Tracie Van Auken

Tracie Van Auken is a freelance photographer living in West Philadelphia. She is a New Jersey native and received a masters in photojournalism from Ohio University and a bachelors in film from the University of Southern California. Before settling in Philadelphia she worked as a newspaper and magazine photographer in South Florida. A nomad at heart, she's also called Arizona, Paris, and Italy home. When not behind the camera, she is an avid learner of languages- currently studying Arabic and sharpening her skills in French and Italian. She loves running the green parts of the city, particularly Wissahickon Park, and discovering the city's hidden places

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Matt Deprospero, of South Philadelphia, paints the Laurel Hill Gardens on Germantown Avenue during Chestnut Hills' Plein Air event Sunday morning, June 14, 2015. Artists from throughout the region set up outdoors along the avenue to paint the scenes surrounding them.

Artists take to the streets at Chestnut Hill’s Plein Air festival [gallery]

Over 40 artists gathered along Germantown Avenue in Chestnut Hill on Sunday for the first “Plein Air” festival. ...

6 years ago

Xavier Motley, 1, of Kensington, tastes one of the eggs his brother collected during West Laurel Hill Cemetery's annual Easter egg hunt Saturday morning.

West Laurel Hill Cemetery hosts annual Easter egg hunt [gallery]

West Laurel Hill Cemetery hosted its annual Easter egg hunt on Saturday. In addition to the egg hunt, the Bala Cynwyd l ...

6 years ago

Naomi Davis, 9, looks for circles to measure in her third grade classroom. Friday was

Greene Street Friends School celebrates Pi Day

Greene Street Friends School celebrated Pi Day, or 3.14.15, one day early with a day of math games. “The ide ...

6 years ago

Sugarplum fairy Sara Schaeffer, a student at the School of Pennsylvania Ballet, awaits scavenger hunters participating in Chestnut Hill's The Nutcracker scavenger hunt along Germantown Avenue Saturday afternoon.

Pa. Ballet visits Chestnut Hill to kick off the holidays [photos]

Young ballerinas and ballet enthusiasts had the chance to visit famed Pennsylvania Ballet dancers in Chestnut Hill on Saturday. ...

6 years ago

Chase, a beagle labrador, won first place for being a dog-tini at a costume party and contest for dogs in East Falls' McMichael Park on Saturday afternoon. The gathering benefited the East Falls Dog Park organization.

Pooches party at costume contest for dogs in East Falls [gallery]

As part of the neighborhood’s ongoing ...

6 years ago

Lois Moses, of West Chester, reads her poetry aloud for the crowd during the People's Poetry and Jazz Festival in Germantown's Vernon Park Saturday afternoon.

Crowds flock to Vernon Park for People’s Poetry and Jazz Festival [gallery]

Supreme Dow, executive director of Vernon Park’s Black Writers Museum, billed the ...

7 years ago

Jayden Hughes, 5, of Allegheny, receives a backpack from volunteer Jessica Hagen, of Mt. Airy, during a back-to-school giveaway at Concord School House Saturday morning in Germantown.

Line forms early for back-to-school giveaway at Germantown’s Concord School House

The line started forming at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, 90 minutes before the Concord School House, in partnership with the 6300 Block Business A ...

7 years ago

Football players ages 8-14 came from throughout northwest Philadelphia to attend a free youth football clinic on Saturday morning at Mt. Airy's Martin Luther King High School.

MLK Cougars host youth-football clinic via sporting-goods co. program [gallery]

As part of a “Sports Matters” campaign that helped bring last season’s “ ...

7 years ago

Drummers play together at the Mt. Airy outdoor community drum circle, which meets in Lovett Library garden on the first Sunday of every month from May to October.

Regulars and newcomers attend monthly Mt. Airy community drum circle

Community members came together for the monthly drum circle at Mt. Airy’s Lovett Park on Sunday. The drum circle meets ...

7 years ago

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