Art and the American Dream

Recycling, Upcycling and Art...

2012-01-28T12:56:00.000-08:00

Anyone who knows me knows that I am an art person. I enjoy when creative people take used, seemingly useless items and turn them into something unique and interesting. But I also must admit that not everyone has the highest of quality standards when they take an item and turn it into something else. Many of the upcycled art items that you see here and there aren't really anything more than someone's random craft project. In many instances they don't even require a specialized skill. Since I am a big supporter of fine craft, I am always looking for things created with that uniqueness, creativity and zing but also those which utilize a specialized skill that sets them apart from the bunch. I want to see what someone who actually had to practice and hone their craft creates when they work with recycled materials.
I came across a post on Tech News Update that actually showcased exactly what I respect: art created from recycled materials on a completely different level.Here's a peek at what I saw (photos from Tech News Update)

Walk/ Don’t Walk Chair

Bean Blob Chair

Upcycled Tire Messenger Bag

CD Case Chandelier

Sign Chair

Silver Beer/Soda Can Cuff

Upcycled Floppy Disk Notepad

Bike Chain Bowl

Upcycled Ball Bag

Soda Glasses

Coin Chair

License Plate Mailbox

Pen Nib Cuff Links

Recycled Bottle Utensils
Flattened Wine Bottle Platter

Vinyl Album Photo Album

Flip-Flop Nesting Boxes

Hybrid Wall Clock

Telephone Wire Basket

Water Ski Bench

FINE CRAFTS 101!

2012-01-27T10:07:00.000-08:00

I have always wished there was a local class that would teach artists starting out what they needed to know to operate a professional creative business. As much as I can appreciate creating as a hobby, once you make the decision to sell your work through a gallery or anywhere else, you should be thinking like a business person. This is a struggle for a lot of people starting out and now, there's a way to get the beginning tools you need to help guide your business journey.

After being asked separately to put together a workshop for years by our respective students and clients, Michele Grady and I finally decided to team up to provide interested students with the tools to begin the journey of creating a viable creative business. We're excited about this new program!

To find out more about this exciting workshop, visit www.finecrafts101.blogspot.com

And here's the press release about the upcoming workshop, being held at Creative Genius.

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A New Workshop Designed to Help Artisans Grow Their Businesses

MEDFORD, NJ – Two Local Entrepreneurs Teaching New Workshop to Help Others Succeed

With the current state of the economy, staying viable is a great accomplishment for any small, independently run business. Often, creative types struggle with turning their creative aspirations into a solid business venture. This February, two local accomplished entrepreneurs will be sharing their industry knowledge with artists and artisans seeking to create a viable business out of their creations. Their first workshop, Fine Crafts 101: The Business of Selling Your Creations, will be held February 11th, 2012 from 10am-4pm.

The workshop instructors collectively share close to 30 years of industry experience in creating, marketing, displaying and selling fine craft. Julie Basello-Holt owns Creative Genius Art Gallery & Studio, a Medford fine art/fine craft gallery and studio that has been in operation for the past 8 years. In addition she co-owns True Story Photography. She also brings 15 years of management and training experience to the workshop from her prior corporate management career. Michele Grady has been working with metals for 20 years. She owns and operates Michele Grady Designs, which offers her unique jewelry designs, created solely by her and offered in galleries and shows throughout the United States. She has also taught her craft to hundreds of students for the past 10 years in various venues throughout South Jersey.

Both businesswomen are excited about helping other creative people learn how to organize and grow their respective businesses. They offer the unique advantage of presenting the business of fine crafts to their students from both the artist and gallery perspective in a fun, friendly workshop designed to inspire the students they work with.

For more information about the workshop www.finecrafts101.blogspot.com

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Creativity...

2012-01-18T12:59:00.000-08:00

I just looked at the date for my last post and realized I have not posted since October. Yikes!
That is just evidence of the fact that the holiday season kicked my butt, as it does every year. Both businesses are busy and I generally have time for nothing but work, work, work. Fortunately for me, I love both my jobs so it feels okay to do nothing but work. But I have been lax on the blog front for sure...

My resolution for this year is to be more focused on my own creative projects and not just the work-related ones. The folks who don't work every day in a creative field tend to forget that when you do, it is really challenging to fit your own fun and creative endeavors in to the mix. No complaints, mind you, but your view of your own creative fun changes when you have deadlines to meet and your bill paying depends upon your creativity too.

So far it is only Jan 18th, 2012 and I have already learned how to make paper beads (thank you, Jen!) and I have some other shoot ideas for my stepdaughters in the works. And this past Sunday, I grabbed my trusty assistant Reece, my young friend Ashley and my camera bag and we headed to the shore for some lens testing. We had nothing fancy or overly creative planned, just a Cinderella-themed prom dress, some fishnet stockings and me and my camera. I did have some better ideas but a thermometer reading of 25 degrees tends to put a damper on outdoor playtime when you are working with an unpaid model. So we improvised...

I am not sure how the lens itself fared overall, but I do like some of the pictures from Sunday...here's a peek:

Can't decide which of the above two textured pictures I like better...I love the black and white version but the color seems to have a completely different mood....hmmm...

A Day At The Races...

2011-10-09T16:45:00.000-07:00

Today's adventure was a trip to Atco Raceway for a few hours of racing fun. Unfortunately we weren't the ones racing, although my husband thought he might take the Camaro out for a spin. But he opted against it at the last minute, especially when we saw the rows of cars waiting to race. It was packed! Instead we enjoyed the toils of others as they lined up one by one at the starting area and then sped down the track at full grumbling, vibrating, growling volume. It was pretty cool!

In addition to the races, there was also a classic car show and a car parts swap meet, both of which we scoped out. We saw a few familiar cars that we have seen before during the summer on Tuesday nights at the Evergreen in Southampton. Chris usually takes the Camaro out on Tuesday nights during good weather so he saw more than one familiar face (along with their classic cars).

Beautiful weather contributed to the overall feeling of the day. My stepdaughter Chrissy was with us and fun was had by all. We only stayed for a few hours but it was enough time to see a car do a wheelie and almost flip (scary moment!) and also a few surprising cars that looked like junkers and practically flew down the quarter mile.

A definite adventure...A two earplug day was had by all...

Mail time!

2011-10-04T17:14:00.000-07:00

Today I got to wander around Medford Village with some of the photography students that I teach. 

Other than one architectural element, my two "keeper" photos from the day were odd choices for me, in my opinion. 

For some reason, I found myself, in two different instances, photographing mailboxes. Quite honestly, there wasn't anything especially captivating about either mailbox that I photographed but for some reason, I liked them. 

I decided to take a break from client editing for a few minutes and just edit these as a break. It is pretty hectic when you actual edit to take a break from editing...but I am decently satisfied with the results.

Lucky 13


Mail?

Highlight of My Summer...

2011-09-24T08:53:00.000-07:00

Now that summer is pretty much over, I took a moment the other day to reflect on the personal summer highlights for 2011. I have to say that, though I enjoyed two great shore vacations with my husband, spent time with friends, family and other assorted characters (you know who you are!), read plenty of great books and got some down time, the absolute highlight of my summer was seeing Bob Dylan in concert at Convention Hall in Asbury Park, NJ on August 14th. For that, I have my husband to thank (thank you, Chris!).

This was the first time I saw Bob Dylan and I actually thought I was a fan prior to the concert. I was clueless! I know this because now I am DEFINITELY a fan...Not only was I wrong about my prior fan-status but I did not anticipate the impact that seeing him live would have for me. Once I started really digging into to his vast catalog of musical and literary creations, I have to say that I was completely blown away. And I am also incredibly inspired by his work...

