| About Us |
| About Ame |
Ame (said Amy) was born in Redlands California, but soon moved to Monterey where
as a little girl she spent much of her time reading and exploring the Marine Biology
found on the shores and tide pools of the Monterey Bay. Growing
older, Ame spent her time playing her clarinet, singing in the
choir, and winning county awards for her creative writing while
always dreaming of travelling throughout the world.
At 15 she became interested in the medical field after working
in a doctor’s office and by 16, Ame took a giant step in this
direction by joining the Navy and becoming a Navy Corpsman.
She was active in her military career going from field medical
training school with the Marines at Camp Pendleton to being a
critical care Corpsman at the Naval Medical Center San Diego.
After 3 years Ame came home to practice nursing in her home
community where a few years later she and I met. With a BA in
Social Work, certification as a Multiple Sclerosis specialist, and
Lactation Counselor, she continues to use her variety of
nursing skills by practicing as a pediatric nurse in Monterey and a travelling nurse
helping MS patients. In 2005, she used her skills and travelled to Thailand to help the
children who suffered from the Tsunami. She helped as part of a team to rebuild a
village, treat victims, and prepare an orphanage and played a positive role in affecting
the lives of dozens of children.
Ame has used the opportunity of my instruction and experience
to help her pursue fulfilling many of her dreams. She learned to
ride a motorcycle and now enjoys it as a hobby. In 2006 she was
certified as a SCUBA diver and has actively explored the undersea
world. I (unintentionally) hooked her on bird-watching and
helped her pursue an interest in photography. Ame’s greatest
lifelong dream came true in 2007 when she successfully climbed
Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa. The event was further enhanced
with our marriage on the summit at 19,340 feet.
Ame’s photographic interests range from landscapes to wildlife to nature settings and
she enjoys both color and black-and- white. Unlike me, she has no real focus when
we go out, but rather lets the energy of her surroundings
inspire her. She may be amongst beautiful birds, but only
be inspired by the flowers that day. Her inspiration can be
random as it is driven by her creativity and imagination
and her eye catches unique shots that translate into a
broad diversity of subjects found in her pictures.
-Chris Hartzell
as a little girl she spent much of her time reading and exploring the Marine Biology
found on the shores and tide pools of the Monterey Bay. Growing
older, Ame spent her time playing her clarinet, singing in the
choir, and winning county awards for her creative writing while
always dreaming of travelling throughout the world.
At 15 she became interested in the medical field after working
in a doctor’s office and by 16, Ame took a giant step in this
direction by joining the Navy and becoming a Navy Corpsman.
She was active in her military career going from field medical
training school with the Marines at Camp Pendleton to being a
critical care Corpsman at the Naval Medical Center San Diego.
After 3 years Ame came home to practice nursing in her home
community where a few years later she and I met. With a BA in
Social Work, certification as a Multiple Sclerosis specialist, and
Lactation Counselor, she continues to use her variety of
nursing skills by practicing as a pediatric nurse in Monterey and a travelling nurse
helping MS patients. In 2005, she used her skills and travelled to Thailand to help the
children who suffered from the Tsunami. She helped as part of a team to rebuild a
village, treat victims, and prepare an orphanage and played a positive role in affecting
the lives of dozens of children.
Ame has used the opportunity of my instruction and experience
to help her pursue fulfilling many of her dreams. She learned to
ride a motorcycle and now enjoys it as a hobby. In 2006 she was
certified as a SCUBA diver and has actively explored the undersea
world. I (unintentionally) hooked her on bird-watching and
helped her pursue an interest in photography. Ame’s greatest
lifelong dream came true in 2007 when she successfully climbed
Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa. The event was further enhanced
with our marriage on the summit at 19,340 feet.
Ame’s photographic interests range from landscapes to wildlife to nature settings and
she enjoys both color and black-and- white. Unlike me, she has no real focus when
we go out, but rather lets the energy of her surroundings
inspire her. She may be amongst beautiful birds, but only
be inspired by the flowers that day. Her inspiration can be
random as it is driven by her creativity and imagination
and her eye catches unique shots that translate into a
broad diversity of subjects found in her pictures.
-Chris Hartzell
Chris began his artwork at a very young age.
Being mostly interested in marine life and
military and rescue vehicles, Chris used mostly
pen and pencil with occasional water color as
he became older.
While wearing his fire boots to 1st grade class every day,
he became intently interested in whales and sharks and
began to actively study them. On his tenth birthday, Chris’ grandmother
took him on a bird watching field trip. At the time he had no interest in
birds, but after spending about 45 minutes that day trying to identify an
unusual bird, Chris was hooked. The bright red and yellow bill of the Common
Moorehen caught Chris’ eye, thus began a lifelong love affair with nature and mostly all
things bird. A few years later, Chris’ dad gave him a Canon AE-1 and 3 or 4 lenses that
were collecting dust. Chris went out and photographed everything he could, from air
shows to birds. While most kids in school were reading such things as the Jungle Book,
Chris was instead stealing the teacher’s edition to Marine Biology and reading them in
his spare time. He became so knowledgeable about whales, sharks, and birds that by his
high school years he was correcting his science and biology teachers with new and
updated findings. The ‘80’s found him attending the second program offered at the
Monterey Bay Aquarium for becoming a Volunteer Guide where he enjoyed interpreting
exhibits to the visitors for the next few years.
