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Local Principal Returns to a Childhood Love

All photos accompanying this article were taken and are copyrighted © by Ellie Seif.

 
FRUIT STAND - MEXICO
Ellie Seif's first exposure to film and photography was as a ten year old in  1951.  “My dad was a motion picture projectionist in a Brooklyn, NY movie  theater,” she says, "and I spent many days helping him run the huge projectors, splicing film and watching movies from the booth.”
 
And in those days spent with her father, Ellie’s passion for film and photography was born.  
 
Her interest evolved through the years, aided by a succession of Brownie cameras, and then on to more sophisticated camera models.  All the while Ellie took pictures.
 
But a longstanding career in photography was not to be. In her late teens, Ellie decided to become a teacher.  
 
FULL OF LIFE - VIETNAM
In 1963, she graduated from Brooklyn College with a major in education.  She taught elementary school in New York and Boston, married, had two daughters, then moved to Philadelphia in 1970 and took time off from teaching to raise her children.
 
But in 1972, she again felt the pull of her love for photography and became a children's photographer, taking pictures of children in their home environment.

Juggling in the 70’s

Like so many young professionals at that time--particularly women with careers and families and intense interests-- she juggled. At the same time Ellie was running her photography business and raising her children, she pursued a Masters degree in Educational Media at Temple University.
 
In 1975, she received her degree, then taught in the gifted program in the Philadelphia School District. Her curriculum?  Of course it included photography and darkroom skills.
 
While teaching in the gifted program, Ellie attended the University of Pennsylvania to acquire a principal’s certification.  She became a school principal in Bucks County for four years, and then in Montgomery County for 15 more.
 
But all the while she continued to take pictures.  "I took pictures of children, pictures of families, vacation pictures" she says.  
JOYFUL CHILD
 
"And after a while, I branched out and explored other subjects like landscapes, nature photography, and macro (close-up) photography.”      
 
In June 2003, Ellie retired from her last principal position.  "I was nervous," she says with a smile. "I confess-- I had no real plans. I had a vague notion that I would ramp up my photography activity.”
 
"I also thought that when I retired, I would miss the camaraderie of my co-workers. I liked thinking of myself as an educator and I didn't want to lose that. I knew I wanted to redefine myself in terms of what I do, particularly what I do well. I also knew I needed to continue to be involved in productive work in my retirement years."

Active in the Community… and Passionate about her Art

Ellie maintains the educator part of her identity by mentoring students at the University of Pennsylvania who are pursuing their principal certification.  
 
She volunteers— a lot! With Philadelphia Citizens for Children and Youth (PCCY), the Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), Theater Exile and an AIDS support group. In June 2005, she was appointed to the Mayor's Advisory Board on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered Issues.   
   
She also nurtures her artist self, "Moving," she observes, "from focusing primarily on intellectual pursuits to more and more creative and artistic endeavors."
 
FLOWERS BY WATERFALL - UPPER PENINSULA, MICHIGAN
Ellie recently has taken the plunge into digital photography. Last year she exhibited at the Sedgwick Cultural Center in the Mount Airy section of Philadelphia. In June 2005, she exhibited her work at "In Fusion" a café in West Mount Airy.  She also has won many awards at Cheltenham Camera Club competitions, both in print and digital photography.    
 
Ellie’s work also has been accepted by www.InLiquid.com, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit which posts an extensive online collection of work by local, national, and international artists.       
 
And she is taking pictures. Lots and lots of pictures. "Some days," she says, "when I get going, I find I can’t stop. I have never been so focused on anything in my entire life.  It amounts to absolute absorption.”  
 
“What a joy in my retirement years!”