The story of my camera and I
I have been a photographer my entire life.
From the first moment I picked up a camera, I was hooked. I was drawn to capturing moments in pictures: the way the light falls on a person or object, honest emotional expression; these are the moments that fill my heart with happiness.
I have devoted decades to furthering my understanding of photography, improving my skills, and developing my creative style. I find it so interesting, and I am very proud of what I create.
Hi!
I’m Julie,
Nice to meet you!
I would like to share a little bit more about myself, as the first step in getting to know each other. I am originally from the USA, and grew up in Stamford, Connecticut. I studied Marketing at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts and lived for 10 years in the heart of New York City, working for a top pharmaceutical advertising agency, and studying for my MBA in Marketing and Sustainability at Fordham University Graduate School of Business. In 2012, my husband, James, and I moved to Zürich, and began to create a wonderful life here. I began learning German right away—a lifelong goal, inspired by my German grandparents on my father’s side. Since we have lived here, our family has grown to include our dog Rya and two lovely daughters, who inspire me daily.
As it is extremely difficult to describe anyone using only one word, these are some other words I use to describe myself: woman, partner, mother, friend, chef, artist, creative soul, eternal student, entrepreneur, pianist, yogi, teacher, nature enthusiast, movie buff, book worm, music lover, seer of beauty, strategist, coach, achiever, observer, mirror, scribe, and keeper of memories.
I WAS BORN TO DO THIS
In 2014, I finally turned my dream of having my own photography business into a reality and started Julie Norman Photography.
Shortly afterward, our daughters were born, and my life became more meaningful in ways I never dreamed of.
I believe photography is the more than the skill and ability to take a pretty picture. It is about connection with humans and with nature. It is recognizing and celebrating all the little joyful moments and the big milestones that give our lives meaning and make them unique. I record the beauty, truth, and honesty I see in you, and reflect it back to you in the photos I take. Life is not made of perfect moments or perfect people. There are highs, there are lows, and everything in between, I get it. I also know that no one lights up your entire face like the ones that you love. They’ve seen this expression from you many times, and it’s my goal to capture it through my lens so you can also see it.
If you work with me, the first thing I am going to tell you is to be yourself. I want you to feel comfortable, to breathe, to laugh, and enjoy yourself and being together. I will preserve the beauty of you and your loved ones at this moment in time.
For the Love of Memory
I love that I get to share my passion for photography with my clients and friends and family, and there is nothing more meaningful to me, than when my clients tell me how much the photographs that I have taken mean to them. One of my favorite life quotes, which is also a huge reason that I love photography, is this from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."
Photography allows us to slow down and create an enduring space for the memories of our lives, as poetically sung in ‘Photograph’ by the great singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran: ‘We keep this love in a photograph / We made these memories for ourselves / … / And time's forever frozen still.’These quotes resonate deeply with me as some of the reasons why I am a photographer, both of and for my own life and my own family, and hopefully also, yours. Our lives are precious and unique, and we all deserve to have them chronicled, for ourselves, and for our loved ones. It would be an honor to celebrate a few moments of your life with you. I look forward to hearing from you.
