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Photos from the MCPL Pet Portrait Program 2023

9/12/2023

I was back at the Middle Country Public Library for another pet portrait program this year! We held our event in their beautiful outdoor Nature Explorium again. This space is so great for this program because there are lots of different spots all over the explorium for patrons to choose from. Also, it's completely fenced in, so pets are free to shed their crates, leashes and harnesses and roam the area! Many of the families who come to this program have been back year after year and it's always so great to see that. I was also happy to see a lot of new faces this year too!

Many times when I do this program at libraries, people assume you can only bring dogs, but all pets are welcome! This year we got mostly dogs, but also a cat and a turtle who showed up (the turtle is fiercely private and didn't sign a model release, so you won't find him in the slideshow, sorry)! Our biggest this year was a huge Great Dane and our smallest a tiny Chihuahua. It's always such a great time when I'm able to do these programs because I get to be surrounded by adorable animals all day.

All families who came to the program got a free 8x10 and an email with the digital files of the photos we got. Thank you to all the families who brought their pets, thank you to the Middle Country Public Library for having me and especially to librarian Sara Fade who was the one who first asked me all those years ago to do this program! Ever since then, I've added more libraries to my list every year and it's become one of my favorite things I do in my business. If you'd like to see a program like this at your local library, send them this link and tell them to get in touch!

Here are some of the awesome shots we got at the pet portrait program this year!

To be notified of all the events I’m participating in,
join my email list or follow along with me on Instagram!

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Killian's Newborn Session

8/8/2023

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Meet Killian Tiberius Orick Judge, the little guy with the big name! This beautiful boy is the son of my friend Wilhelmina. You might remember her adorable maternity session with her sweet pack of pups last year! She and her husband Patrick welcomed this adorable little guy this year to round out their beautiful family. Big brother Phoenix even got into on some of the fun of our photo session because he’s all about his baby brother. I think Phoenix might have actually thought the session was for him because every time we took Killian off to change an outfit or backdrop, Phoenix came by to get his own close up!

We started off with some family shots of Killian with proud mom and dad (and big brother Phoenix was always close by)! Then we moved onto Killian’s turn in the spotlight. He was nice and sleepy so we were able to do lots of outfits and backdrops, and even got to feature some special toys that mom and dad passed down to him. These and other sentimental items like handmade quilts and blankets always add a sweet emotional touch to newborn photos, so I love when clients want to include things like that.

Killian did such an amazing job! I especially love the shots of him in the puppy outfit. Here are some of my favorite shots from our session!

Welcome to the world, Killian!
Get in touch to book your newborn session today! Email me at laurapeaphotography@gmail.com
or call (631)256-7476.

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Gianna, Coda & Cadence's Lakeside Session

6/1/2023

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It was so good to see Gianna and her two adorable pups Coda and Cadence again. We met for a photo session at Lake Ronkonkoma. The lake is a great spot for pet photo sessions because dogs are allowed and it's so big that there are tons of areas with beautiful backdrops for photos. Gianna was recovering from a sports injury at the time of our session, but she was a trooper throughout the whole thing. I've photographed this trio several times over the years and every time I see them, it's very apparent to me the bond they share. These dogs certainly love their girl!

We started with some photos of the three of them together, then did individual portraits of Coda and Cadence. They looked so adorable in that golden hour sunset light. Then we did more photos of all three of them, then some shots of Gianna with each pup. After that, we did a few solo portraits of Gianna on her own while the dogs took a break to run in the sand! After we were done with Gianna's portraits, she joined them for a walk up and down the shore of the lake for some candid shots of them together. We ended the session with a few photos of Coda and Cadence sitting lakeside, all nice and tired out from an active session. I always make sure to shoot for variety in my sessions, in groupings, backdrops, composition, etc. so that my clients have a lot of types of photos to choose from. That way, photos can easily be used in collages or albums and not look too similar when grouped together.

These three did an amazing job as always! Here are a few of my favorite photos from our session!

Schedule a session for your kids, two or four-legged, by emailing me at laurapeaphotography@gmail.com or calling (631)256-7476.

