Dig the Dunes is website that uncovers some of the area’s finest hidden treasures. The beaches, the trails, the dunes, the shops & restaurants, the artists…and the people. You see all the posts and photos, but who is behind them? Here are some of the key faces that make up Dig the Dunes.
Dig the Dunes started with Eve’s love of nature. She grew up in the area, graduated from IU, lived in Chicago and then moved back in 2004. About 9 years ago Eve started taking long walks with her dog and discovered so much of the beauty that this area has to offer. She began taking photos and posting them on the Facebook page and found that people really enjoyed seeing them. Watching her page grow, made Eve want to share more and more. Soon she was writing blog posts, planning events and workshops and adding all sorts of fun things to do in the area to the website.
Eve has helped out several local businesses with their social media. Because of this, she can stay on top of all the new places and things to do in the area and share them with her followers.
As things continue to grow, Eve can no longer do it by herself. She is so lucky to have added a group of dedicated writers, photographers, designers and nature lovers to her team.
Izzy has lived in NWI all her life. She grew up running the streets of Tamarack without shoes in the summer and “shredding” the hill at The Pines in the winter. Izzy graduated from Purdue University with a Bachelor of Arts studying Visual Communications Design. Izzy is starting to get involved more with the community and is very excited to help with Dig the Dunes! Izzy has worked on several t-shirt designs and will be running the “shop” on DigtheDunes.com. Izzy’s first big project was to spearhead the Dig the Dunes calendar. She also designed the first Dig the Dunes passport and helps wherever is needed!
Kelli born and raised in NWI, resides in Chesterton. Since joining Dig The Dunes, Kelli has been doing admin work, helping with events and writing the occasional article. During the day, she works as a local insurance agent where she’s been protecting friends and family from the unexpected for the last 10 years. She has a love of all things outdoors and in her free time you can find her in her garden, searching for crinoids at the beach or hiking. Kelli has a passion for traveling and loves exploring new places with her husband, Asa and their two boys, Gage and Dean. You can follow her adventures on Instagram, kellingage.
Stephen is a Michigan City based Pastor/Photographer. He enjoys landscape photography, long exposures, and candid portraiture. His love for adventure and nature fuels his passion to capture each of those moments. He loves the south shore area and hopes that others can discover it’s beauty through his photography. Stephen is working diligently on the trails and beaches section with write-ups and his beautiful photos. He also taught the very popular Sunset Photography class which runs once a month from May thru September.
Laura was born and raised in a city on the outskirts of dune country, bordered to the north by her favorite great lake, Lake Michigan, and her equally beautiful namesake, the state of Michigan. She is an Air Force veteran, a college grad, an indie author and a pet mom with a major case of wanderlust. She has always loved photography and has a passion to capture the beauty she sees in the world and share it with others. When she isn’t at her day job you will most often find her out diggin’ the dunes or taking weekend adventures to explore the Mitten State. You can keep up with her adventures on Instagram.
Donna lives in Valparaiso, Indiana with her husband, Greg and their lab mix, Cooper. She studied fine art with a concentration in film photography at Indiana State University, and while some years have passed, she still loves the smell of a darkroom. Although her darkroom now is a brightly painted office, a Mac computer and a stack of Scott Kelby books, she still gets lost behind a camera, oblivious to cold, driving snow, crying children or oncoming traffic. Donna’s work includes travel photography, landscapes, wide-eyed children, portraits, and non-profit events. Currently she photographs and writes blogs for Dig The Dunes, has coordinated two exhibits of her work entitled “The Bicycle Project” and has begun a collection of personal bicycle stories. You can find Donna’s portfolio on her Lind Digital Photography website, Evidence of Life blog, Facebook page, and Instagram.
Matt Cunningham is a social worker, freelancer and enthusiast of all the great things happening in and around his hometown of Michigan City, Indiana. Before the Hoosier returned to his beach boy roots, he did a bit of everything on the West Coast and Chicago. He is passionate about art, community and nature. Want to keep up with his high-jinks? Find him on the ‘gram (Instagram), MattMatthewMatt.
Scott Timmerman resides in NWI and recently gained admission to the 30 and over club. He is an avid runner who likes to explore the NWI/SWMi area. He also enjoys Butler basketball, Notre Dame football, playing guitar, and history.
Matt Werner has been a jack of all trades including middle school teacher, management professor, farmer, construction worker, and historian. His passion is great story telling–reading, writing, listening. He has published 3 works of nonfiction and 1 photo book of old car crash scenes. When he’s not working, reading, obsessing over old photo negatives, or imbibing local beer, he’s plotting his next adventure. You can learn more about him at his website: www.matthewawerner.
Evan is Eve’s favorite nephew (or so she let’s him think), He lives in Columbus, IN. Evan graduated from DePauw University and works full-time for Cummins. He loves being outdoors (esp. when he goes up to Ogden Dunes to visit!), triathlons, and a good slice of pizza. He likes to think he is a good cook and has been known to probably drink too much wine while doing so.
He’s always thought Dig the Dunes was a great business, as supporting local, small businesses is not only economically important, but tends to always have better product! When Eve asked Evan to help, he was ready to rock! (Evan has been taken over by QuickBooks — his suggestion — but he is always on hand to help with an event and crunch some numbers for Dig the Dunes.
Zahra is a 20 year old fashion and lifestyle blogger who has lived on Lake Michigan her whole life. She enjoys photography and videography so much that she managed to make a career out of it! Zahra spends most of her work days at her favorite local coffee shops in Northwest Indiana. In her free time she enjoys long walks on the beach, no matter what the weather is like (cliche but 100% true). This is why she loves Dig the Dunes, because they promote her two favorite things: #LakeLife, and Local Businesses!
Zahra has helped Dig the Dunes with event promotion, videography, and social media (primarily instagram) since summer 2017. If you want to see her in action check her out on Fridays on the @digthedunes instagram story!
We love to include stories from other writers! If you have an idea, please submit to eve@digthedunes.com