Being a country girl at heart, I have lived in the mountains of Northern & Central California
most of my life. But I've also lived and worked, in and around the areas,
of Los Angles and San Jose, California.

I was born in the Bay Area of Central California in the city of Palo Alto,
but raised in Fall River Valley located in the
mountains of Eastern Shasta County, in Northern California.

After high school, I spent 2 years traveling all over the
United States and into eastern Canada, as a actress and singer for a
Christian repertory theater company called, "Covenant Players."
It was during my theater days that I became known as "Alison Lee" Ketman


After graduating for Shasta Collage in Redding, CA., attending CSU Fullerton
for a semester and spending some time in the Air Force, I started taking pictures. 
Taking my first shots in 1979 while working as Sports Editor for my home town's newspaper.
Before long I became their Chief Photographer and Darkroom Technician.
During this time I also worked for 6 months as a Public Relations Intern for the
local public school district. Then in 1982 I moved to San Jose, CA.

Earning a living as a photographer, does not always pay the bills.
Over the years my budget has been filled in working a variety of jobs. 
Ranging from; Work for preschools, elementary and high schools, as a teacher's aid or teacher.
I spent time as a Security Specialist and/or Training Officer for Memorex and other computer
companies in the Silicon Valley of California. While in the San Jose/Santa Clara area,
I also worked as a Cashier/Assistant Manager for a small chain of retail Camera Stores.

In 1983's, I married Tom Zimmerman.  After a year we moved from San Jose, to the Oakhurst area
of Eastern Madera County, California. Oakhurst is on Hwy 41 just outside south entrance of
Yosemite National Park. We worked as House Parents for a Boys Group Home in Oakhurst,
then moved to the Santa Cruz area to work for a larger Group Home Agency.
From there we went back to San Jose, where Tom did Apartment Maintenance
while I working as a Preschool Teacher. Later we both got jobs worked for a Tow Truck Company.
Where we worked until getting tired of city life and moved back to the mountain's near Oakhurst.

Soon after returning to the Oakhurst area, Tom joined the Cedar Valley
Volunteer Fire Department. I naturally started taking pictures for Cedar Valley
and several of the other Madera County Volunteer Fire Departments.
This lead to taking pictures for the US Forest Service, Cal Fire, and CSFA Fire Service Magazine. 

In 1994, to help pay for a divorce and related expenses,
I worked several years for the Round Table Pizza in Oakhurst.
During the 1996 fire season I started working as a volunteer, helping my new roommate
staff the USFS Miami Mountain Fire Lookout.

In 2000 I trained and served for almost three years as a volunteer
 with the Madera County Sheriff Department Search & Rescue Team.

In 2002 I left Round Table to returned to school at the Institute of Technology in
Clovis, California. Obtaining a diploma in Multimedia Graphic Design, the spring of 2003.
 Then started working part time designing adds for the Sierra Star Newspaper in Oakhurst.
Was only at the Star for a few weeks before having a stroke that left me unable to work,
due to limited mobility, nerve damage, reading and memory problems.

In May of 2005, my roommate, (Richard Camp, Sr.) bought us a new home,
north of Oakhurst in Mariposa County.  A lovely place, where I spend my time
doing things on my computer, watching old movies, taking care of our home,
playing with the pets, watching the wild criders,
 helping Richard with the lookout, enjoying the view and of course taking pictures.

Our Back Yard View (May 2005) ----	Snow at Sunset (March 2006) ----	Sunrise (August 2007) ----
Lightning Caused Fire (June 2008)	Backyard Visitor (September 2009)	Rainbows (January 2010)

* All Rights reserved 2009 Ketman *