Sheila Bocchine, Photographer

In October Gary and I photographed the Believe Concert a benefit for Envita and the Fullness of Life Foundation. So I was lucky to catch the whole show on stage. I was mesmerized by the Harp. Did you know a Harp has more moving parts than your car? That’s just one of the fascinating facts I learned that evening. I also got to meet and hang out the Chevy Chase, as he was the host of the event.

I have some fantastic news! Over the summer I was in an exhibit in Middlesbrough, UK called LTLYM (Learning To Love You More) curated by the fantastic photographer Nicky Peacock. Well, the show is now traveling and my 16 sunburst pinhole images were chosen to be in the LTLYM exhibit at the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, in Gateshead, UK. (The building is gorgeous, definitely visit the website)

Housed in a landmark industrial building on the south bank of the River Tyne in Gateshead, BALTIC is the biggest gallery of its kind in the world – presenting a dynamic, diverse and international programme of contemporary visual art.

If you happen to be visiting or live in the area, make sure not to miss the Yoko Ono exhibit also on display. (Yes, I’m showing in a gallery that is also featuring Yoko Ono, one of my favorite conceptual artists, at the same time!!)

This wedding pinhole is of Natalya and Brian in Paradise Valley, Arizona.

I have a special treat for all you pinhole lovers!  I have selected a few of my favorite images and added them to my ETSY shop for you.  They are super affordable and will make a wonderful holiday gift… or perhaps the perfect gift to your own walls.

AND!  One very last mention of the Mysterious Exhibit. The closing reception is tonight.  If you haven’t seen it yet, please do stop by!  I’ll be there from 6-9pm. 1301 NW Grand Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85007.

Have a spectacular weekend my friends!

I had the pleasure of doing Danielle and Bryan’s pinhole engagement photographs at the Arizona State Fair.  They were so cooperative, holding still for 15 minutes!

I’ve had quite the busy photography weekend.  On Friday night Gary and I photographed the National Black MBA Association conference.  On Saturday night we set up a PhotoBooth at the Mondrian Hotel for the 944 Magazine Unscene Tour.  On Sunday afternoon we photographed an engagement session at Papago Park. We hiked to the top of the Hole in the Rock to photograph them in the sunset and we were attacked by Zombies! I’m totally serious.  Zombie Skateboarding company was up there filming a movie, and a bunch of zombies were dressed up and on skateboards.  Probably not the safest spot to skateboard, but they had a hurst waiting for them at the bottom in case they needed it. ha! On Sunday evening my apartment complex, Papago Trillium,  held an art expo for the artists that live in the community.  It was complete with cheese and crackers, wine and jazz!  I met a few more people that live here and enjoyed showing off my pinhole photographs.

This Friday, November 21st, is the closing reception of the Mysterious Exhibit.  If you haven’t seen it yet, please do stop by, it’s a wonderful exhibit.  1301 NW Grand Ave, 85007.  I’ll be there from 6-9pm. 11 photographers, a Day of the Dead installation and A Spaceship installation.  Definitely worth the trip over.  Also next door, Steve Weiss will be holding his exhibition opening for his ‘Lost Vegas’ photography series.  I believe he said at 9pm there is a $10 game of poker happening as well.  So check out my exhibit first, then head over to his, which is next door and stay for some poker!  You could do dinner beforehand at Cibo or Paisley Violin and your Friday night is planned!

I had the pleasure of pinholing Danielle and Brian’s engagement photographs at the Arizona State Fair.  They were so cooperative, holding still for 15 minutes!

Oh happy day! I finally have a new pinhole photograph to post to my blog! In fact I have a whole bunch of them, so please check back daily.

This blog will be a quick little catch up of all the excitement my life has given to me over the last I believe 23 days (since my previous post).

I finally entered the world of facebook.  Add me! ~~ I’ve exhibited in two really great exhibits and have had press on both of them! ~~ I’m so grateful for my status of full time photographer, it’s a lifelong dream come true. ~~ I spent 3 whole days reorganizing and remodeling my living room/office.  The space is so amazing, the energy in that room is spectacular! ~~ I met Tony Burroughs, author of The Code and producer of the movie by the same name. He started the Intenders Circles years ago with a group of friends.  He’s amazing and I look forward to spending a lot more time with him.  ~~ I assisted Gary in teaching his first cooking class, many more of which to come.  ~~ I stayed in my Halloween costume for 2 days straight.  I didn’t want Halloween to end AND I was preparing for a role in an upcoming documentary, that I’m starring in!  Unfortunately I cannot divulge the details, but you my readers will be the first to know! ~~ In the last month I’ve pinholed 4 weddings! ~~ I met and hung out with Chevy Chase at a benefit that I also pinholed.~~  I’ve almost completed all my trainings for Free Arts.  I have one more on Tuesday and then Gary and I can begin teaching our after school art class to homeless teenagers! ~~ Phew… I’ve been keeping busy for sure!