My college degree is in English and American Literature and I have done my share of reading, particularly in the poetry arena. Though I am far from an expert, I can hold my own in reading, writing and literary interpretation. But I can't remember being this xcited about poetry since I first read T.S Eliot's Four Quartets back in college. I have been writing since I was a kid and I can't remember being this excited about writing since I took a poetry workshop back in college as well. I feel like digging into Bob Dylan's lyrics has opened up a door that was a favorite of mine to walk through in the past but that has been closed for quite a while. Good stuff!

A lot of reviews of the Bob Dylan concerts constantly mentioned how his voice is shot and that they didn't like the way this song or that song was performed. His voice is definitely rough but here's the deal for me: I was in the presence of a living legend who has influenced the best of the best songwriters. His songs and his band are awesome and who really cares how rough his voice is? To me, he has character. The man is 70 years old and has been touring and performing for the better part of 50 years, for pete's sake! Should he sound like he is 20? As I said to my husband, if given the opportunity to sit down for dinner and a chat with any legendary person you could choose, would you not attend the dinner because that person was a bad cook? Of course not!

I am happy to be writing again. I don't know if I will ever share any of the new poems but I certainly will enjoy the process. Thank you, Bob Dylan!

Doing What You Love

2011-09-02T12:24:00.000-07:00

Once in a while, in a rare and elusive moment of total reflection, I stop and think of how grateful I am to be eight years and counting into two careers that I absolutely love. I left a corporate career to be a professional photographer and open an art gallery/art studio and I am still doing both today. I always forget how rare it is that someone ditches a career to completely change their work life, simply because they are passionate about what they want to do. A bit of talent, a bit of being stubborn and a lot of determination are what keep me motivated and moving forward.

I know how difficult it can be to let go of all the things that come with changing your entire professional and personal life and can certainly appreciate the level of fear that many folks exhibit. Although fear can be a motivator and a deterrent, a bit of fear isn't bad. Letting fear stop you from trying something you want to is silly and a waste of time. I always play a mental game with myself. I call it: Whats the worst that can happen? It came from my early days in a corporate job when I was a new manager in a corporate restaurant chain. My mentor at the time seemed so wise. In reality, he really wasn't much older than I was at the time (mid 20s at most) but he was an out of the box thinker which made him seem so confident. I expressed that I was always afraid of failure. His first response was, "then don't fail". We laughed a little at that and then he went further and said, "but if you do fail, what's the worst that can happen?" He wanted me to really think about what my scenario was for the worst that can happen. I thought about it and I still do, to this day, when I am approaching things. Money, stuff and all the trappings that illustrate "success" no longer define success for me. You can't put a price tag on putting yourself out there in a new and unique way. Yes, there are always sacrifices but nothing good is ever free, folks. To me, if no one that I care about is dying or seriously ill/in pain, it's all good. So if I fail and none of those things happen, what really is the big deal? I pick myself up and try again from a slightly different angle. But the important thing is TO TRY. Nothing ventured, certainly nothing gained.

I came across an article recently at www.zenhabits.net about why the world needs you to do what you love and wanted to share a brief list from the article:

Five things you can do to move toward getting paid to do what you love:

Find your passion. This is all about your great love, and what makes you come alive. To get started here, ask: “What am I insanely interested in?” “What could I talk about for hours?” and “What would I do for free?”
Find your strengths. What we’re looking for are things you’re naturally good at, and the unique strengths you’ve had since birth. This is about contributing your gifts to the world. To get started, interview your friends, family, or peers and ask them what three things you’re naturally talented at.
Find your value. Finding the intersection between what you’re good at and what people are willing to pay you for is what it all boils down to. If you can’t find a way to get paid to do what you love, the other stuff doesn’t really matter. So it’s worth spending some time figuring this out. To get started, think about the benefits you’ll give others by contributing your value. Think about whether or not there is a desperate pain or a deep passion involved in what you’re offering.
Make the commitment. I think, more than any other reason, people fail to succeed is because they fail to commit. Thinking “I don’t know” or “maybe someday” will not get you to the point of doing what you’re passionate about for a living. It takes an uncompromising commitment to make this change for yourself. Instead of thinking “I don’t know,” think “I’ll figure it out.” Remember, paths are made by walking.
Be willing to let go. As much as you might want to make this change for yourself, it can be hard to let go of the old patterns of thinking and behaving. A lot of us have ideas that “work shouldn’t be fun” or “you should just suck it up.” Breaking down those beliefs can be difficult, but moving toward a new direction is most definitely worth it.
What will you give up? You might not think that you have time to take on a new endeavor, and you’re right. You won’t have time until you make the time. There are a lot of things we place in our schedules that we think we must do. But in reality, our world wouldn’t collapse if we chose something else. Make a list of all the activities and time sinks that you’ll give up in order to make time for your new journey.
Will you say Yes to yourself? You may want to become a writer, dentist, life coach, painter, or public speaker. If you know that this is what you’re meant to do, then give yourself permission to call yourself that… even if you’re not established yet. And even if you don’t make a full time income from it. Own your passion, completely and unreservedly.

From an article by Jonathan Mead at www.zenhabits.net

I leave you with a few little blurbs on people who tried, failed and tried again:

Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. We all know the career he went on to have.

R.H. Macy-Most people are familiar with this large department store chain, but Macy didn't always have it easy. Macy started seven failed business before finally hitting big with his store in New York City.

Walt Disney-Today Disney rakes in billions from merchandise, movies and theme parks around the world, but Walt Disney himself had a bit of a rough start. He was fired by a newspaper editor because, "he lacked imagination and had no good ideas." After that, Disney started a number of businesses that didn't last too long and ended with bankruptcy and failure. He kept plugging along, however, and eventually found a recipe for success that worked.

Vincent VanGogh-During his lifetime, Van Gogh sold only one painting, and this was to a friend and only for a very small amount of money. While Van Gogh was never a success during his life, he plugged on with painting, sometimes starving to complete his over 800 known works. Today, they bring in hundreds of millions.

Stephen King-The first book by this author, the iconic thriller Carrie, received 30 rejections, finally causing King to give up and throw it in the trash. His wife fished it out and encouraged him to resubmit it, and the rest is history, with King now having hundreds of books published the distinction of being one of the best-selling authors of all time.

Babe Ruth-You probably know Babe Ruth because of his home run record (714 during his career), but along with all those home runs came a pretty hefty amount of strikeouts as well (1,330 in all). In fact, for decades he held the record for strikeouts. When asked about this he simply said, "Every strike brings me closer to the next home run."

Susan Boyle-The singer tried out on Britain's Got Talent and the audience laughed at her and dismissed her when she first got onstage. I think my favorite moment (and I have watched it on You Tube many times, is the moment she starts to sing and everyone is floored. I mean, jaws literally dropped...I love watching the underdog win! Susan has now become the professional singer she wanted to. No one would have predicted that.

So here's a question for you:
What are you waiting for?

Love and marriage...

2011-08-11T13:35:00.000-07:00

I was fortunate enough to share in the celebration of my stepdaughter Santina's wedding to Joe a few weeks ago. Prior to celebrating, I got to photograph the preparation and ceremony pictures with my business partner. Santina and Joe were adorable and the ceremony was really beautiful, right on the beach in Beach Haven, across from the Inn where the couple stayed for the weekend. I wish nothing but the best for these two! :)
I'm still hard at work on the editing but for now, here's a few little peeks...

The view from the Inn

Writing toasts...

