My lens is more than a device; it is the key to unlocking my truest form of self-expression, a portal to translating the world as I envision it. Behind it, I find a sanctuary where I shape each image through my unique perspective and post-processing choices.
My gaze is drawn not to the grand or the obvious, but to the quiet corners of existence – the understated, the seemingly uninteresting, the overlooked details that often escape notice. I am captivated by the potential to reveal the inherent beauty within the shy, the misunderstood, and the left behind, perhaps a resonance from my formative years growing up in the simple landscapes of Bristol, Bucks County, a suburb of Philadelphia, where the tranquil waters of Cassalia Pond and the local scenery witnessed countless childhood explorations with my brother Mark. It was during this time, around the age of ten, that my Uncle Eugene gifted me my first film camera, igniting a passion that has remained a constant thread.
While raising two young children and working as a hairstylist, I pursued a more formal artistic education at The Art Institute of Philadelphia, earning a degree in Specialized Technology in Graphic Design – an experience that subtly informs my compositional choices. This period also included a stint working for the "Northeast Times" before transitioning into our family printing business in Croydon, PA, further deepening my understanding of visual reproduction.
In 2013, I embraced the digital realm with my first DSLR camera. Driven by a desire to master the technical intricacies and artistic principles of photography, I immersed myself in continuous learning, actively participating in various local and online photography communities, including the Cheltenham Camera Club, Churchville Photo Club, Bristol Photographers Club, Lehigh Valley Photo Club, the Bucks County Arts and Culture Council, and engaging with Photo Walking Clubs in Philadelphia like "Fairmount Photo Club," "Photography is Medicine," and "Cityscapes," as well as online groups such as "Create 52 Photography Project" and Sharon Tenenbaum.
Through these experiences, I continue to find immense joy in venturing to new locations, capturing their essence through my lens, and connecting with fellow enthusiasts. My photographic journey is an ongoing exploration of the unseen, a celebration of the unassuming, and an invitation to pause, to observe, and to discover the extraordinary within the ordinary moments that often pass unnoticed.
----Prize Winners----
- Bristol Photographers Club 2025 - 1st Place -Torrent Through the Stone, 2nd Place - Untamed Beauty,
3rd Place - Spectrum, HM - Orange Dreams on Butterfly Wings.
- Allen's Camera Summer Vibes 2024 Photo Contest, Levittown, PA 2024 - Last Day of Summer at the Atlantic City Boardwalk
- Churchville Photography Club 2024 - Water & Rose
- Philadelphia Flower Show 2024 - United by Flowers - 2nd Place "Lavender Fields" -193 Harvest.
- National Marine Sanctuaries 2023 - Sanctuaries at Home Category: 1st Place with "Mill Pond at Sunset".
- Bristol Photographers Club, 49th Annual Photo Competition. Placing 1st - "Birds on the Wire", 2nd - "Rose and Water", 2nd Place - "Red Dancer", 3rd Place, "Street Musician".
- Philadelphia Flower Show 2023 - 2nd Place for "Rose and Water"- The Garden Electric category.
- BenQ and Calibrate Summer Competition - Generational Image - "7 on the Beach"
- Bristol Photographers Club "Yawn", "Floating Leaf", "Re-emerging", "Managed and Unmanaged", "Architecture".
- B&H#OPTIC 2020 - "Birds on the Wire" First Place in Aviary Category Judged by Lisa Langell.
- Churchville Nature Center, PA. Won 2019 "Best of Show" "Scratching Up".
- Churchville Nature Center, PA. Won 2018 "Best in Show" for Photo "Birds on the Wire".
- Placed with "Connecting Lines", "Horseshoe Crab Swirls" and "Reflecting City Hall".
- Black and White Magazine finalist "Birds on the Wire".
- Bristol Photographers Club, "Calling Collect".
- Numerous Awards from local camera clubs.
---Image Showings----
Churchville Nature Center, Churchville, PA Annual Photo Contest, 2025
Bristol Photographers Club - 51st Annual Print Competition, 2025
Philly Photo Day 2025 Exhibit @ TILT Institute for the Contemporary Image.
