Sandra (Hansen) Miner (GHS ’84) is making a life-long dream come true. She has just retired from the corporate world where she has worked for many years in the technology and accounting fields, and will be launching a new career in photography. Photography is something she has loved her whole life, an avocation that was, by necessity, kept on the back-burner. She never thought that it might actually become a profitable second career.
Miner’s fledgling career recently took a giant leap forward when she entered the 68th Annual Maine Photographic Association’s (MPPA) competition and earned, as a first time entrant, the coveted Photographer of the Year award. One of her photos, “Majestic,” won a perfect score of 100, a rarity in a competition among professional photographers. The award winning image “Majestic” was taken during a recent trip to Iceland. Sandra recalled, “It was extremely cold and windy, the sun was low and the clouds were just perfect. I noticed a mountain in the distance that had the most beautiful light just glowing from the top. When I took the image, I knew I had a great capture.” Miner also won the First Time Entrant Award, Court of Honor Award in the Naturalist Category, and the Best of Show Award. She was overwhelmed and very honored to receive such recognition among a group of professional photographers.
Photo credit Jeff Morris
Sandra Miner was the winner of Photographer of the Year as well as four other awards, at the 68th Annual Maine Photographic Associations competition. Her photo, “Majestic,” of a mountain near Thingvellir, Iceland, scored a perfect score of 100.A selection of Sandra’s images also competed at the 2017 Northeast District Photographic Competition held at the end of April. Three of her four images merited with “Majestic” scoring a 92 in the Superior category. These three merited images also earned a “Seal of Approval” and will be entered in the 2017 International Photographic Competition (IPC) to be held this summer.
The natural world features prominently in Miner’s photography. She loves the challenge of photographing birds and other wildlife and will often go off on small trips looking for them. Scenic landscapes are another speciality. She has been the unofficial photographer at various sporting events throughout her children’s athletic careers, and other parents have relied on her to capture that special moment. She has also photographed corporate events, head shots and portraiture such as senior photos.
In addition to being a member of MPPA, Sandra is also a member of the Professional Photographers Association and the Professional Photographers of New England. She is working towards her Master of Photography degree and becoming a Certified Professional Photographer through the Professional Photographer’s Association.
Like many 18-year-olds, Miner was uncertain about a career path after graduating from Gorham High School. She attended Andover College (she went because her friend was going there) and discovered an aptitude for accounting. She continued her education at USM, earning a BS degree in accounting in 1991, and became a CPA in 1992.
Miner worked in the auditing/ accounting field for five years at KPMG Peat Marwick (which later became Baker Newman and Noyes). She was then was hired at IDEXX where she began in the Finance department, but eventually moved to Technology, where she was trained and worked in application support and management. Fifteen years later, she began working within Technology TD Bank and was recently promoted to the North American Senior Development Manager. “I used to manage a small team of Support Specialists for US and Canadian Global Security and Investigations,” she said. She took pride in holding her team to the highest standards and worked hard to do the best job every day.
Now that Miner is retired, she plans to provide consulting services within IT on a part-time basis to help pay the bills while she builds her photography business. She is looking forward to being in charge of her own destiny. “I think that comes from my Maine roots, and especially from my father, Hans. He’s a self-made man who believes that by working hard, you will eventually reap the rewards of your hard work,” she said.
Miner and her husband Kevin built their log home in North Baldwin almost 30 years ago where they have raised their daughter, Jordan (18), and son, Dylan (15). “We have two dogs and cats who keep the house full of fur, but we wouldn’t have it any other way,” she said. They are an outdoor family who enjoys boating and fishing on small ponds or off shore for ground fish and shark in the warm months and snowmobiling and ice fishing in the winter.
Miner grew up in South Gorham, on Mitchell Hill Road. She is the daughter of Hans and Elizabeth Hansen. Sister Susan (Hansen) Smith (GHS ‘83) and husband Pat own Hansen Well Drilling in Gorham. Sandra’s work can be seen at her website. More of her photography can be seen below.
Photo credit Sandra Miner