For Julie Kitzenberger, pure joy comes from the opportunity to combine her passions for writing and photography. Through these, Julie explores her desire to capture the moment, recreate the experience, and tell the story.
Julie is a San Francisco Bay Area native. She has a B.F.A. from New York University, a B.S. in Computer Science from Rutgers University, a Certificate in Television Production, and a Stanford credential in strategic execution. She has worked for the New York State Supreme Court and Surrogate’s Court, several top-tier law firms in Manhattan, Cable TV in Jersey City, and corporations such as Merck and Cisco Systems, Inc. As a road manager, singer and musician, she has toured with a Texas Swing band, culminating in performance at Carnegie Hall.
Julie’s passions started early. She received her first camera when she was 7 and won her first award for creative writing when she was 8. She’s been writing stories and photographing daily life ever since. These passions have been such a natural part of her life that she never thought of pursuing them professionally until . . . a National Geographic photographer told her to get serious, a global magazine used her first submission for their cover shot and feature story, and ideas for children’s books wouldn’t let go.
Award-winning and nationally published for both writing and photography, Julie’s recent awards include AHP: In 2016, 1st Place: Best Feature Story; 1st Place, Best Editorial Photo; 3rd Place: Best Freelance Writer. In 2015, 1st Place: Best Freelance Writer in Equine Journalism, Best Feature Story (H.M), and Best Editorial Photos (3rd place and H.M.)
Julie’s writing guides her photography; her photographs often inspire her writing. Flexible in her creativity and fueled by new challenges, Julie thrives on unique, custom projects. She currently embraces writing business stories with heart, lifestyle stories for national magazines, and finalizing two children’s books based on true stories about urban wildlife and shelter cats. Julie is a CRLA Nationally Certified Tutor through Rutgers University’s Learning Resource Center and works with students of all ages to improve their English reading and writing skills.
A life-long cat lover, Julie is the owner of CATsnaps Photography – Fine Art Cat Portraits for Cat Lovers. Julie holds a deep love for the Old West and photographs ranching traditions whenever possible. A sampling of her Western images can be viewed at Ranch Snaps and in issues of Western Horseman Magazine.
Julie is affiliated with the Hold the Eye Images Photography Studio in the San Jose area. She is a volunteer shelter cat and wildlife photographer for the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA and volunteers for the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay Wildlife Refuge. Wearing a burgundy windbreaker, she was recently spotted assisting with an endangered salt marsh harvest mouse survey, seen in this PBS News Hour story on climate change (00:20 to 00:49).
Julie’s recent television interviews:
CATsnaps, Coco’s Tricks, and Shelter Cats and On Landscape Photography