Leigh Valley Photo Club, Focus 2025, Allentown Museum of Art, "Spectrum"
Arts & Cultural Council of Bucks County Members Showing 2025 - Winter Remnants
Phillips Mills 2025, New Hope, PA -"Defined and Refined"
Arts & Cultural Council of Bucks County’s social media event 30 Days of Inspiration to celebrate National Poetry Month 2025 - "Winter Remnants"
Bristol Photographers Club - 50th Annual Print Competition, 2024
Arts & Cultural Council of Bucks County Members Showing 2024 - Chasing the Light
Klein Life Center "Creativity on Display" Art Show for senior adults 2024.
Philly Photo Day 2024 Exhibit @ TILT Institute for the Contemporary Image.
Arts & Cultural Council of Bucks County’s social media event 30 Days of Inspiration to celebrate National Poetry Month - 2024-Holding Steady.
My image "Holding Steady" was chosen along with an inspiring poem. I will be presenting my image In-house presentation along with the poet. Freedom Hall, Doylestown, PA
Phillips Mills 2024, New Hope, PA - "Churning Carp"
Phillips Mills 2024, New Hope, PA - "Churning Carp"
The Sketch Club-the Art of the Flower - "Water & Rose" and "Efflorescence"
Philadelphia Flower Show 2024 - United by Flowers -193 Harvest- "Lavender Fields"
2 images: "Birds on the Wire" and "Rose and Water" were accepted into the Phillips' Mill Photographic Exhibition for 2023.
"Re-emerging" has been chosen as one of the 30 pieces to be published alongside a complementary poem in the Arts & Cultural Council of Bucks County’s social media event 30 Days of Inspiration to celebrate National Poetry Month. 2023
Bristol Photographers Club - 49th Annual Print Competition, 2023
Philadelphia Flower Show 2023
"The Garden Electric" - Rose and Water
"The Garden Electric" - Rose and Water
Bristol Photographers Club - 48th Annual Print Competition, 2022
The Play masters Theatre group, State Road, Bensalem, PA 19020
The Pennsylvania Center for Photography, "Transformation", Doylestown, PA 2021 - Showing In New Hope Art Center Aug-Sept 2021
Green and Wildlife Project with Bill Brokaw Photography, July 2021
Bristol Photographers Club Annual Print Competition, 2021
The Pennsylvania Center for Photography "Odyssey", Doylestown, PA 2021
Winter Light in Black & White Project with Bill Brokaw Photography- Announced in the Bucks County Herald on February 25, 2021
The Pennsylvania Center for Photography "Transformations", Doylestown, PA 2020
The Pennsylvania Center for Photography "Odyssey", Doylestown, PA 2020
B&H OPTICS 2020 -"Birds on the Wire", chosen by Lisa Langell - Best Image in the Aviary Category
National Arts Program of Philadelphia, Displayed in City Hall, Philadelphia, PA
Northampton Library, PA, exhibited "Scratching Up"
Churchville Nature Center, PA. Won 2019 "Best of Show" "Scratching Up"
"Birds on the Wire" - Finalist in Black and White Magazine
The Pennsylvania Center for Photography "Odyssey", Doylestown, PA 2019
Centre for the Arts, Bristol, PA
The Pennsylvania Center for Photography "Americana", Doylestown, PA. 2018
The Delaware River Town's Project, with Bill Brokaw Photography. French town, and Lambertville, New Jersey
Northampton Library, PA, exhibited "Birds on the Wire"
Churchville Nature Center, PA. Won 2018 "Best in Show" for Photo "Birds on the Wire"
Ann's Choice, Warrington, PA
Rydal Park, Jenkintown, PA "Untitled"
----Assignments----
Competition Committee Member - Bristol Photography Club, Silverlake Nature Center, Bristol, PA
Competition Committee Member -Churchville Photo Club, Churchville, PA
Competition Committee Chairperson/Member - Cheltenham Camera Club, Wyncote, PA
Website Content Writer - Bristol Photographers Club, Bristol, PA
Print Competition Committee - Bristol Photographers Club, Bristol PA
Meadowbrook Project - Cheltenham Camera Club, Wyncote, pa
Board Member - Huntingdon Valley Camera Club - Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006
Noble Dentistry, Abington, PA
Susie Sapienza, Saugus, MA