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Spring Pet Portrait Program at Middle Country Public Library 6.3.23

5/19/2023

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Photo Collage of families and their dogs in the Nature Explorium outdoor area of the Middle Country Public Library

I'm going to be back at the Middle Country Public Library for another pet portrait program on June 3rd from 10am-2pm! This one will be taking place in the beautiful outdoor Nature Explorium area of the library. If you're a patron of Middle Country, sign up for the program to receive a free photo of your pet!

Pets should be clean, well-behaved around other animals, and in a cage or on a leash to attend. All pets are welcome, not just dogs! In the past, I've had people bring cats, turtles, ferrets, guinea pigs, bunnies, hamsters, even rats to my library programs! Feel free to get in the shot with your pet too!

Sign up here!

Hope to see you there!

To be notified of all the events I’m participating in,
join my email list or follow along with me on Instagram!

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Emi's Pack

3/31/2023

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This session was so much fun. My client Emi’s pack is made up of three dogs (Peter, Pixie and Tiger Lily) and two cats (Wendy and Nibs). I love a good theme when it comes to animal names, and that one in particular made me smile a lot. Needless to say, with five pets, there was a lot of excitement at our shoot. We set up on her back deck and photographed each one individually before we attempted any kind of group shots. Her yard is super secure and her animals are so well behaved that they all hung out there together while we shot, taking turns playing with her partner Cody and getting their time in the spotlight. They all did such an amazing job at their individual portraits.

First up was gorgeous grey Nibs, a Russian Blue cat. I love his bright yellow-green eyes!

A color photo of a gray Russian blue breed cat against a champagne colored sequin backdrop. He sits on a white wooden floor. The photo is by Laura Pea Photography, a Long Island pet photographer.

A color photo of a gray Russian blue breed cat against a champagne colored sequin backdrop. He sits on a white wooden floor and is looking off to the side. The photo is by Laura Pea Photography, a Long Island pet photographer.

A color photo of a gray Russian blue breed cat against a champagne colored sequin backdrop. He stands on a white wooden floor and is looking at the camera. The photo is by Laura Pea Photography, a Long Island pet photographer.

A color photo of a gray Russian blue breed cat against a champagne colored sequin backdrop. He stands on a white wooden floor and is looking to the side. The photo is by Laura Pea Photography, a Long Island pet photographer.

A color photo of a gray Russian blue breed cat against a champagne colored sequin backdrop. He stands on a white wooden floor and is looking up. The photo is by Laura Pea Photography, a Long Island pet photographer.

A color photo of a gray Russian blue breed cat against a champagne colored sequin backdrop. He stands on a white wooden floor and is looking slightly off camera. The photo is by Laura Pea Photography, a Long Island pet photographer.

Next up was Pixie, a chihuahua mix with such a beautiful copper colored coat and the softest little ears!

A color photo of a copper red colored long haired chihuahua mix dog against a champagne colored sequin backdrop. She is laying down on a white wooden floor. The photo is by Laura Pea Photography, a Long Island pet photographer.

A color photo of a copper red colored long haired chihuahua mix dog against a champagne colored sequin backdrop. She is sitting down on a white wooden floor. The photo is by Laura Pea Photography, a Long Island pet photographer.

A color photo of a copper red colored long haired chihuahua mix dog against a champagne colored sequin backdrop. She is standing on a white wooden floor. The photo is by Laura Pea Photography, a Long Island pet photographer.

Then Wendy, the Sphynx cat got her turn in the spotlight. Luckily we got a pretty warm day, so Wendy was able to stay nice and comfortable outside, because she's not rocking a fur coat like the rest of her siblings! This adorable hairless girl is obviously so unique looking, it's hard to take your eyes off her!

A color photo of a bald hairless Sphynx cat with black spots against a champagne colored sequin backdrop. She is laying down on a cream furry rug on a white wooden floor. The photo is by Laura Pea Photography, a Long Island pet photographer.

A color photo of a bald hairless Sphynx cat with black spots against a champagne colored sequin backdrop. She is standing on a white wooden floor. The photo is by Laura Pea Photography, a Long Island pet photographer.

A color photo of a bald hairless Sphynx cat with black spots against a champagne colored sequin backdrop. She is sitting down on a cream furry rug on a white wooden floor. The photo is by Laura Pea Photography, a Long Island pet photographer.

Next up was the biggest of the bunch, Tiger Lily, the sweetest hound mix. I love her black and white coat and her little spots everywhere. She's too cute!

