Ellen Mertins

Ellen Mertins is a self-taught photographer.

"A Montgomery native, I graduated from Tulane University with a BA in history, but took advantage of the excellent art department, and had almost enough hours for a BFA. One of my art professors encouraged me to stay on and take additional classes which I paid for by working at the New Orleans race track."

"I knew Jewell through her mother-in-law, but soon began running into her at events she was photographing and we felt an affinity to each other. especially our love for flowers, nature and the people and places around us.In much of my professional life, i dealt with major events and famous people, but I also saw how the ordinary places and everyday people add so much texture and grace to our lives. As someone who worked in historic preservation for half a century, I was obsessed with helping places that document our past survive to tell their stories to future generations. In my travels, I found that I loved capturing the people and the landscapes associated with the places, an inclination that has shifted over to my retirement.
I also found deep pleasure in documenting the lifecycle of bulbs and flowers.
My goal is to bring awareness of the legacy our built environment gives us, the beauty of the natural world, and the deep humanity of people in it. I also hope to convey that there is beauty in every lifecycle of plants and people."