The holidays are here and there is no better time to get those portraits done!  If you’d like a pinhole portrait, a combination of pinhole and digital portraits, a holiday party photographed, a family reunion photographed, a fall wedding photographed, senior portraits photographed or anything else you could possibly imagine, hire Gary and I!  You’re on my website so you view my portfolios.  But please, check out the work I do with Gary. We book 3-4 photography jobs each week (portraits, weddings, events, photobooth, fashion, parties).  We’d love to be apart of your celebrations!

This is an interview about my pinhole photography!!! Thanks for checking it out!

Click here to read the whole interview.

The Soop is a site that covers art, culture, fashion, lifestyle, music and trends. We are not trying to take over any news sites that are out there. More to give a voice to the local arts, the cool, the hip, the trendsetters, movers and shakers, but most of all to help grow the community.

If you didn’t see the exhibit that opened last First Friday at The Bragg’s Pie Factory on Grand Ave, you’re in luck!  There will be another opening on November 7th from 6-10pm.  Please come look at some fantastic photography, a beautiful day of the dead installation and ‘Armada 2012′ a spaceship installation (if you came to the exhibit last month, please come again, just to see the spaceship installation, it wasn’t up at the last opening).  The theme of the show is ‘Mysterious: simultaneously arousing wonder and inquisitiveness’.    There will also be amazing live jazz music as well!

Hooray for pinhole photography!

In August I was part of this really neat event called Ignite Phoenix.I gave a presentation on pinhole portraits. It’s 5 minutes long, with 20 pinhole portrait slides. Watch it if you like! You may need to turn your volume up pretty high…

I apologize if you’ve been to my website in the last week, for it was down. Not down for maintenance, it really just disappeared! It was totally crazy. But I am so grateful that it’s back!

The openings on October First Friday were fantastic! Great turnouts, amazing jazz and t’was a night filled with conversations about art! Afterwards some friends and I went to check out the bar at the recently opened Sheraton Hotel. Absolutely Gorgeous!

During a wild storm this summer in Phoenix, a very old Saguaro cactus was struck by lightening and fell to the ground in Papago Park. Gary and I went to document and pay farewell to this giant desert dweller with memorial photographs. It had over 14 arms and 46 holes (home to many desert creatures)… and those numbers are just what we could see, who knows how many more arms and holes were on the other side. Farewell gorgeous beautiful cactus! You will be missed!

Wow, there are so many amazing things happening right now! It’s a very exciting time for this pinhole photographer!

OPENING THIS FIRST FRIDAY ART WALK, OCTOBER 3rd:

*I curated an exhibit that is opening on Friday October 3rd, 6-10pm, at the Bragg’s Pie Factory on Grand Ave (just south of the Roosevelt/Grand/15th Ave tri-section). It’s called ‘Mysterious: simultaneously arousing wonder and inquisitiveness’  and features 10 local photographers, an installation and day of the dead alters. A jazz band will be playing and Ashley Celeste will be giving readings. I hope to see you there!

*Also opening this Friday is Chaos Theory 9, at Legend City, 6pm to Midnight. 521 West Van Buren, just a few blocks south of the Mysterious Exhibit. I look forward to this exhibit every year! I’ll have a HUGE pinhole portrait in the exhibit! I’ll be getting to this opening around 10pm.

Two neat things that have happened in the last week:

*We photographed a wonderful event at the Polly Larsen Gallery in Scottsdale last week for Envita and Fullness of Life Foundation. I really love those two organizations. There is such a wonderful energy when you’re in a room full of people who love helping other people. If you’re sick and you’ve been told there is nothing else you can do besides die… don’t listen to them!!! GO TO ENVITA!!!! Their alternative practices give new hope to patients. We’ve been donating our time to their organization for 2 years now and will continue to support them. If you check them out and like what you see, they are having a benefit concert at the Orpheum Theater on October 25th. Gary and I will definitely be there!

*Rainbows From Heaven a fabulous little shop on the NE Corner of University and Rural in Tempe, has an Oxygen Bar! Yes, an Oxygen Bar. Gary and I have been twice since Friday night. On Monday’s from 3-7pm they have Oxygen Bar Happy Hour and you can get 15 minutes of delicious, fresh, flavorful (or plain) Oxygen for only $5!!! We’ll be going every Monday. After 15 minutes you feel so good and the energy boost is quite nice.

During a wild storm this summer in Phoenix, a very old Saguaro cactus was struck by lightening and fell to the ground in Papago Park. Gary and I went to document and pay farewell to this giant desert dweller with memorial photographs. It had over 14 arms and 46 holes (home to many desert creatures)… and those numbers are just what we could see, who knows how many more arms and holes were on the other side. Farewell gorgeous beautiful cactus! You will be missed!