Just after graduating high school, Chris’ endeavor to become a Marine Biologist was
halted after UC Santa Cruz lost their permit to house dolphins, eliminating his main
reason for pursuing that college. With 300 rolls of shot, but
undeveloped film sitting around due to lack of funds, Chris was
suddenly without a life’s direction. He essentially gave up on both
photography and the immediate goal of becoming a Marine Biologist.
Several months later, while living with his grandparents in their
Carmel Highlands home, the Fire Department stopped by to do an
inspection and asked if Chris was interested in becoming a volunteer.
Chris decided to sit in on a training night and was immediately
hooked and wasted no time in becoming a volunteer firefighter.
Over the next few years, it had become clear that being a Firefighter
was a natural career for Chris and he transitioned to a permanent
position where he now works as a Fire Captain for California State.
Chris is a “do-it-all” and his list of interests is long. He enjoys
motorcycle riding, SCUBA diving, rock climbing, and
bird-watching among other things. With a specialty in water
and rope rescue, he naturally enjoys taking a jetski out on the
ocean, even during rough seas, and whitewater rafting, where
I am personally thankful for his ability to rescue people overboard!
Chris bought his first digital camera in the late 90’s. It didn’t get a lot of use. It wasn't
until 3-4 years later did Chris’s interest in photography become rekindled and he began
to upgrade his equipment. But it was in 2003 when Chris and I met that he truly began
to cultivate this interest. Within our first year together, we had discovered the world of
digital photography and invested in digital SLR’s. Chris found himself picking up where
he had left off years before.
Chris was again inspired and would not be without his camera,
either at work or on adventures. Chris enjoys researching the
digital photography world and staying up-to-date on the
technology. He chose carefully which equipment would
become a part of our collection. Soon after he discovered how
digital effects can be manipulated by software, he progressed
from cutting out the heads of people and pasting them on other
people and animals to now mastering how to make our
photography unique.
-Ame M. Wells-Hartzell
Now we enjoy travelling together both local and afar, as a husband and wife team taking
colorful and creative story-telling pictures, creating educational and informative travel
movies, pass on our travel and photographic knowledge through lessons and tours, and
turn some of our pictures into PhotoStrokes...unique one of a kind artwork.
Being mostly interested in marine life and
military and rescue vehicles, Chris used mostly
pen and pencil with occasional water color as
he became older.
While wearing his fire boots to 1st grade class every day,
he became intently interested in whales and sharks and
began to actively study them. On his tenth birthday, Chris’ grandmother
took him on a bird watching field trip. At the time he had no interest in
birds, but after spending about 45 minutes that day trying to identify an
unusual bird, Chris was hooked. The bright red and yellow bill of the Common
Moorehen caught Chris’ eye, thus began a lifelong love affair with nature and mostly all
things bird. A few years later, Chris’ dad gave him a Canon AE-1 and 3 or 4 lenses that
were collecting dust. Chris went out and photographed everything he could, from air
shows to birds. While most kids in school were reading such things as the Jungle Book,
Chris was instead stealing the teacher’s edition to Marine Biology and reading them in
his spare time. He became so knowledgeable about whales, sharks, and birds that by his
high school years he was correcting his science and biology teachers with new and
updated findings. The ‘80’s found him attending the second program offered at the
Monterey Bay Aquarium for becoming a Volunteer Guide where he enjoyed interpreting
exhibits to the visitors for the next few years.
Just after graduating high school, Chris’ endeavor to become a Marine Biologist was
halted after UC Santa Cruz lost their permit to house dolphins, eliminating his main
reason for pursuing that college. With 300 rolls of shot, but
undeveloped film sitting around due to lack of funds, Chris was
suddenly without a life’s direction. He essentially gave up on both
photography and the immediate goal of becoming a Marine Biologist.
Several months later, while living with his grandparents in their
Carmel Highlands home, the Fire Department stopped by to do an
inspection and asked if Chris was interested in becoming a volunteer.
Chris decided to sit in on a training night and was immediately
hooked and wasted no time in becoming a volunteer firefighter.
Over the next few years, it had become clear that being a Firefighter
was a natural career for Chris and he transitioned to a permanent
position where he now works as a Fire Captain for California State.
Chris is a “do-it-all” and his list of interests is long. He enjoys
motorcycle riding, SCUBA diving, rock climbing, and
bird-watching among other things. With a specialty in water
and rope rescue, he naturally enjoys taking a jetski out on the
ocean, even during rough seas, and whitewater rafting, where
I am personally thankful for his ability to rescue people overboard!
Chris bought his first digital camera in the late 90’s. It didn’t get a lot of use. It wasn't
until 3-4 years later did Chris’s interest in photography become rekindled and he began
to upgrade his equipment. But it was in 2003 when Chris and I met that he truly began
to cultivate this interest. Within our first year together, we had discovered the world of
digital photography and invested in digital SLR’s. Chris found himself picking up where
he had left off years before.
Chris was again inspired and would not be without his camera,
either at work or on adventures. Chris enjoys researching the
digital photography world and staying up-to-date on the
technology. He chose carefully which equipment would
become a part of our collection. Soon after he discovered how
digital effects can be manipulated by software, he progressed
from cutting out the heads of people and pasting them on other
people and animals to now mastering how to make our
photography unique.
-Ame M. Wells-Hartzell
Now we enjoy travelling together both local and afar, as a husband and wife team taking
colorful and creative story-telling pictures, creating educational and informative travel
movies, pass on our travel and photographic knowledge through lessons and tours, and
turn some of our pictures into PhotoStrokes...unique one of a kind artwork.
| About Chris |
| (Click on an image to enlarge) |
| Want to see more of our pictures? See our Personal Photo Album |