Running to Stand Still (or why I need a vacation to get ready for a vacation)

2011-06-30T08:16:00.000-07:00

Vacations are fun, relaxing times to unwind and stop and smell the flowers after the chaotic regular lives we lead. I always enjoy time off from work, even if I am staying local or taking day trips and I have never regretted taking a vacation regardless of what my day job has been. So why is it that the weeks leading up to vacation are such insanity that it almost makes you wish you weren't taking a few days off? Why is that? Why do you end up running around like a lunatic just so you can sit on the beach for a few days. And those of you with children, I applaud you loudly. I can't even get myself straight, let alone a five year old!

I have a few theories that I will now share about why I become insane during pre-vacation. Please note that this is my own personal brand of insanity and my brand may not necessarily work with your brand of craziness. Regardless, I think most people should be able to relate on some level:

OCD-If you have mild OCD that isn't necessarily life-altering but that forces you to make random lists, replay everything you have to do in your head throughout the day (and night!) and basically just stress about everything until it is checked off that list you made, then pre-vacation time is not your friend. I will be checking my list twelve times, rewriting the list a few times and generally driving myself very near to the point of insanity just making sure I packed enough black shirts to wear. And if you know me, you know that there is no shortage of those black shirts in my wardrobe. They always need to make it to the suitcase though...

Forgetfulness-I usually have so much on my mind, that my husband will tell me things two and three times and I will forget I ever heard them. To have to repeat oneself two or three times does not make someone happy, even if you are an easy, perfect person to live with (which I am not). In the midst of forgetting general information he shares with me, I also forget things like my toothbrush, hair gel and other assorted annoyances. Yes, I know, unless I am vacationing in Siberia (and probably even if I was), I can buy those things I forgot. But when a perfectly good pack of hair ties is sitting on the counter at home with a brand new brush, it bugs me to have to buy another set. General principle, I guess...or just being cheap!

Having a business/businesses-When I had a regular job, I just asked for time off and then had a few things to follow up on. Having your own business is a little harder in this area. Everything above that I mentioned about making lists and checking them twice? Make that three lists-one list for me, personally, and one for each of the businesses I run...this equates to even more stress and utter chaos when you realize that you forgot to update the outgoing phone message, website or whatever. I used to be worse at this but have gotten better at it with practice. This means that now, most everything gets done, prepped and ready-except at home, where I still forget the hair gel...*sigh*

Packing-Years ago, when I traveled for work each week, I was the greatest packer on earth. Literally I packed exactly what I needed and never, ever had a problem. I could make it in and out of an airport in record time and had my routine so scaled down that carrying my suitcase and laptop was no issue at all. Granted, I was also ten years younger but still, I had the packing thing wired. It was awesome. And somehow, in the time that has passed between then and now, I have completely lost every packing and efficiency skill I acquired back then. I have turned into that person with the 30 bags and suitcases heading out the door. What the hell happened? I have not become any more high maintenance. I just can't stand the thought of not having a choice between 4 pairs of black platform sandals when I am getting ready to go to dinner. Seriously, what is up with that? Why can't I just bring one of every color? Why do I need three of every color shoe that goes with an outfit. And then, after lugging them everywhere, why do I wear two pairs of shoes the entire vacation? I am seriously insane on this front. And if it is local vacation that is even worse because then I give myself permission to pack even more bags. One shoe bag, one bag of books to read on the beach, one bag just for lounging clothes, etc. I have gone from the Queen of Packing to a packing disaster. Someone help me please....

So vacation time is totally worth it but a totally stress-inducing activity and really, I don't know how else to say it. And yes, I know it's my own fault and maybe some day I will change things but for now, there just isn't time...I've got to go make another list....

Growing up...

2011-06-16T13:58:00.000-07:00

"I stood stone-like at midnight, suspended in my masquerade
I combed my hair till it was just right and commanded the night brigade
I was open to pain and crossed by the rain and I walked on a crooked crutch
I strolled all alone through a fallout zone and come out with my soul untouched
I hid in the clouded wrath of the crowd, but when they said, "Sit down," I stood up
Ooh... growin' up..." ~Bruce Springsteen "Growing Up "

Got a visit from one of my young clients/friends today. I have gotten to know her and her mom because they are clients of Creative Genius and photography clients too. In fact, I shot Ashley's senior portraits, which we had a blast doing a few years ago. All in all, she is pretty special and has had some hard times recently. Fortunately she has reached some general conclusions on her own about what is right for her and also even more fortunate is the fact that she has an extremely loving and supportive family. Rough times will always be there but if you have a support system, you are a lucky person in my opinion.

I was actually glad (and flattered) that she stopped by for a visit. It is always great to see her and after hearing some of what was happening in her life, I was glad I got to see her firsthand (as opposed to in a facebook post). I am also glad she is getting back into some of her creative pursuits. She is the type of person who stands out almost effortlessly and yet, is so accessible and friendly you can't help but like her. I wish her the very best and hope that once the dust settles with everything going on, that she is happy.

Basically, today's epiphany is not really earth-shattering: growing up is hard. And you can't follow the crowd. You owe it to yourself to be yourself and not someone else's version of what they think you are supposed to be.
I think Dr Seuss said it best:
"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind."

One of my favorite quotes...I hope it all works out for my young friend. She deserves it....

Are you a jewelry whore or a shoe slut? (Or both...!)

2011-06-04T14:00:00.000-07:00

I was speaking to a friend of mine today and she described herself as a jewelry whore (but personally, I think she is big shoe slut too! HAHA! ). I am definitely less of a jewelry whore and a much bigger shoe slut. What are these seemingly derogatory terms, you might ask? Well, it all has to do with your addictions...(and we're not talking about the kind that require an intervention, although the more you hit zappos.com the more that intervention might become a shopaholic reality for you...)

Tracey and I both share a love of interesting unique shoes. From dressy pumps to killer platforms to funky wedges, we both LOVE LOVE LOVE shoes. We covet them. She told me she used to save up as a young teacher and each month she would do her best to treat herself. As a female, you might begin your shoe-sluttiness by hitting Payless a lot but as you get older, you begin to uncover internet treasures and boutique shoes and, well, the next thing you know, you're credit card is screaming for mercy.

My favorite kind of shoes are the ones that don't look like they should be worn but are actually comfy in a 4 inch platform heel kind of way. And if you aren't getting compliments on your shoes, go choose another, cooler pair. Shoes should make you feel good and they should also inspire benign envy in at least one other person each time you wear them. My one gripe about shoes-why is every pair I love $ 150 plus dollars? It's a conspiracy, I tell you! Just not fair!

My friend would probably trade in jewelry for shoes but she is also very into the jewelry thing. In fact, she has actual earrings that match actual outfits. I am not talking about slight coordination. I am talking about apple green earrings that match the apple green threads in the patterns of a sundress (or something like that). Wow. I am totally NOT that person. I like silver, I like variety and I hate earrings. Bracelets are cool, necklaces are even cooler. Rings are my favorite. I feel constricted by jewelry in the summer and I love big bold pieces but only if I'm in the mood. I sound picky but nothing like a jewelry whore. Sorry, Tracey, you win on that front!

And now I am off to zappos.com....sssshhh, don't tell my other 80 pairs of shoes...they might get jealous...

Adventures in Batsto...