What a wonderful weekend I just had! It actually started on Thursday evening when I went to see my friend Allison Gee give a lecture on Art Appraising at Art on Boston, an art gallery in Chandler. Allison is amazing. If you have art that needs to be appraised, she is definitely the woman to call! Her knowledge of art is astounding and I always learn something incredible from her. Even her thesis work was fascinating, it allowed her to be alone in the conservatory in the Metropolitan Museum of Art with one of Michaelangelo’s earliest sculptures. The best part of her lecture was that she gave me new hope! People are buying art… maybe not so much in the United States right now, but the rest of the world is buying art!

Friday night was equally beautiful when an Intenders Circle happened in my apartment. Thank you friends who were able to make it. I hope you had a blissful experience and that I’ll see you at the next one. I was also gifted the most incredible massage by Ashley later in the evening.  I also learned how to breathe a new way, which I practiced all weekend!

I spent Saturday and Sunday, really doing nothing. Thinking, breathing, daydreaming, relaxing, and watching some television. Today I am refreshed and feel wonderful!

Phoenix!  I just wanted to let you know that First Friday (October 3rd 6-10pm) is coming up and there are two not to be missed exhibits!  I will have new pinhole work in both exhibits.

*Bragg’s Pie Factory – ‘Mysterious: simultaneously arousing wonder and inquisitiveness’. I curated this exhibit and it features 10 local photographers, an installation and day of the dead alters.  Opening night will be complete with a fantastic jazz trio and readings by Ashley Celeste.

*Legend City – ‘Chaos Theory 9′ Quite honestly one of my favorite exhibits of the year!  It’s a wonderful mix of the best local artists, in a gorgeous space!

This pinhole is on the balcony of Sol Y Sombra. We went here for a yelp.com party in July. Super excellent restaurant. There was a chicken dish that may have been the best chicken I’ve ever tasted. I highly recommend this restaurant and will definitely be back!

I’m curating and exhibit in October at the Bragg’s Pie Factory. Last night I went to measure the space and found out I have more space than I thought. I also found out the show will be up for 2 months! That was really exciting! One month is not enough time. If you miss the opening you’ve missed the exhibit.

I’m a couchsurfer and belong to a few of their photography related groups. I recently found out about this social art project: So We Say It’s pretty rad and I’m definitely going to participate. Here’s what Larry had to say about the project.

I’ve had an idea in my head for a long time about temporary graffiti using post-it notes and after talking to a few people I’ve finally set it all in motion. I then thought this would be a great place to bring it as I know how creative everyone is on here.

It’s called “So We Say”. Anyone can take part. All you need is a pad of standard yellow (or any other colour) post-it notes. You write down your favourite quote, lyric, personal thought (absolutely anything!)and you can include a little doodle. It can be in any language. You rip it off the pad and stick it in a public place (bus window, shop door, cash point, on a library book…anywhere that someone will find it!). If you can, get a photo of it quickly. I realise this is hard, but a camera phone/small camera is useful.

I’d love to get loads of people involved around the world, and get post-its on landmarks etc.

The idea is that its all temporary. It can blow away in the wind, or have the message ruined by rain, or someone can simply take it or chuck it in the bin. All to establish that moment of connection between a complete stranger and the message that you have written.

Can everyone tell the NEW TIMES that I should win an award? I’d be most grateful!
AWARD: Best pinhole portrait photographer
WHO SHOULD GET IT: Sheila Bocchine, www.sheilabocchine.com
If you fill out their online survey, the very last line, line 107, allows you to write in your favorite whatever they forgot. That would be awesome, thanks! Here’s a direct link: http://phoenixnewtimes.com/polls/bestof08/

This is the lovely Howard Family. Emily, the one on the right, surprised her mom (for mother’s day) with a family portrait by Gary and myself. Obviously Gary did all the digital work and I did the pinhole. The girl on the left is my sister, Sabrina, and next to her is her husband Tony. Mom is next and then Sara. My sister married into a wonderful family.

If you live in Phoenix and you’d like to hear a presentation on Pinhole Portrait Photography, I’ll be giving one on Tuesday August 12th at 6pm at the Jobing.com building (4747 N. 22nd Street, Phoenix, AZ 85016). I’m going to be part of a really neat new event in Phoenix called Ignite Phoenix. Checkout their site, and if you have something interesting that you’d like give a talk about, you can enter your idea for the next event.

The LTLYM exhibit opened in Middlesbrough, UK, last week and I’ve heard there is interest in a few of my pieces. I did assignment number 27: Take a picture of the sun. In fact I sent over 16 sunburst pinhole photographs. Nicky (check out her flickr, her photographs are amazing) was kind enough to send me over a few photographs of the exhibit (The little square white frames belong to me):

I think that might be all my good pinhole photo news.  And for one non-pinhole news… have you ever seen the tv show LOST?  My friend told Gary and I that we would love it, we started watching season 1 on Saturday and finished it last night.  Yes, we spent like 20 hours watching LOST and tonight we’ll start season 2!  Katie was right, we are totally loving it!