Ackerman Gruber Images | Minneapolis Photographers » Blog

Jenn Ackerman named to PDN 30

Jenn Ackerman + Tim Gruber — Mon, 14 May 2012 23:13:54 +0000

I was recently named to PDN 30 a honor that puts me in great company. It’s an accomplishment I don’t take lightly and can’t thank all those who have had a role in shaping my short progression as a photographer to the person and photographer I am today.

An honor like this has allowed me to step back and look how far I have come as a photographer and appreciate all of the people and experiences that have brought me this far. It is motivating and humbling at the same. Aside from the amazing editors that I have had the opportunity to work with, it has been the people that I have had the pleasure of meeting and photographing that has ultimately made me into a better person and photographer. It always amazes me how giving and honest people are and I reminded how important it is to respect them and honor them by telling their stories as best I can.

A tearsheet of the page in the PDN 30 issue –

The Sports Show Minnesota at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts

Jenn Ackerman + Tim Gruber — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 22:07:41 +0000

It’s always a great feeling when an image from a personal project can find a home somewhere beyond your own wall or even worse just sitting in box as an unscanned negative. So I was beyond pleased when my Hockey Eye image from the US Pond Hockey Championship that just happens blocks from our house at Lake Nokomis found a home at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts for their sports show.

It’s such an incredible honor to have my work hanging in a place that has provided countless inspiration for me over the years. The show runs til September and the MIA is free so there’s no excuse to not check it out.

The Minneapolis Institue of Arts website using the Hockey Eye image to promote the show -

A few snapshots from Jenn’s phone from the opening -

Some press of the show with my image used next to a Annie Leibovitz portait of my childhood idol Kirby Puckett.

American Photography 28

Jenn Ackerman + Tim Gruber — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 20:04:27 +0000

One of our photos from our Miss project was recently selected for the American Photography 28 book. Not a small feat as the pages of the book are a tough one to crack.

From over 8,100 pictures entered by over 1,200 photographers, magazines, agencies, publishers and schools, the jury selected by a majority vote or better only 324 images to appear in the book and represent the best pictures from 2011.

The selected photo –

Voter Photo ID for AARP Bulletin

Jenn Ackerman + Tim Gruber — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 20:25:29 +0000

Recently we photographed Carol Rudy for the AARP Bulletin for a story about requiring voters to show a photo ID at the polls, a hot issue right now in Minnesota.

Carol’s mother, Isabel, faced the daunting task of trying to get photo identification and was a conscientious voter throughout her 94 years, including serving for many years as an election judge. But obtaining a state photo ID proved so daunting she eventually gave up.

Read the rest of the story on AARP’s site.

Off the Road in North Dakota

Jenn Ackerman + Tim Gruber — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 16:38:48 +0000

Thanks to a BusinessWeek assignment late last year that took us to North Dakota we had a little time to start a new personal project on a state that’s going through some interesting changes. Since December, we have been back a couple of times to explore the project.

This week, we’re heading back to North Dakota for an assignment which will continue that project. It’s always great when things work out that way.

After a few more return visits we’ll have some work to share from the project, but in the meantime here are some images from our drive out there from Minneapolis.

Art on the Plains XI at Plains Art Museum

Tim Gruber — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 17:53:04 +0000

If you find yourself in Fargo, North Dakota stop by the Plains Art Museum and see two of my photos that are part of the Art on Plains exhibit. The two photos in the show -

Home at Center for Fine Art Photography

Tim Gruber — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 22:43:51 +0000

Three of my photos from two personal projects will be on display in Colorado at the Center for Fine Art Photography as part of their home exhibition. The show opens March 2 and runs through the 31st.

My work is also hanging at the Plains Art Museum through the spring.

The three photos in the show -

Chisago County for The New York Times

Jenn Ackerman — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 21:16:25 +0000

I recently spent three days north of Minneapolis in Chisago County working on a project for the New York Times. It was a fun story to work on especially given the fact that I had a few days to complete it and the freedom to explore beyond the assigned portraits. It’s the type of assignment I really love; available light portraits combined with documentary images. Read the story here.

Minnesota Corn Harvest for The Wall Street Journal

Jenn Ackerman — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 03:09:44 +0000

Recently I had the pleasure of traveling down a few gravel roads in southern Minnesota to document the fall corn harvest. The highlights? Getting my first ride in a John Deere tractor and spending a beautiful fall day outside. Not a bad day at the office.

A few photos -

Check Connect for Education Week

Tim Gruber — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 23:39:07 +0000

As a freelancer you rarely get the rush of working on deadline. My last assignment for Education Week gave me a taste of that rush again. I had to shoot a portrait of a student just blocks from our house and have the photos turned around that same afternoon. It was a great feeling! It was also nice to get a glimpse into the school our kids might one day be attending. A double bonus!

A few photos -