Mary “Mimi” Sandmann, Environmental Photographer
“I hope to awe people with my photos to give them an enhanced appreciation of nature.”
Mary, “Mimi”, started taking pictures at an early age. She got her first camera for her 8th birthday and was always taking pictures at family gatherings. When her daughter Megan was born, she never put the camera down, so Megan thought. When Megan got tried of always having her picture taken, Mary started taking pictures of nature in her backyard.
1998 - Entered her first photo contest. The company her husband, Terry, worked for had a photo contest for employees and family to find art for their soon to be built, state of the art, Corporate Headquarters in Englewood, Colorado. Her picture of Jack O’Lantern mushrooms was one of the winning photos out of over 500 entries and now hangs in the headquarters building.
1998 – Participated in her first Great Backyard Bird Count for Cornell University’s Laboratory of Ornithology and has continued to do so every year since. In February 2005, one of her bluebird photos was selected to be in their photo gallery on their website for a whole year.
1999 – Along with her husband, Terry, certified their property with the Ohio Division of Wildlife as a Backyard for Wildlife Site and with The National Wildlife Federation as a Backyard Wildlife Habitat.
2004 – Took a Digital Nature Photography Workshop with Ian Adams, Environmental Photographer, at The University of Akron.
2005 – Had several bluebird photos published in The Ohio Bluebird Society Spring Bluebird Monitor.
1998 to 2005 – Entered photos in the Medina County Fair Amateur Photography Division and won a number of first, second, and third place and honorable mention ribbons over the years.
2006 - Entered 10 photos in the Medina County Fair Advanced Photography Division and received 9 ribbons, the first year. Entered 3 photos and all were selected to be displayed in the Medina County Park District’s Nature Photo Exhibit January 6 – February 24, 2007 at Wolf Creek Environmental Center.
2007 – Became a member of the Medina County Art League, exhibited 3 photos in the Aquarius Exhibition. Her photo of a Red-tailed Hawk was selected as 1st Place winner in the Wildlife category in the Medina County Park District’s Nature Photo Exhibit. Her photo of a Black-capped Chickadee was selected to be in Cornell University Lab of Ornithology 2007 Photo Gallery on page 8. More than 4000 images were received and only a small select sample made it onto the website.