2011-05-04T13:10:00.000-07:00

Bench on Batsto Porch

Last week was a rough week...a death in my husband's Chris's family resulted in a stressful and very emotional week. After the funeral on Saturday, I think Chris just needed to rest and wander around aimlessly for a bit. My oldest stepdaughter, Jodi, was over for the weekend so after my morning shoots on Sunday, we headed out for some adventures. First, lunch at Pic-a Lilly (think I spelled that wrong, oh well...). Then out into Wharton State Forest until we reached Batsto Village. Wandered around Batsto for a while before taking a 2 mile hike and then back into the car to head home. Overall a fun day...and got to meet Jodi's new boyfriend, Chris too :)

The only negative for me on Sunday: feeling very car sick on the way back from Batsto. I knew I should have taken the damn medicine before I left the house but I hate how tired it makes me--I easily get motion sickness..and it is NEVER fun. :(

Here's a peek at our day:


Gotta love my husband, still climbing trees at 51

Jodi and her dad


Three of the four adventurers

Batsto Mansion

Random Plant

Being goofy...


Jodi and her dad (again!)


Chris, Jodi and Chris (Jodi's boyfriend)

It's the little things....

2011-04-28T11:21:00.000-07:00

It's always the littlest things that mean the most to me.

I got to spend Easter with my family up in New York and it was so great to see everyone. I don't get up there often enough for a variety of reasons (many of them out of my control-which doesn't really appease the guilt but anyway...). Because of this, it is always a whirlwind and combine the regular whirlwind aspects of catching up with everyone with my fun, inquisitive almost four year old nephew trying to get my attention and the results are, well, busy, to say the least.

Thankfully, my husband was with me for the drive because it was a harrowing driving home. I am a good driver and have no problem navigating NYC driving, traffic or whatever. I like driving and have no issue with road trips. But I am practical and he is the better overall driver. I was really glad that he was at the wheel coming down the NJ Turnpike in the pouring rain on Sunday night.

I think my favorite part of Sunday was the simplest. I was tasked with helping find my nephew's shoes and making sure he got his socks and shoes on, for which he wanted no help. "I can do it, Aunt Julie" was all I kept hearing so instead of wrestling over it, I decided to take advantage of the 10 minutes it would probably take him to navigate the process--yes, folks, I grabbed my camera. As I was shooting him, I was picturing the story we were telling and of course, I put together a storyboard for my sister. I took all kinds of pictures of him that day but the storyboard is the favorite. And it is almost always about the little things, isn't it?

Wedded Bliss...

2011-04-19T13:26:00.000-07:00

This past weekend (Saturday, to be exact) I set out at 10am to meet my friend, Gina, who asked me to be a second shooter/assistant for a wedding she had booked. This photographer/friend of mine is also someone whose work and unique style I really admire. You can view her work, which is quite varied and is definitely not only about weddings here>> Gina Hanf-Life Photography

I knew it would be a long day but I also knew a few key points that made it easier:

-I was definitely going to learn something different from working with her.
-It would definitely be a unique experience (having never shot a wedding with her and never photographed a wedding in Delaware, this was a guarantee)
-I knew she would get some amazing photos that I would be able to gain something from
-We would have fun!

Initially we estimated that the drive would take around an hour and a half but we were wrong. We ended up having to drive about 2 1/2 hours (she drove, thank God!) to get to the wedding venue, which was a really nice golf club located in Delaware, not too far from the major Delaware beaches. It rained (at times, poured) the entire way there and most of the trip back. Definitely an adventure...if nothing else, my endless chattering probably helped keep her awake for the drive. I tend to talk a lot (or not at all ) before a big shooting event, depending upon my level of energy and anxiety. Poor her, having to listen to me for 2 1/2 hours each way!

I did learn a lot and actually had a really good time. The bride and groom were great and the bridal party was a real treat to spend time around. They were actually hysterically funny. The bride and groom's family and guests were also great and everyone really seemed to enjoy themselves and cut loose a bit. The venue was really pretty and the service at the venue was incredible. We dealt with rain sporadically throughout the day and had to squeeze pictures in between intermittent showers. At one point during bride and groom photos it started to sprinkle again and we were away from the reception venue at a small bridge overlooking the golf course. Before we could even decide what to do, the planner pulled up in a golf cart to transport us safely back to the club. Really, the service was terrific.

Gina was very organized, definitely had a plan and did a fabulous job. I was honored to be working with her and appreciated being asked. It was a great experience. I love putting myself in situations where I am going to learn in a different environment and out of my comfort zone. It is worth the discomfort to come away with something interesting to add to my bag of tricks. I can't wait to see some of the results of this wedding.

Thank you, Gina! I would work with you again any time!

"You've got to find what you love"

2011-04-14T08:47:00.000-07:00

I saw this on my facebook newsfeed this morning. It is Steve Jobs giving a commencement address to the Stanford University Class of 2005. This spoke to me in an incredible way so I felt some value in re-posting this.

I am certainly not an innovator of Mr. Jobs' level (and really, there aren't many folks who are). Prior to 2001 I lived a normal life of working 75% of the time to support myself and 25% of the time in "leisure activities" (as well as spending time on worrying about work.) Generally, this was not the happiest time in my life and I was definitely not being true to myself. Then September 11th, 2001 happened. This was a turning point for a lot of people and I include myself in that. I could not fathom that all those people in the Trade Center and the Pentagon did was go to work. And so many of them did not go home that night. To me, hating my job and not being true to myself and playing the role of what I was supposed to be was bad enough. Imagine going to work at that job you hate and never getting to do what you really want to do?

As I reflected in the weeks that followed September 11th, I made some decisions and hatched some ideas that began to take shape. And I have been working on perfecting those road maps ever since. Part of those decisions was Creative Genius Art Gallery and Studio which opened in 2003 and also, the idea of photographing people professionally, which began happening actively in 2004. I had always been close to the arts and even wanted to be a professional artist as a kid. And I had been digging deep into learning photography since I was 18 years old. And now at 35, I was kicking both "loves" into a prominent place in my life. I was probably not fully ready for either endeavor and yet I just went for it. I look back now and say that it's a good thing I didn't know more or I might have talked myself out of doing what I did.

Since I opened my gallery in 2003 and started photographing people professionally in 2004, it has been a constant struggle to stay afloat. And yet, amidst all the people who told me I couldn't do what I wanted, I continued to move forward and I continue to still move forward today. It has been far from easy and far from painless and yet, these two "jobs" are the best things I have ever done in my work life because they are exactly what I feel I am supposed to be doing and I get to do them daily.

When I watched the commencement address that Steve Jobs gave, it really brought home a lot for me. Things are not always easy and often they downright suck. Things are not always fair and sometimes you get to deal with nastiness, jealousy, negativity and selfishness. Sometimes you get screwed. But in the end, what matters most is being true to you and finding what you love to do and the universe will have a way of helping you make that happen, even if it takes a while. Sometimes when you look back, those dots will connect in a way you hadn't planned but somehow it all works out. I couldn't agree with that sentiment more.

I have included a transcript of the address below, in case you'd like to read it. Perhaps it will speak to you too...

Stanford Report, June 14, 2005

This is a prepared text of the Commencement address delivered by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, on June 12, 2005.

