Walt Schumacher

By the  time Walt had his B. S. in teaching, he had already gotten quite involved in photography.  So, when no teaching jobs materialized, he took a job printing pictures.  He did some B&W, some "C" (negative) printing, and   then some Cibachrome (slide printing).  He printed up to 4x5" negatives, up to 30x40" prints, learned roller-transport maintenance, learned Quality Control, and processed negative and slide film.  He attended week-long seminars at Kodak (Oakbrook, IL) on process management and maintenance of automated machine printers.  Eventually they started calling him the "Lab Manager" …

Thru this period he also started a photo studio with a friend in the smallish town of Washington MO, about 40 miles outside of St. Louis.  They did many weddings and some portraits.  The "official" studio only lasted a year, but he continued to shoot weddings for a few years on his own, with Mamiya 645 (medium format) equipment.

He took another job as Lab Manager in a professional photo lab in Riverside CA.  They were printing to 30x40", doing color proofing, and package printing.  With the "Santa" pictures they processed at Christmas, they did over a million yearly in sales.  But, when Walt learned that the owner had put the lab up for sale, he decided to go into teaching!

Photo labs are pretty high-tech, so when Walt got the opportunity to teach computers, he jumped at the chance.   He ended up teaching Computer Literacy for 10 years at a K-8 Catholic school, in St. Louis, MO. 

Belt-tightening time came at the school, and "Computers" was reduced to part time.  Walt got a job at a computer shop; testing returned parts.   Three years later, he was a Supervisor, about to become Manager.  That's when he and his wife moved to Indianapolis (due to her job).   In the next few years, due to his wife's curiosity, Walt taught her much about photography.  They began attending seminars by professional photographers, joined several photo clubs and societies, started printing their own pictures, competed in regional photo competitions, and started showing their pictures in galleries and art fairs.

In 2002, Walt was a member of Photographic Society of America (PSA) and assistant webmaster for the Nature Division.  Also Vice-President of the Michiana PhotoClub, (South Bend, Indiana) in 2003.

Walt won 14 ribbons in 2002 (Michiana Photo Club), 1st prize for Slide of the Year, 2nd prize for the Carolyn Kisir Pictorial Award, and 2nd prize for Leo Zelasko Nature Award.

In 2004 became a member of Huntsville Photographic Society.  In the first 4 competitions,  he had taken two Second Places, one Third Place, and three Honorable Mentions.

He is a contributing member of Nature Photographer Magazine.

In July 2003, his Photoshop article, "Electronic Imaging:  Not for Fantasy Only" was published in the Photographic Society of America Journal.

In June, 2004, he took Second Place, and Honorable Mention in the photo contest hosted by the Huntsville Botanical Garden.  The pictures appeared in the Huntsville Times, as well as various advertising pieces published by the Garden.

July, 2004 -  Accepted as exhibitor at the Huntsville Art League.

Nov., 2004 - Won a Merit Award in the Decatur Art Guild's "Colors of the Season" exhibition, shown at the Carnegie Visual Arts Center, Decatur, AL.

5/12/01 - Rod Planck - "How to Photograph Nature" Detroit, MI.   Rod’s images have appeared in such magazines as Audubon, Sierra, Natural History, Backpacker, Birder’s World, National and International Wildlife, and Ranger Rick, and in numerous calendars and textbooks.

9/17-21/01 - Pat Gerlach; one-week photo workshop - "Nature Photography - Shooting Wild Animals"; Logging Camp Ranch, Medora, North Dakota.   Pat has run a wildlife photo-art business for 20 years, and is a well known figure at all the Florida art fairs.

2/9/02 - Robert Glenn Ketchum - "Evolution in Landscape Photography" St. Louis, MO.   Named the 2001 Outstanding Photographer of the Year by the North American Nature Photography Association, RGK has published over 10 books in his 30 year career.  Audubon magazine recognized 100 champions of conservation "who shaped the environmental movement in the 20th century," and included such names as John Muir, Rachael Carson and photographer, Robert Glenn Ketchum.

4/14/02 - John Shaw "Intensive" seminar on Nature Photography and digital printing, Traverse City, MI.  John Shaw has been one of the premier nature photographers since the early '70's.   His photographs have graced dozens of magazines, and he is the author of six books on field photography which are the "standard". 

4/27/02 - John & Barb Gerlach, "How to Shoot Beautiful Nature Photos", Indianapolis, IN.  A tremendously prolific nature photographer, John Gerlach's pictures have appeared in virtually every nature and photography magazine.  Not only do John and Barb supply images to 14 stock photo agencies, but they host photo workshops in such locations as the Galapagos, Antarctica, Africa, etc.


12/14/02 - "Epson Print Academy" (one day seminar) with Vincent Versace, Indianapolis, IN

02/15/03 - St. Louis, MO, one-day Seminar "With Heart, Soul and Camera: Developing a Personal Vision" by Brenda Tharp, instructor at the Rocky Mountain School of Photography, who is published in Outdoor Photographer, etc.

3/15/03 - "Digital Photography" with George Lepp, Illinois Central College, at Peoria, IL. Digital imaging, scanning, image optimization, printing.  George is an institution at Outdoor Photographer magazine, and when it comes to digital shooting or printing, George is the "go to" guy. 

3/20/04 - "Outdoor & Wildlife Photography" by Dr. Leonard Rue III and Len Rue Jr., Peoria, IL.    Leonard Lee Rue is THE most published wildlife photographer in North America.   He has sold to 2,000 different companies in 44 countries, and is the author of 26 books on wildlife. 

7/2002 -Culver Lake Fest, Culver IN.

8/2002 -Washington Gallery, Goshen, IN

12/2002 -Minneapolis Art/Craft Festival, Minneapolis MN.

3/2003 -Audry Levy Invitational Art Show, Ann Arbor, MI.

6/2004 - Huntsville Art League gallery, Huntsville, AL

Aug-Sept.2004 - Huntsville Times (newspaper) Gallery, Huntsville, AL. (solo show).

Sept-Dec. 2004 - Prints shown at the "Heritage Club", Huntsville, AL.

Oct 2004 - Prints shown at the Huntsville Home Builder's annual "Providence Showhouse"

Nov. 2004-Feb.2005 - Won a Merit Award and showed juried prints at the Decatur Art Guild's "Colors of the Season" exhibition, at the Carnegie Visual Arts Center, Decatur, AL.

Jan. 2005 - Won and Award of Distinction in the Huntsville Art League's Collector's Draw.