PHOTOGRAPHER PROFILE SERIES - Tim Mlodozyniec
Tim Mlodozyniec with his photo on display at Essentia Health.
Tim Mlodozyniec acknowledges that his name is a bit of a mouthful. So, he carries on a tradition started by past Mlodozyniecs, and prefers to go by the name “Mudd.”
“Mudd is our family nickname. And it’s a lot easier to pronounce,” he noted with a chuckle.
Here in Duluth, Mudd has established a reputation as a talented photographer. His images have been recognized with several prestigious awards, which have helped put his work – and Duluth - on the map, nationwide.
He is also a talented baker. His delicious creations, which are lovingly labeled “From Mudd’s Kitchen,” include breads, scones, cakes, caramel rolls, and more.
Scones by Tim Mlodozyniec. Photo Submitted.
Baking as often as he does, most of these delicious treats are shared with his extended family and friends. Mudd only started baking during the pandemic, yet has already given away over 3,000 loaves of bread. “I love being in the kitchen more than anything,” he said. “I might open a bakery someday. Otherwise, my good friend, Scott Stoyanoff, owns the Buffalo House. I might see if we can do some kind of collaboration.”
Tim loves to bake bread and give it away. Photo submitted.
Mudd also works full-time in Essentia’s IT department. He and Shari have three grown children and three Australian Shepards. Mudd also spends a lot of time helping his mom, Carole McLaughlin, who lives in an assisted living facility.
Tim and his wife Shari celebrated their 35th anniversary in Maui. Photo submitted.
Mudd enjoys packing each day full of deeply meaningful activities. “I always say, ‘I woke up today, so I’m going to make the most of it,’” he said.
“And, the reason I do the things I do is because of the way I was raised,” he added. “As a good Catholic boy, we are taught the golden rule to always ‘do unto others.’”
Hometown of Duluth
Mudd was born and raised right here in Duluth. After graduating from Denfeld High School, he continued the Mudd family tradition of service to country and enlisted with the 148th Fighter Wing.
Tim enlisted with the 148th Fighter Wing.
“My dad was in the Army, and he also had 11 brothers and sisters. All the boys in the family – along with my grandfather – served in the military,” he explained. “But I also knew that if it went into the military, my college would be paid for.”
Mudd and his wife, Shari, were high school sweethearts and got married at age 20. Shari graduated with a degree in respiratory therapy and was offered a job in Galveston, Texas. The couple moved south for a couple years, and Mudd transferred to the 147th, but they ultimately returned home.
“There’s no place like home,” Mudd said, “and Duluth doesn’t have hurricanes.”
Career
In 1988, Mudd earned an associate’s degree in data processing from the former WITC. He was hired at Essentia Health in 1990 and has worked there ever since.
Today, his title is IT Move Technician. This means he helps office workers transfer their IT equipment when they relocate. Mudd remained enlisted with the military for 12 years and retired from the 148th in 1995.
Shari also works for Essentia Health - as the company’s Respiratory Manager.
Photography
Mudd recalls first being introduced to photography at about 12 years old. “We went on a family trip to New Mexico,” he explained. “We went up the Sandia Peak Tramway, which is a gondola that goes up a mountain. I took photos with a small Instamatic camera. That got me hooked.”
A late season arrival of a 1000 ft ship. Photo by Tim Mlodozyniec.
He has been enthralled with the hobby ever since. And he is mainly self-taught.
When it comes to his niche, Mudd described it this way: “I love nature. Birds, wildlife, sunrises, sunsets, the Aurora Borealis, and the weather. But my favorite subject is the Aerial Lift Bridge.”
His favorite photo-taking sites include Skyline Parkway, Boulder Lake, and Park Point. And he is persistent; Mudd will return until he gets his shot.
“I spent three years driving to the Sax-Zim Bog almost every weekend, looking for a Great Gray Owl,” he shared. “Another photographer had given me a recommendation on where to go.”
Snowy owl. By Tim Mlodozyniec.
Accolades
Mudd received his first taste of fame in 2014, when he submitted an image to Good Morning America’s Ginger Zee. It was a photo of a ship anchored just off Park Point in Lake Superior, with sea smoke and a sunrise in the background.
“She shared it on air,” Mudd explained. “And, about a month later she told me about a photography contest – It was called ‘Weather Photo of the Year.’ I ended up winning the contest, beating a professional photographer from Chicago.”
Another of his images - this time, featuring the lift bridge with sea smoke in the background - made the “National Geographic Daily Dozen” in 2016, and attracted 1.5 million visitors to his Facebook page in one week. This same image was also featured in a Hockey Day Minnesota brochure.
On a fridged, below zero morning, sea smoke billows behind the Aerial Lift Bridge. Tim Mlodozyniec Photograph
Over the years, Mudd has had his images featured inside Duluth’s Lake Avenue Café, displayed in the Essentia Skywalk, and shared on Midwest Living Magazine’s website. His images are currently on display at the Buffalo House restaurant. One of his images is also on the wall at Restaurant 301 in downtown Duluth.
He was also named best photographer among Duluth News Tribune readers in the DNT’s annual “Best of the Best” awards; he won in 2020, 2021, and 2022.
Mudd caught the attention of Destination Duluth in 2015. Since then, his photos have had millions of views on Destination Duluth's Facebook and Instagram pages.
Tips
Mudd has come a long way from that Instamatic camera he started with. Today, he uses a Canon EOS 6D body with a couple different lenses: a Canon EF 70-200 mm f/2.8, and a Sigma 20 mm/f1.4, which is a good option for night shoots, as it has a lower aperture.
As far as tips for other, budding photographers, Mudd mostly keeps it simple. “I’m a terrible book learner,” he said. “I took a ‘Basics of Photography’ course, but otherwise, I do everything through trial and error.
“But my main advice would be that if you don’t have your camera, you won’t get the shot. Shari says that I always have to have my ‘girlfriend’ – my camera - next to me. It’s true. You always want to have your camera there.”
While Mudd sold his photos professionally for a few years, and has created several calendars featuring his images, he stopped selling about three years ago. “It got to be work,” he said. “Now I just shoot because I love to shoot.”
Other Interests
In addition to his photography and artistry in the kitchen, Mudd enjoys spending time with his family. He and Shari have three adult children: Kelsey, Eryn, and Bryan.
And, the family’s three Australian Shepherds come in all sizes; they have a toy, a mini, and a full-sized variety. This breed is known to be incredibly intelligent. One of the dogs, Leo, who is deaf, even knows sign language!
Mudd also enjoys fishing. “I love to fish in general – walleye, bass, muskie – whatever bites,” he noted. “Fishing is awesome, and catching is a bonus.”
Success has followed him into this hobby, too; Mudd shared that on a recent crappie fishing adventure, he reeled in a giant, 45” muskie.
Come to Duluth
As a lifelong Duluthian, Mudd recommends Duluth as a great place to live, work, and play. It has provided plenty of inspiration for some pretty epic photos, too.
“It’s never the same,” he said. “There’s always a different sunrise, different ships coming in, and clouds of sea smoke. It’s a beautiful place to live, which is obvious by the many great photographers who call Duluth home.”
To view Mudd’s full portfolio of work, please find him on Facebook