I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That's it. No big deal. Just three stories.
The first story is about connecting the dots.
I dropped out of Reed College after the first 6 months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another 18 months or so before I really quit. So why did I drop out?
It started before I was born. My biological mother was a young, unwed college graduate student, and she decided to put me up for adoption. She felt very strongly that I should be adopted by college graduates, so everything was all set for me to be adopted at birth by a lawyer and his wife. Except that when I popped out they decided at the last minute that they really wanted a girl. So my parents, who were on a waiting list, got a call in the middle of the night asking: "We have an unexpected baby boy; do you want him?" They said: "Of course." My biological mother later found out that my mother had never graduated from college and that my father had never graduated from high school. She refused to sign the final adoption papers. She only relented a few months later when my parents promised that I would someday go to college.
And 17 years later I did go to college. But I naively chose a college that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and all of my working-class parents' savings were being spent on my college tuition. After six months, I couldn't see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. And here I was spending all of the money my parents had saved their entire life. So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out I could stop taking the required classes that didn't interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked interesting.
It wasn't all romantic. I didn't have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends' rooms, I returned coke bottles for the 5¢ deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the 7 miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it. And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on. Let me give you one example:
Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country. Throughout the campus every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand calligraphed. Because I had dropped out and didn't have to take the normal classes, I decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. I learned about serif and san serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can't capture, and I found it fascinating.
None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But ten years later, when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we designed it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the Mac, it's likely that no personal computer would have them. If I had never dropped out, I would have never dropped in on this calligraphy class, and personal computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards ten years later.
Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.
My second story is about love and loss.
I was lucky — I found what I loved to do early in life. Woz and I started Apple in my parents garage when I was 20. We worked hard, and in 10 years Apple had grown from just the two of us in a garage into a $2 billion company with over 4000 employees. We had just released our finest creation — the Macintosh — a year earlier, and I had just turned 30. And then I got fired. How can you get fired from a company you started? Well, as Apple grew we hired someone who I thought was very talented to run the company with me, and for the first year or so things went well. But then our visions of the future began to diverge and eventually we had a falling out. When we did, our Board of Directors sided with him. So at 30 I was out. And very publicly out. What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating.
I really didn't know what to do for a few months. I felt that I had let the previous generation of entrepreneurs down - that I had dropped the baton as it was being passed to me. I met with David Packard and Bob Noyce and tried to apologize for screwing up so badly. I was a very public failure, and I even thought about running away from the valley. But something slowly began to dawn on me — I still loved what I did. The turn of events at Apple had not changed that one bit. I had been rejected, but I was still in love. And so I decided to start over.
I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.
During the next five years, I started a company named NeXT, another company named Pixar, and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went on to create the worlds first computer animated feature film, Toy Story, and is now the most successful animation studio in the world. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT, I returned to Apple, and the technology we developed at NeXT is at the heart of Apple's current renaissance. And Laurene and I have a wonderful family together.
I'm pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn't been fired from Apple. It was awful tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle.
My third story is about death.
When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.
Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.
About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn't even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctor's code for prepare to die. It means to try to tell your kids everything you thought you'd have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It means to make sure everything is buttoned up so that it will be as easy as possible for your family. It means to say your goodbyes.
I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope down my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I'm fine now.
This was the closest I've been to facing death, and I hope it's the closest I get for a few more decades. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept:
No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.
Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.
When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late 1960's, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors, and polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: it was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great notions.
Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish." It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.
Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.
Thank you all very much.

Learning something new...

2011-04-12T18:03:00.000-07:00

Today I learned how to do a different processing technique and couldn't be more excited about it. And let me just say, Scott Kelby rocks! No really, he does!

Just a few re-do's to peek at...I actually love learning something new and revisiting previously processed photos...the possibilities are endless...

If Wishes Were Horses...

2011-04-08T12:57:00.000-07:00

There was a band around a while back named Rubyhorse that never really made much of a splash before they broke up. I first heard them as an opening act for another band and actually really liked their music and in particular the song title I used above.

I don't know if wishes come true but I do know that we all have them. Some are minor ("I wish I could get through this traffic so I'm not late") and some are major ("I wish my mom would feel better and that her health issues would improve"). And then some are just in between...some people pray which is, in it's own way, a form of wishing (I'm sure Jesus might agree>>>...)

I always make wishes when I blow out candles on my birthday cake and I always wish on stars (Star light, star bright...). I guess I am a wishful thinker. I'm thinking this comes from my dad, who always imagines the possibilities in things, even when it seems like there is no way those potentials will become realities. It's a nice quality to be around.

“If I were to wish for anything, I should not wish for wealth and power, but for the passionate sense of potential -- for the eye which, ever young and ardent, sees the possible. Pleasure disappoints; possibility never.” Soren Kierkegaard

I like to imagine what life would be like if my wishes came true. I kind of sound like I should float through Disney World on a sparkly cloud or something but seriously, I have always been a believer in imaging something and trying to make it come true. Magical? A Law of Attraction Principle? A little of both? Who knows...but it is kind of fun to think about all the things that you might have "wished" for that actually DID happen.

"What makes the difference between wishing and realizing our wishes? Lots of things, and it may take months or years for a wish to come true, but it's far more likely to happen when you care so much about a wish that you'll do all you can to make it happen." Fred Rogers
For me, I can name quite a few really great wishes that I would not have believed could come true if you had asked me about them 10 years ago, regardless of how hard I worked. And yet, they did... Here's a small starting list:

1-I always wanted to own an art related business. How cool is it that not only do I own a gallery/art studio but I get to do things like wear $ 250 original, hand-crafted, one-of-a-kind rings whenever I want, just for fun while listening to Pearl Jam on my IPod and tending to business? Yes, I still have to empty trash cans and clean toilets on occasion but really, it's not a bad gig in between all that business stuff, is it?
(ring shown by Michele Grady-gotta give credit where credit is due. I don't know where Jesus came from in the first part of this post so can't give any credit to anyone for that...)

2-I always wanted to work as a professional photographer. I do this, I actually do this. People actually pay for and really like and appreciate my work. A great feeling...and worth every sacrifice I had to make...

3-I wanted to meet like minded people who also appreciated the arts, like me. In the past, I never knew where to find them. Because of both Creative Genius (the gallery/studio) and True Story (the photography business) I now know all kinds of uniquely creative individuals whose works I respect and admire. I even get to interact with them in different scenarios too.

There's a ton more I could add but I will leave my list where it is for now and maybe come back to it another time. Is everything perfect in my world? Hell no! But can I really complain? Nope! Too much good stuff!

Recent Thoughts...(and new favorite photos)

2011-04-01T07:33:00.000-07:00

My favorite photos are usually the last ones I have taken. It is probably a good thing I don't have any children because if I had had more than one, I would probably like the youngest the best...and that would be really bad!

I teach photography to beginners and intermediates (among the many hats I wear these days) and I liken it to my days in corporate jobs working with training employees and managers. It is actually a lot of fun and I think (at least my students tell me) that people seem to get a lot out of what I teach.

In the past two weeks I got the opportunity to head out and take pictures in Medford Village, which is the area of Medford that my gallery/studio is located. There is so much on the backstreets of the village that makes for interesting photo ops. Then again, a bow on a banister is a photo op for me.

I will photograph anything just to keep sharpening the skills....here's a couple of recent favorites...just be prepared because in another week or two, these will be relegated to the bottom of the pile as new favorites emerge...creative ADD? Perhaps...

Changes...

2011-03-28T06:55:00.000-07:00

Once my business partner and I formed True Story Photography, I stopped shooting under the "Photography by Julie Basello-Holt" name and this blog was sorely neglected. I decided a change was in order so I've just changed up this blog to reflect more of my adventures in general and not those specifically related to one of the two businesses I own and operate. Naturally most of my "adventures" occur in relation to either Creative Genius Art Gallery and Studio (which I own) or True Story Photography (which I co-own with a partner) but I will attempt to share things of a more personal nature on this blog. Advanced apologies to those who followed this as a photography blog. I won't be insulted if you stop following...

