A new image

With a camera in his hands, Mark Hulslander of Kalispell is no longer defined as a brittle diabetic with multiple seizures, but as an artist capturing tranquil vignettes of wildlife.

Hulslander, who works for Flathead Industries thrift store, said he first discovered photography through Margaret Dierman, a favorite teacher at Lincoln County High School in Eureka.

“She had a darkroom there and did black and white,” he recalled. “She taught five different kids and one of them was me.”

Now 51, Hulslander was diagnosed with severe diabetes at age 3. His mother,  Nancy, said his seizures developed at age 7. Mark has suffered both petit and grand mal seizures ever since.

Nancy said the difficulty controlling his diabetes combined with side effects of seizure medications caused learning difficulties by the time Mark reached high school. But photography was different.

His mother said he quickly picked up the technical aspects of developing film and printing photographs as well as capturing a memorable image in his lens.

“He’s always been good at composition,” she said.

While in high school, Mark met Larry Cheek, editor of the Tobacco Valley News, who provided film for Mark to shoot high school sports, including football and basketball, for the paper.

Mark credits Dierman with hooking him up with the Tobacco Valley News and his other photography successes.

“Because of her, all of this happened,” he said.

After graduating from Lincoln County High School, Mark took a class at Flathead Valley Community College with well-known photographer and artist Marshall Noice. His mother drove him in from Eureka for classes.

“He did really well,” she said. “He came out of that class with a portfolio of photos.”

In 1980, Mark moved to Helena to work at Helena Industries, the equivalent of Flathead Industries. He later moved to Missouri but returned to the Eureka area, where his family still lived, in 1988.

His dad, Larry Hulslander, was a career Forest Service employee and his mother worked as a registered nurse at Mountain View Manor nursing home.

On his return, Mark got a job in maintenance at Mountain View Manor. With backup from family and friends, he continued to take photographs as well as accept photo jobs like weddings.

His most memorable special event job was taking photos at a special exhibition at Crystal Lakes Golf Course.

“Arnold Palmer and a big group of golfers were there,” he said. “He’s a real nice guy.”

Mark recalled selling one of his favorite wildlife photos to Palmer that day. It was an elk that Mark captured in an up-close-and-unforgettable experience.

He had made the trip with his father to Jasper National Park in Canada. He spotted the elk then ran along a river to get closer.

“He was way up on top of the mountain — I got within 25 yards and the elk came right at me,” Mark said with a laugh. “I snapped a couple of pictures then I had to hurdle a bush and go in the water.”

He held his Pentax PZ-10 over his head and out of the water. Mark now shoots with a digital Canon EOS 40D.

His mother recalled other memorable family outings when Mark had his trusty Pentax at the ready at just the right time. On a trip through Yellowstone, she was suggesting he take the camera off his neck while riding in the car in the middle of the day.

“He said ‘You never know when you might see something,’” Nancy said. “About a minute later a bear crossed the road.”

Mark got that shot. During a trip to Glacier National Park, he used his Pentax to capture an unusual goat photo.

Nancy said the rest of the family was looking up at the slide area to spot the typical goat-on-a-rock shot. Mark had hiked over to McDonald Creek where he photographed a goat with the river in the background.

“He won a blue ribbon at the fair for that picture,” Nancy said.

Mark moved to the Flathead in 2000 after his parents moved here in 1999. His sister Susan is a CPA in Kalispell while his brother Erik is a civil engineer in Boise.

Mark was reluctant to leave his friends in Eureka but decided to come here for the support available through Flathead Industries. He was the first client to move into the organization’s new eight-plex where he still lives.

For about seven years until last October, Mark worked at Great Harvest Bread in Kalispell. He was supported by Dave Micicwicz, an employment specialist at Career Connections, a division of Flathead Industries.

Micicwicz works with more than 20 clients, helping them find and maintain employment in the tough economic climate.

“When issues come up, I work with employers to resolve them,” Micicwicz said.

Unfortunately, Mark’s seizure activity and diabetes complications increased last fall, making it impossible for him to work outside a supported environment. He recently started a part-time position at Flathead Industries.

Micicwicz said the silver lining to losing his outside employment is that Mark now has more time to pursue his photography and sell photos.

“It’s kind of like a dream for him,” Micicwicz said. “It’s something that he has wanted to do for years.”

 People may view Mark’s photos and learn more at Flickr.com/photos/photojammer/sets/.

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com.