During undergraduate studies at UMass Dartmouth Julie took an elective course in photography with the intention of learning the basics of how to operate the second hand camera that she owned. An unexpected outcome, however, happened along the way to understanding basic photography. She looked through the viewfinder and found it was like looking through a window into another world. She discovered that she could use the camera and the limitations it imposed along with weather and environment to simplify the world around her. More importantly she was able to create something that invoked a feeling, which was a very powerful thing. If something she saw stopped her, made her pause, she would photograph it. Her thinking was really just a simple question; if what she saw was interesting then how could she create something that would describe what she felt about it to others?
Her work is a constant struggle to try and answer that question -
In 2009 Julie rented a tiny 10’x10’ artist shed on MacMillan Pier for a week. There was no guarantee anyone would buy
her photographs. At the time, Provincetown was known primarily for its painters, and many believed photography simply wouldn’t sell. Julie took the risk anyway, displaying her Cape Cod photographs while living in a backpacking tent at a nearby campground.
That one week changed everything.
Her story is about resilience, reinvention, and the belief that it’s never too late to start over. What began as a one-week experiment in a tiny trap shed became a thriving Cape Cod business built through determination, craftsmanship, and a passion for the landscape.