This weekend my stepdaughter, Jodi was over and Sunday morning she and I went to an open house for a new wellness business and then stopped into one of the Antique stores on Main Street. She found an awesome purse (purple with purple flowers on it...wish I had a pic 'cause it was very cool!) and I was mad that I didn't spot it first...
Over the course of the weekend, I also saw one of the photos that Jodi took of her dad recently and really liked it. I asked her to send it to me because I wanted to play with it although there was nothing wrong with the photo as it was shot. I just like playing. It really captured her dad who is a huge lover of nature and the woods. I went overboard with the edits and can't decide which I like best but once I do decide, I am going to print this for our house. Thanks for sharing this, Jodi! (Now send me a picture of the damn purse!)

Slight adjustments to SOOC

Spooky high pass version

Glowing version

Textured version

There's a mermaid in the pool!

2010-06-29T16:27:00.000-07:00

This weekend, I discovered a mermaid in a pool...

Okay, not really but wouldn't that be cool?

The mermaid in question was actually my youngest stepdaughter who recently became the proud owner of a mermaid tail. I have to admit I was a bit skeptical at first when she mentioned she was saving up for it. I mean, seriously, a mermaid tail? Right....

Now that I have seen this pseudo-appendage in person and more importantly, seen her swim IN it, I think it is pretty cool. She swam really well with it on. In fact, one might wonder if she was, in fact, a mermaid. She seemed at ease the entire time.

My oldest stepdaughter is the person responsible for the quote with the photos. She actually tried out the mermaid tail and though I think it looked cute on her, she found it really hard to swim in. In fact, at one point I asked her if she was okay and she said no, she might be drowning...kidding of course, but she said it was a lot harder than it looks! Apparently, some skills need to be acquired to really maximize use of this thing.

Of course, the photographer side of me (which is always the dominant side especially in the face of antique shoppes, flea markets and anywhere else cool props can be found) wonders how I can get my hands on one or two of these as future props...hmmm...

Intermediate Kids....

2010-05-01T13:45:00.000-07:00

I teach lots of children and adults the art of digital photography. One of the most rewarding classes has been my intermediate kids class, currently comprised of some really talented children who just adore photography. I have a lot of fun roaming around Medford Village with them. They are all using manual settings now and all have a wonderful eye for capturing the ordinary and making it look special. It is a true privilege working with these kids...and I think they enjoy it as much as I do...

Fun with my intermediate class

2010-04-21T12:46:00.000-07:00

Once in a while, when I am teaching my adult intermediates, I actually get to shoot too...it doesn't happen often but it is fun when it does. Yesterday we strolled to a different part of Medford Village, stopped and checked out some beautiful landscaping and hit the cemetary for a few shots. It was beautiful and sunny which was great for walking but presented a little challenge during shooting (which makes for a learning experience and that is exactly what I want to happen!)
I haven't seen any student pics yet but I played around with some of mine, just for fun.

It isn't often that I get to shoot just for fun these days and I miss it...

My youngest stepdaughter...

2010-04-13T15:59:00.000-07:00

We had fun taking pictures outside on Sunday evening...she is a good little sport when it comes to being photographed and usually we get a great result...

One Sneak Peek from Spring Fling Photo Sessions

2010-04-01T16:21:00.000-07:00

These photos are from Creative Genius's Spring Fling Photo Session, which consisted of mini-photo sessions at a special rate for clients. These photos were created by True Story Photography which is made up of me and my photography business partner, Dany Mason Walter.
The fun part of this day, in addition to working with great families to create special portraits, was using my new bench...woo hoo! It really is the simple things that make me happy...

Blog-challenged...

2010-03-27T15:26:00.000-07:00

I have spent the better part of the last two hours trying to figure out how to link 2 blocks to 2 social networking sites and I have to tell you, it has been a humbling experience for me. Before today, RSS and atom meant completely different things to me. I now know that a site called twitterfeed actually exists and I am hoping it all works.
One can never tell...
Soon to be posted are sneak peeks from the first of our Spring Fling shoots...stay tuned!

New Bench!

2010-03-18T07:41:00.000-07:00

I was lucky enough to get this super-cool bench on Ebay recently. It is the latest in my "prop arsenal" and will surely be used for many future sessions.

and the best part? It was $ 8!

Woo hoo!

Tracey and Sarah

2010-02-04T14:21:00.000-08:00

Some sneak peaks from a fun mother-daughter shoot from this past weekend...it was a fun shoot. The team came equipped with lots of props and accessories, which made things interesting. But honestly, beauty comes through regardless of the props and gizmos that you use.

Photos with Santa!

2009-12-17T07:59:00.000-08:00

I had the good fortune this past weekend to work with my photography partner, Dany, from My Three Roses Photography and her dad (aka Santa) on Photos with Santa at Creative Genius. It was a lot of fun to photograph the kids giving Santa their wish lists and I am hoping that it was an enjoyable experience for everyone.

Hank made a very convincing Santa...

Here's a peek at Dany with her dad...

Loren and company...

2009-12-01T17:46:00.000-08:00

Here is a peek at another of my shoot's from Sunday...my friend, Loren and her two kids. I have photographed the kids for the past four years for holiday cards. They always make faces when I get there (not pictures again!) but they always do a great job and are both really good sports.

More to follow...still in the editing stages...

Diane and her Dad

2009-11-30T17:04:00.000-08:00

I had a brief but fun session with Diane and her dad,George. Diane is a wonderful artist that I know and have the good fortune to work with in my gallery. I met her and her dad, George, who is 85 at his home in Southern NJ and did a brief photo session for this year's Christmas cards for Diane.

George was a good sport about the whole thing and Diane photographs beautifully.

Hope both are pleased...

Sneak Peek for Gini!

2009-11-20T14:29:00.000-08:00

I had a wonderful session with Gini for some professional but fun portraits. Here is a sneek peek...the post processing is still in progress but should be completed shortly...

Photos with Santa!

2009-10-29T08:44:00.000-07:00

Sneak peek for Ashley (and Sandy too!)

2009-10-13T09:00:00.000-07:00

A quick sneak peek for Ashley and her mom...we went out on Sunday and it was a beautiful day and a very fun shoot. Ashley was great to work with and her mom was a huge help-thanks, Sandy!

More to follow soon...

Boudoir with Randie

2009-09-26T08:54:00.000-07:00

I had a fun session at the start of this week with a pretty and confident friend of mine who was truly awesome to work with. We had lots of fun with the session and the results turned out great. She is now telling all of her friends, which I GREATLY appreciate.

Boudoir sessions are not something I have heavily promoted but they are one of the types of sessions I offer and in fact, a girls night out party is a great way to get your friends together and enjoy an evening of fun and also, to get boudoir pics too. Most boudoir clients will either have me come to their home for the session or they will rent a hotel room for us to work out of. I have great packages available for solo boudoir sessions and group ones as well. The packages include choices of items that make great gifts for that special someone in your life. For more information, contact me at jbaselloholt@verizon.net.

Here's a peek at Randie's session:

And here's a peek at my new promotional sign that should be arriving any day now to promote this as one of my photography offerings. One of these will be posted at Creative Genius and I am giving Randie, the "star" of my new marketing materials for this type of session some to post where she chooses to.

Sneak Peek for The Cruz's

2009-09-16T12:05:00.000-07:00

Just a little preview of the results of our session on Sunday... there's a lot more to come...

Sunday Morning with Zachary

2009-09-16T11:48:00.000-07:00

I stayed at my sister and brother-in-law's house on Saturday night, in preparation for a shoot I had scheduled for Sunday around 20 miles east of where they live. I got there too late to see my nephew on Saturday night because he was already sleeping. But Sunday morning, I was awakened by a little voice in the next room singing Happy Birthday. And just so you know, it wasn't anyone's birthday. He just likes singing that song I guess. He knows a lot of songs but he happened to be singing that one. I went and got him out of his crib and we chatted for a little bit. Even though he is only two, you can seriously chat with this kid and he makes sense and everything. It is a little scary actually and is easy to forget how little he is.