A color photo of a black and white hound mix dog against a champagne colored sequin backdrop. She is sitting on a white wooden floor. The photo is by Laura Pea Photography, a Long Island pet photographer.

A color photo of a black and white hound mix dog against a champagne colored sequin backdrop. The photo is by Laura Pea Photography, a Long Island pet photographer.

Lastly was Peter the Corgi with his striking blue eyes and cutest little black and pink nose. He's a natural at posing and knew exactly when to bust out those adorable head tilts all dog lovers are obsessed with!

A color photo of a black brown and white Corgi dog with blue eyes against a champagne colored sequin backdrop. He is sitting on a white wooden floor. The photo is by Laura Pea Photography, a Long Island pet photographer.

A color photo of a black brown and white Corgi dog with blue eyes against a champagne colored sequin backdrop. He is standing on a white wooden floor looking at the camera. The photo is by Laura Pea Photography, a Long Island pet photographer.

We tried a couple more breakdowns of smaller groups and then attempted a group shot with all five animals together. I admit it took a little Photoshop trickery, because as good as I am at getting animals to look at the camera, getting three dogs and two cats to all look the same way at the same time is a big ask! I love the result though, and I was so happy I was able to give Emi a great shot of her entire pack of pets!

A color photo of pack of five domestic animals, two cats and three dogs. The pets are posing against a champagne colored sequin backdrop and sitting on a white wooden floor. They are all looking at the camera. The photo is by Laura Pea Photography, a Long Island pet photographer.

Spring is here! This is a great time to schedule an outdoor pet photo session before the summer when it can get too hot for pets to be comfortable.
Get in touch to book! Email me at laurapeaphotography@gmail.com or call (631)256-7476.

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Bell and Pike’s Portrait Session

2/23/2023

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I first met Mary a few years ago when she got in touch with me to photograph a session for her daughter’s dog Finn, who was a beautiful black lab. I’m so glad I got to know Mary, because she’s such a fascinating lady. She’s a huge dog lover and very talented, she even makes her own rugs. She’s showed me some of them and they’re so amazing! She also likes to hide little homages to her dogs in her rugs, which I think is so fun.

Her dogs Bell and Pike are two gorgeous titled Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. Bell has brown and white fur and gorgeous soulful eyes. Pike has beautiful deep black and white fur and a peppy spirit. Sometimes with more than one dog, there can be a fair amount of Photoshopping to get a final product of them sitting together. That was not necessary at all with these two. They listened so well and posed together beautifully. Mary was going for some classic formal portraits that just focused on these beautiful pups and their bond. We got them both together and individually on a bunch of different backgrounds to get a good amount of variety and show off their best features in many ways. It was so great getting to know these adorable pups and spending some more time with their awesome mom!

Here are some of my favorite photos from our session! Scroll to the last photo for my favorite outtake. Sometimes I love these silly shots so much that I include them in the proofs for my client. This one makes me smile every time I see it!

Get in touch to book your pet session today! Email me at laurapeaphotography@gmail.com or call (631)256-7476.

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Wilhelmina, Patrick and their Expanding Pack

2/18/2023

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Wilhelmina is an old friend of mine from our undergrad days in the art department of Stony Brook University. She's a very talented painter. Her landscapes and seascapes are fantastic, but my personal favorite are her paintings of animals (of course I would love those, right?). Check out her work here and here!

I love the shots we got at her engagement session a few years ago with her now-husband Patrick and their adorable pups, Phoenix, Kya and Schatzi. I was honored to be there at their beautiful wedding and I was so excited when she let me know that her pack was expanding by one, a baby boy coming this March! We met in November at the beautiful Prosser Pines with their whole crew for some maternity photos to celebrate the upcoming arrival of baby Killian, who I can't wait to meet! The dogs were so amazing and sweet, just the same as last time. I only had to pull out a few of my silly noises to get them to look my way.

Even though it was a cold day, everyone braved the elements to get some great shots to commemorate the beautiful mama to be. Kya and Schatzi definitely needed their sweaters, but Phoenix with his fluffy coat was totally in his element! There are always so many laughs whenever I'm around this happy couple, and I'm so excited for them to start this new chapter in their lives! Here are some of my favorite photos from our maternity session!

