We had the good fortune of connecting with Grace Marcellino and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Grace, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Oddly enough I never planned on actually starting a business. I feel like the business started me! It became an organic creative process in photographing weddings, families, couples, home-births, headshots, special events, wellness retreats, and so much more. Everywhere I went I brought my camera with me and documented for people in my community. It became a passion and a creative process that led to my lively-hood and business/brand/my work! I tried for years to come up with a name and couldn’t decide on anything so just kept it as my name. Grace Marcellino Photo + Co.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
As a young child I was the one taking all the home videos growing up and took a lot of photos with film cameras. As a teen/young adult I created a lot of self-portraits that really took me through a therapeutic process of seeing myself in a new perspective that inspired me to evolve and learn about love, relationships, and art. I then went on to study the healing arts such as yoga, massage therapy, energetic medicine such as polarity, and ayurvedic medicine, astrology, western-herbal medicine, and much more. It was when I started working with women at their home-births during their labor and post-partum I was really able to combine my visual art as their birth photographer and hands on healing into a very organic, non-intrusive, unique way of supporting them in big life changing transitions. It became a creative edge where I could support my clients in their processes and provide documentation for them as well with the visual story-telling. It’s an ongoing process of learning how to implement my art process with whatever a client is presenting and working on specifically. Every portrait session is different and unique to the person and together we can explore the energy and create a safe place to feel seen to be able to fully express their most authentic self.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would start by taking them to my favorite nature spots to destress and recalibrate the nervous system and really learn about the magic of the southwest Sonoran desert. Superstition Mountains, Canyon Lake, Salt River areas in the east valley are some of my very favorite places to go and get away from the city. I would then take them for a good meal at places that use local ingredients and high quality food. Some of my favorite places to get a meal are Espiritu and Republica Empanada in Mesa, Belly in Gilbert or Phoenix, Golden Pineapple in Tempe, Defalcos Deli in Scottsdale to name a few. Then for a night out on the town we will head to a live music show at Unity Through Community. And in the morning we will head to the lovely Singh Meadows farmers market for garden hangs and fresh local organic produce, honey, sauces, coffee, bread and more. Then we will stop by some art galleries or even better head to Arcosanti on our way north to Sedona for fresh spring water fill up and a night under the stars camping in the majestic Oak Creek Canyon.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Shoutout to my community of friends, sisters, mothers, teachers, and fellow facilitators in the healing arts field who have brought me under their wings. They have taught me and included me in various events, retreats, workshops, classes, and provided the opportunities and the space for me to practice my creative work. Having a tight knit community allows for the greater good in creative/healing practice and how to implement it into service/into the world. They continue to believe in me and lift me up when I need it the most. Sisterhood and friendship has been an important part of my success.

Website: www.gracemarcellino.com

Instagram: gracemarcellinophoto

Other: https://vsco.co/graciebones/gallery

Image Credits
1st photo of me in the flowers was taken by Winona Grey

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutArizona is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.