After breakfast, I sat the little munchkin on the stairs to see if I could get a few pictures of him for school (he starts today at pre-pre school) and to update my computer screensaver (which always has his picture on it). Included in this post are a few of the photos we took. He is such a little stinker!

Sneak Peek for Lisa H

2009-08-29T14:31:00.001-07:00

These are just a few of the photos captured during my session with Lisa, her mom and her beautiful daughter. These three were a lot of fun and we got to shoot in a very cool house. I'm still editing but more to follow soon...

Two little cutie pies...

2009-07-28T15:25:00.001-07:00

Here are two little cutie pies from yesterday's

bubbleicious portrait session...the girls did a great

job and, although it was hot, it was a lot of fun.

Sneak peek for Nancy and Dan

2009-07-25T11:12:00.000-07:00

Dan is working on his modeling portfolio and this session was on location at an abandoned farm (empty silos included). Overall I think Dan did a great job-I think it is probably not easy to have to change your look and emotions on demand (which explains why I have always been BEHIND the camera and not in front of it :)

My only complaint about this session: the bug bites. I guess when you shoot outdoors near overgrown weeds in the heat of July, you get what you get. Still better than a bunch of green heads eating us alive...

Where have I been?

2009-07-01T15:31:00.001-07:00

Certainly I haven't been blogging, as is evident by the fact that nothing new has been posted here...!

I just finished revamping my photography website with new images, a new logo (see above) and more...check it out...www.juliebasello.com

I am off for vacation and will be returning by July 12th...if you find you are in need of a session, call or email me. In the meantime, I will be spending time in my favorite part of the world (aka, where there is a beach) and will hopefully have some time to work on some new images with the latest addition to my camera arsenal.

Fun Session with Jennifer Lynch

2009-05-02T14:05:00.000-07:00

Jennifer Lynch is a local real estate agent who hired me to work with her on portraits for her marketing materials. She is a really fun, upbeat person and her session was, of course, a fun one. She and I actually met a few years ago at an open house and we really clicked. She is one of those people who instantly makes you feel comfortable and I have only come across a few real estate agents in my adult life who were like that (Colleen Tudor, you know who you are!).

Jennifer is the type of person whose marketing materials always have a different twist to them and I think that is really smart. Agent photos often tend to be generic so when you work with someone like Jennifer, who actually wants to do something a little different, it allows you to really start being creative, which I LOVE.

Included here are a few from the session...wonder which one she will like best...

Life's A Beach...

2009-04-07T17:36:00.000-07:00

...And I miss living at the beach more than almost anything...
Here are some family pics from Sunday afternoon of my husband and step-daughter...

Come Fly With Me...

2009-04-07T17:05:00.001-07:00

So my friend Melissa and I went out shooting a week ago this past Sunday and actually got some photos we were somewhat happy with. I was just excited to be out and about on a nice day. We visited the Flying W Airport in Medford, NJ and spent some time
watching planes take off and land.
It was a good photography challenge and we both managed to get different views of similar things, which continually fascinates me when it comes to art. The plane photo is my favorite...

Eastern State Penn

2009-02-23T10:36:00.001-08:00

Just a few shots from our recent jaunt to Philly with my sister, brother-in-law and nephew...

Vote for Me!

2009-01-17T10:50:00.000-08:00

I am entered into a contest...if you like my blog, vote for me! :)

http://www.ppmag.com/fresh-blog-09/

Dinner at 6pm...

2009-01-10T13:26:00.001-08:00

About the title of this photograph, which also happens to be the title of this blog entry:
I am in this absolute wreck of an abandoned house (probably illegally) with some photographers/friends and each of us wandered into our own area, examining the light, the potential for photo ops and the general scene before us. There, amidst the old sofa cushions, crushed beer cans and old kitchen utensils strewn about I spy a decent, albeit very DIRTY, wooden kitchen table. There is sits, in the middle of absolute chaos. Beside it is an old fireplace. It appeared that the fireplace was covered over with dry wall at some point and then re-opened by tearing off the drywall in a very haphazard way. Now I like to think I have a pretty good ability at envisioning the potential of something and not just taking things at face value. This is especially true when it comes to real estate and this room in this dirty, creepy house was a large space with loads of potential (if you had around $400,000 to play with on its repair).

After studying the scene for a few minutes (and actually looking at the light and how it was streaming in through the window), it got me thinking in a very sarcastic way, "What time's dinner?"...this of course, is what led to the title of this photograph. I am not a funny person but I sometimes THINK I am :)...oh, well, I tried...

I am not sure which version I prefer so I have included both...

More from Sunday...

2009-01-09T13:38:00.001-08:00

More "abandoned" photos from last Sunday...still editing...one question I definitely have is why it seems like every abandoned house has an abandoned boat somewhere on the property? Very weird but something I have seen more than once...

Abandoned Houses

2009-01-07T09:56:00.001-08:00

So sad looking and yet, great photo shoot locations. I guess something good will come out of these very forlorn locations with their houses that are falling apart and yet scattered throughout with remnants from someone else's life.

Been a while...

2009-01-07T08:51:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I have been able to get on here and actually post something. But the good news is that I actually have some new work to post. For this very brief post, I've included an image from a fountain light show that my husband and I watched in Atlantic City on New Year's Day.

Happy New Year and more to follow...from a shoot in an abandoned house this past weekend....

Reprocessed Versions

2008-12-22T14:24:00.000-08:00

Playing around a little with some old files today and having fun with textures...

I have a few more files to work on but got a little busy with holiday stuff so I'll add those at a later date...

Impromptu Jewelry Photo Shoot

2008-11-30T14:02:00.000-08:00

Spent some time today with one of my favorite jewelry designers who asked me to photograph her daughter and her daughter's boyfriend wearing some of her creations. The photographs will be utilized for marketing purposes for the cover of her latest catalog of new designs.

Some samples from the shoot are shown...my models did a terrific job...good chemistry sure helps! Plus they are two great looking teens wearing great designs. Here's hoping I did everyone (and everything) justice...

More Cool Jewels

2008-11-21T14:50:00.001-08:00

A very happy client received her images today...yippee!!!

Cool Jewels...

2008-11-16T16:03:00.000-08:00

Today's project will also be what I am working on tomorrow, part of Tuesday AND part of Wednesday. But I think the results will be worth it...these "cool jewels" are the unique creations of Ocean Dreams by Randie B. Ocean Dreams is a jewelry line created by a great and very unique woman who I am fortunate to work with in both areas of my work life. If you want to check out some of Randie's work, visit her website http://www.oceandreamsjewelry.com/ or come visit some of her jewels in person at Creative Genius Art Gallery & Studio in Medford, NJ (among many other venues where Randie shows her work...but I won't be plugging those venues here :)

Seen here is the start of what will be a collection of photographs and catalog pages for Randie to use in her marketing...

Family Photo Fest...

2008-11-13T09:06:00.000-08:00

I had the opportunity to photograph this lovely family this past Sunday. They are such cool people and they photograph wonderfully...still working on the post-processing aspect of the shoot but I've completed enough to include some samples...

Here's a client preview:

Session Previews

2008-11-11T17:18:00.000-08:00

After my busy day on Sunday, I actually am enjoying a busy week of post-processing. Included here is a preview of one of the sessions...this brother and sister were actually very patient through my early morning technical difficulties...I guess when you are totally great-looking you can afford to be patient :)

More to follow shortly...

