Photographer Feature: Bianca DiMaio

Bianca DiMaio currently lives in Philadelphia, and she is in her last semester as a Film and Media arts student at Temple University. After graduation she plans on pursuing a career in post production. Editing video is Bianca's true passion, and she has always loved story-telling. Photography has been a hobby of hers since high school when a close friend's work inspired her to start taking pictures. Right now, she is enrolled in an animation class that has really emphasized the importance of each individual frame in creating a truly beautiful film.

When something beautiful catches Bianca's eye, she can't help but run for her camera to snap a picture of it. Her work can be found on her portfolio website at www.biancadimaio.com/ as well as her blog at www.biancatake1.blogspot.com/.

Philadelphia was hit by yet another snow storm this year, but that didn't stop Temple from holding classes and operating as usual. 

Bianca captured this photo in the summer of 2009 in Franklin Square Park, right in the heart of China Town. This carousel is accompanied by a miniature golf course, a fountain, and food stands with everything you might need for a fun day in the park.

 Last year there were a couple unseasonably hot days in March. What better way to spend this beautiful afternoon than laying by the fountain in Love Park? Philadelphia is a beautiful city and part of that beauty is the historical architecture. Bianca often overhears tourists pondering over this massive building in the middle of the city and wondering what it is. City Hall stands tall in the background of Love Park in Center City Philadelphia.

 This is a picture of one of Bianca's favorite locations in Philadelphia. Whenever she feels the need to get away from Temple, Bianca escapes to Penn's Landing. The Moshulu is the beautiful boat to the right and the Benjamin Franklin Bridge is in the background. 

Bianca and I went to high school together, and have remained friends ever since.  She's been up to New York to visit me a few times, and I hope we'll see each other more in the future!

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Kitsch Me Up and Urban My Outfitters

Call me a hipster, call me what you like... but I really love Urban Outfitters.  True, they sometimes stock some bizarre things, but they offer delightfully trendy and fairly high-quality clothing for decent prices.  Their sales are fantastic.  And, the bizarre things they stock are just... awesome.  They're awesome.  Urban has some really nifty stuff.

I've gotten some excellent pieces of clothing there, and I plan to get many more in the future.  Beyond clothing though, this place has delightful homewares.  Like the company's higher end/ mori girl shop Anthropologie, there are a lot of home goods at Urban that are really lovely and unique.  Little figurines, pretty shaped candles, cups, plates, etc.  We have a neat plum-coloured, tiered side table from them in our apartment that I got for like $35.

  Unlike Anthropologie, they also stock a lot of sassy and "inappropriate" stuff, like party banners with curse words raunchy sayings, sex books, and well, just other tchotchkes that some might deem inappropriate.  This collection of stuff is always fun to look through, just to see what kinds of wacky things they can sell!  Though, you do find a few artistic gems from time to time that aren't really mainstream enough to sell anywhere else.  They also sell cute and funny kitschy items from old cartoons and such, which are generally fun to look at too!

 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Dainty Little Things

The original Anthropologie store in Philadelphia is absolutely worth a trip.  If you find yourself in or around the City of Brotherly Love in the near future... go.  Just, go.  It's beautiful!  All Anthropologie stores are very well designed.  They sell lovely products, and show them off on vintage and antique furniture, using cute little tags and signs to advertise the price and name.  

The original store is particularly good though.  It's in a lovely old building just on the corner of Rittenhouse Square, near a bunch of little French Bistros and such.  There is a winding spiral staircase with what used to be a big grand fireplace on a landing from the stairs.  Gorgeous.

I'm basically obsessed with this company.  If I could fill my wardrobe and apartment with their goods, I would in a heartbeat.  In the meantime, I am content to enjoy their sale racks and photograph their home goods!  

While at the store in Philly, I did pick up a stunning black floral apron from their sale rack... for only $20!  It was very exciting.  My sister bought the little bunny dish in this first photograph... I think it was about $10.  So, they do have cheap things.  You just have to dig a bit.  But, everything is fantastic.

 

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA