Take your photos ‘Out of the Clouds’

Chelsa NelsonPreble

By Andrea Busche

Take a moment to think about your old photos and where they are stored. Chances are, you have boxes of loose photos in your basement or attic. Old family albums that would be devastating to lose. And smart phone images; so many smart phone images.

How do you feel when you ponder these pictures? For most of us, simply thinking about them is stressful. For those who want to preserve and digitize their images, it’s www.outofthecloudsduluth.com. difficult to know where to begin.

Duluth resident Chelsa Nelson-Preble is helping her clients solve this problem. She founded her photo organizing and photo book design business, Out of the Clouds, in spring 2020.

Nelson-Preble culls, scans and organizes all those old pictures — including electronic images — so you don’t have to. Ultimately, she hands her clients a tidy external hard drive or photo book. She also sets up secure backups, so their images are safely preserved for a lifetime.

Preserving and organizing memories is a highly fulfilling endeavor for Nelson-Preble.

“The most rewarding thing about my work is seeing my clients have that look of a weight being lifted off their shoulders,” she noted. “I do the hard work, and they get to enjoy their memories.”

Why photos?

In addition to being a naturally organized person, NelsonPreble discovered she also had a knack for creating photo books.

“I had been making photo books since my husband and I got married in 2013,” she explained. “My friends saw them and said, ‘We need you to do this for us.’”

And just like that, a unique business idea was born. NelsonPreble made her first appearance as a vendor at Duluth’s Birth and Baby Fair in 2019. Her business officially launched in 2020.

The clever moniker Out of the Clouds is a nod to modern vernacular.

“The name speaks to this generation that has photos stored in the cloud,” she said. “But we all have ideas and dreams of how we want to hand our photos down to the next generation. It’s our visual heritage.”

Nelson-Preble’s business motto is “Where We Bring Your Memories to Light.” This aptly describes the process of literally uncovering — and rediscovering — those old images.

Unique childhood

Nelson-Preble is originally from Madeline Island, Wisconsin. For those familiar with the area, her grandfather, Harry Nelson, helped start the Madeline Island Ferry Line. Her uncle, Tom Nelson, is the owner of well-known island hotspot, Tom’s Burned Down Café.

Her mother, Dr. Dawn Dixon, is a child psychologist. Her father, Wayne Nelson, is a land developer and the owner of

Bayfield Dirt. Nelson-Preble has one sibling, a younger brother, Robin.

After her parents divorced, the entire family moved to Bayfield, and Nelson-Preble attended Bayfield High School. She was the class president, an active athlete and musician, and salutatorian for her graduating class. She played the baritone saxophone, and participated in soccer and track. She also

Continued on page became certified as a scuba diver while in middle school.

Education and career

Nelson-Preble initially attended the University of North CarolinaWilmington, where she studied marine biology. Ultimately, she switched both her major — and her school — and she graduated from the University of Minnesota-Duluth with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.

“I wanted to learn about our systems and how they affect other people,” she noted of this pivot. “And I also just missed the lake.”

After graduation, she worked as an advocate for PAVSA (Program for Aid to Victims of Sexual Assault), and later at the Women’s Health Center. She then jumped into local politics and was hired by Mark Dayton to work as the 8th Congressional District’s field director during Dayton’s first run for governor.

“I wanted to make a difference in people’s lives,” she said. “I was very interested in economic justice, social justice, racial justice and gender justice.”

Later, NelsonPreble worked for AFSCME Council 5 for nine years and held the titles political organizer, field representative and she was also the youngest female field director. Along the way she also became trained as a doula.

“I never worked professionally as a doula, but I have attended several births for close family and friends,” she said.

Nelson-Preble is also the treasurer and website manager for Feeding Hearts for the Holidays, a nonprofit that provides a hot breakfast and gifts on Christmas morning to residents of the Steve O'Neil apartments in Duluth and those who are utilizing services at CHUM.

Business logistics and awards

Out of the Clouds started as a home-based business. After some success, Nelson-Preble opened an off-site office located in Duluth’s Arrowhead Place Building. Her business address is 211 W. Second St., Suite 333. In addition to in-person visits, Out of the Clouds offers Zoom meetings, phone visits and e-mailed interactions.

Most Out of the Clouds clients are individuals.

“My biggest demographics are photo books for vacations, weddings and memorial tributes,” Nelson-Preble said.

However, businesses and other organizations have used the business, too.

“Ulland Brothers, North Country Ride and the town of Cotton are a few of my business clients,” she added.

Nelson-Preble is a certified professional for The Photo Managers, an international group of photo organizers. She also was honored with a “Best of the Best” award from the Duluth News Tribune, where she earned second place in Best Customer Service for 2022.

Civic duties

In addition to her career, Nelson-Preble volunteers her time for a variety of organizations. She is board president for the Duluth YWCA and a co-leader for her daughter Mara’s Brownie troop. She is the past secretary/treasurer and the current events coordinator for Business Networking International.

She also holds a contract (paid) position for Lincoln Park Children and Families Collaborative as a Circle of Security parenting class facilitator.

Family

Nelson-Preble met her husband, Matthew Preble, through a mutual friend. The two were married in 2013. Preble is an electrician by trade and works as the organizer for IBEW Local 242.

The couple have two young children — Mara, 8, and Jonas, 5 — who love biking, riding scooters and hiking. The family lives in Duluth’s Piedmont neighborhood.

When she isn’t working, Nelson-Preble enjoys running, and returning to Madeline Island regularly to visit family. Her future goals include hiring an employee (Out of the Clouds is currently a one-woman operation) and doing more traveling with her husband and children.

A great gift

Photo organizing services — and the peace and calm they bring — make a great holiday gift. Pricing varies by project, but Out of the Clouds gift certificates of many denominations are available.

Consider this testimonial provided by Out of the Clouds client, Laura J:

“Chelsa helped us consolidate years of old photos into a compact flash drive that will take up much less storage space in our new house. Her attention to detail and our specific needs was personal and professional. I would recommend her services to anyone looking to preserve precious photos and save space.”

For more information, visit outofthecloudsduluth.com. D