapids Combined meeting with Foxes
Feb 5 tom giles to be announced
Eau Claire
The Indianhead
PHOTOGRAPHER
In the Spirit of Cooperation, Not Competition
798 54th Ave. Chippewa Falls WI 5479
Uniting Photographers
from the Mississippi
to the Wisconsin River... and Beyond!
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