Busy Sunday

2008-11-09T13:32:00.000-08:00

Today was my holiday photo shoot day and I will be posting samples from my sessions shortly...I also found a very cool chair at a garage sale and my assistant went and picked it up for me in between shoots...very fun and it actually got some use today!

Here is my assistant, thrilled to death because we got the chair :) According to her, she looks horrible today...as if!

Next up is one small sample from one of the families I photographed today...Ms. M is an awesome model...and has so much fun being photographed that is makes my job ten times easier...I just can't decide which version I like better...the colors are so cool to me and yet the black and white is so much more dramatic...

Images for Eric Toscano

2008-11-08T13:57:00.000-08:00

Eric Toscano is an
awesome
artist whose
original works
are detailed and
include all kinds
of things from
words and images
to odd materials like
tar and tacks...
really great
pieces that I was
fortunate enough
to photograph for him.
Included here are some full view images of his works and
some detail shots of some pieces as well...

Detail of above image

Full size

Full size

Detail

A day trip to NYC

2008-11-04T16:47:00.000-08:00

I always miss the city when I have been away from it for a while. After working in New York for 9 years, and of course, growing up right in the shadow of the greatest skyline in the world, I truly cannot stay away for long. In my mind I glorify the whole experience: the throngs of people, the hustle and bustle, the sensory experience that is New York City. And then I take off from working in my suburban gallery and go there for the day... And I remember why I opened my suburban gallery in the first place and how I the experience that is New York has been candy coated in my mind.

The reality is that the throngs of people are there and they kind of all smell a little bit foul and are mostly speaking a language that I have never heard in my life. The hustle and bustle is created by these throngs, most of whom will knock you over on their way to wherever they are in a rush to get to and wherever you are going is not NEARLY as important as where they are going. The sensory experience of New York, had you not known better, might be clouded by the stench of the homeless person on the subway bench right across from you. And if you don't move to a different seat it might even get worse...of course, I am exaggerating...aren't I? :)

Of course, New York City is still home to me, still the greatest city in the world in my mind and by tomorrow, I will miss it. What can I say?

Photos shown in this entry are as follows:

A group of people on bleachers in Times Square, silhouetted against the lights of a very active billboard...the restaurant in SOHO with great burgers, terrible drinks and a long wait for anything. Think they were a bit short staffed and my friend, Michele and I were very patient (thank God for wine...) and also included is a shot of my friend's purse. What you are looking at is M & Ms...very bad snacking habit for us yesterday...almost killed the whole bag between the two of us! Long train rides still suck...

Beautiful Kids

2008-10-21T17:53:00.000-07:00

Last session I did was with the wonderfully unique and beautiful children of a friend of mine. The kids were tough to motivate this year (I do their holiday portraits each year for the past three years and it is really cool to watch them growing up...) but with help from their fun and zany mom, we finally got them into it.

Underestimating the Power of A Picture

2008-10-08T14:29:00.000-07:00

One of my biggest frustrations is with people who think that anyone can just randomly take a good photograph. With the way technology continues to provide us with more and more great cameras that are more and more user friendly, I know it has gotten easier to get a decent photo. But truly great photos take time, patience and practice. I don't care how much money you throw into buying the best camera equipment. If you don't know what to do with it, you might as well be shooting with a 120 pocket point and shoot from the 70's.
I was having a conversation about this with a friend and colleague of mine and we agreed that since her photographs of her jewelry improved, her business has gotten noticed more and more. My friend is a jewelry artist who hand crafts incredibly sterling silver jewelry. Until recently, her photos, though functional, were not ones that would stand out in a crowded arena of jewelry artists. When she worked on making her photos better she succeeded in getting her jewelry noticed, the way it should have been noticed all along.
If you create something and invest hours, days, weeks and years into perfecting your craft, don't sell yourself short on presenting your creations. Invest the time to learn how to take better photographs of your work or hire a professional. The decision will pay for itself...

Group Portraits

2008-09-26T08:53:00.000-07:00

I have an upcoming holiday photo day (with three bookings out of five available slots already taken!) so I have groups on my mind these days. I am working on fun poses (because I hate the stilted looks for groups out there and because I want my clients' sessions to be really fun and to result in a modern looking family portrait).

Recently, I had the opportunity to work with a friend who, along with her cousins came up with the idea of having a portrait taken of them to give to their grandmother, who has a big birthday coming up. I love the location she picked out. It was under an overpass for a highway. There is a trail that runs under the overpass and there is graffiti on the supports holding the highway up. It is very industrial looking and I especially liked the lighting.

And the group was fun and cooperative. After shooting toddlers and little children, cooperative earns you major brownie points in my sessions! :)

I now have a new favorite group photo to add to my portfolio (and other good ones as well...)

Another favorite from the shoot:

New Photographs featured in print ad

2008-09-16T09:07:00.000-07:00

I have two new photographs that will be featured in a print ad for the Historic Medford Village Association. The ad is a full page group ad featuring multiple businesses here in Medford, NJ.

I am excited...love having my work contribute to advertising because then it actually has a purpose.

Here are two larger versions of the featured photos, used to illustrate the quaint nature of Historic Medford Village....

Two of the five spaces for holiday photo studio day are already filled...

Holiday Photo Studio Day

2008-08-28T13:55:00.000-07:00

I'm excited about the newest special that I am running for clients (new and existing) to participate in. It's a HOLIDAY PHOTO STUDIO DAY...what is HOLIDAY PHOTO STUDIO DAY, you might be asking yourself? Well, here's the scoop...

Holiday Photo Studio Day is a special in-studio day for getting those holiday photos completed…I will be booking appointments between 10am and 5pm on Sunday, November 9th, 2008 for couples, families, just the kids, etc to get modern holiday photos taken.

Three packages are available which all include the following:

* Holiday cards with envelopes (using one photo from session)
* Sitting fee plus time and talent of photographer (up to 1 hour session)
* All retouching for photos
* 8 images to choose from on a proof CD (low resolution)

Some Packages Include the Following:
* Complimentary print (8x10)
* High Resolution Digital Image on CD (Card image only)

Sessions will be held at Creative Genius Art Gallery & Studio in our back studio area. A bathroom is available and we will plan your family’s or your children’s modern pose with you prior to your session.

Appointments are required for this special offer and deposits will reserve your space for that day.
For more information or to book your session, contact Julie Basello-Holt at 609-714-1131 or via the web at jab112167@aol.com.

Back from Vacation

2008-08-14T13:39:00.001-07:00

Just got back from vacation this week and I am busy working on lots of things. My gallery has an exhibit opening in a month and a half so I have been busy working on that but more importantly, I have been putting the finishing touches on my new photography website/online portfolio. I am still working through editing and choosing additional photos to add and I am also looking through mp3's to choose some music.

The website hosts/creators are just awesome. I have to give them a plug:

http://www.portfoliositez.com/. Their site packages are affordable and

they provide fabulous service. Using their product is easy for setting up a site as well as maintening it. I am way too busy for anything else so I am glad I found these women and their company.

The image in this entry is my latest favorite photo. A simple image that I took while teaching the weekly Digital Photography for Children class that I teach through my gallery and studio. I was working with my student on how aperture can be used creatively. Nothing extraordinary but I love the contrast between the green of nature, the greenish cast of the metal and the copper color.

Off to work on a photo book for a client...hope they like it!

Welcome!

2008-07-30T17:13:00.001-07:00

Welcome to the official and hopefully not too boring blog of Photography by Julie Basello-Holt.
I will be sure to include photos from recent shoots, lots of great ideas I come across, and more fun photo stories...
stay tuned...