Honorary Official Photographer Named at PRNL

Date: July 14, 2006
Contact: Jim Northup, 906-387-2607

NPS photo by Brenda St. Martin

Ed Lasich and Supt. Jim Northup

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Superintendent Jim Northup has named Mr. Ed Lasich as the park’s “Honorary Official Photographer”.

“Ed is a wonderful friend of the park,” Northup said. “He just loves the national lakeshore, spends much of his free time in the park, is an accomplished amateur photographer, and has always been both gracious and generous with the park and park employees in terms of sharing his photographs. We wanted to find a way to acknowledge Ed’s love for the park and his generosity, and I am pleased to do that by naming Ed as the park’s first ever ‘Honorary Official Photographer’.”

In this capacity, Lasich, working as a volunteer, will take pictures in the park and at park special events and will share those photographs with the national lakeshore, to be used on the park’s website, in publications, and in the park archives.

“Many of our employees are excellent photographers,” Northup said, “and many take pictures as part of their work. However, the park does not have anyone whose official duties involve taking pictures,” Northup added. “Ed is out and about in the park quite a bit. We are so grateful that he loves the park the way he does, loves to take pictures, and is so willing to share his photos with the park and with employees. It is not uncommon for Ed, at his own expense, to print a set of pictures for visiting researchers and work groups, as well as our year-round staff.”

This as a natural extension of our Artist in Residence program, according to Northup, except that Ed lives in the area year round and will have more of an opportunity to photograph the park and park activities.

Lasich, 81, lives in Chatham and has also worked as a seasonal employee in the park’s Division of Maintenance for several years.