If your maternity session won't be complete without your pack of pups, book it with me by emailing me at laurapeaphotography@gmail.com or calling (631)256-7476!

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Nova and Halzie’s Sagamore Hill Session

2/3/2023

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These beautiful girls are Nova and Halzie! Their birthdays are close together, so their mom Jasmine got in touch with me to take some photographs to commemorate their special days, and to take some great family shots. We met at the Sagamore Hill National Historic Site. I'd never been there and it was a really cool place to visit. Sagamore Hill was Theodore Roosevelt's residence on Long Island, and known as his "Summer White House". Since we visited during a rough time in the pandemic, we couldn't go inside without reserving a tour, but I had a great time exploring the grounds with the pups and their mom and dad!

We hiked through the woods, stopping here and there to get a few portraits and candid shots. We ended up at this really adorable bridge and beach area. Nova and Halzie were happy to wear any outfit their mom packed for them, and they looked absolutely adorable in every one!

Here are some of my favorite shots from our session!

Get in touch to book your pet session today! Email me at laurapeaphotography@gmail.com or call (631)256-7476.

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Documenting Your Life

1/4/2023

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As a photographer, I always have a camera on me at all times (most times I have more than one). You never know when the perfect moment will arise. That doesn't mean every photo needs to be a masterpiece, though. I like to document my life through photos because I don't have the greatest memory. Sometimes I'll look back at a moment from a vacation or a concert and I'll think "Oh my God, I totally forgot about this"! That experience could have been completely lost to me if I hadn't photographed it.

I know all too well how important our memories are, because both of my grandmothers developed dementia. I noticed that with my Mema (my mom's mother), photographs used to help her remember more from her past, and it always led to great stories. Every year, I make a photo book of my personal photos from the year before. For the most part, my professional art work gets made into a canvas and goes on my wall. But the snap shots I take every day, the little moments that make up the story of my life, they go into my photo year book, and I love to look at them. Showing them to my family and friends brings me a lot of joy. Almost all of them are photographs taken with a small compact camera or just my iPhone.

See, you don't have to be a photographer to carry a camera with you at all times. How many people do you know that don't have a cell phone? A phone camera doesn't have to be fancy to document your life. To be honest, a lot of phone cameras these days can lead to stunning photographs if the light is good.

This is what a typical page of my photo year book looks like.
Maybe these aren't beautiful professional photos that I would make a canvas out of, but they represent some awesome moments I had that year, and each memory is special to me.

A lot of people put off doing anything with their photos, because it seems like a huge undertaking to put something together. It doesn't have to be, though. A simple layout with a few photos from each month of the year can be a beautiful way to tell the story of your family. Go with a site like Mixbook if you want to customize your photo book and get fancy with layouts, covers and graphics. Or you can just keep it simple and use a company like Shutterfly that can auto-design your photo book and take the work out of your hands.

Now that you've got your family's snapshots in order, you can always come to me when you want that beautiful canvas portrait to hang on your wall. I'll take care of that kind of stuff for you :)

Schedule a portrait session with me by
emailing laurapeaphotography@gmail.com
or calling (631)256-7476.

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Some Personal Christmas Photos

12/24/2022

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Every year I’m so busy getting my clients’ holiday photos done, that I tend to leave my own shooting and editing to the last minute! Here are some of the personal holiday photos I've been shooting this season.

For the last few years, I've been decorating a small studio tree with some of the camera ornament overflow from my big Christmas tree (I have roughly 1,000 haha).

Last year I picked up a small real tree from Waterdrinker Family Farm in Manorville, and decided to put it up in our kitchen instead of the studio so we could see it more often.

We did the same thing again this year. I took a few shots of my mother and my nephew Seth decorating it earlier this month. Each time he found a new camera ornament in the box, he pretended to take a picture of me with it. He's too cute.

I also took a few shots in the studio of my beautiful daughter Gracey, who is a very unwilling participant when it comes to photos 😂. I usually have a only a few minutes of cooperation before she decides the session is over. Not to toot my own horn, but I’ve been doing this long enough to be able to get a decent amount of photos of even the most unwilling subjects, so I was able to snap some adorable portraits of her in less than 5 minutes, and she was handsomely rewarded with a smorgasbord of treats for her time.

I also did family photos for my sister Lisa, brother in law Will and nephew Seth in Port Jefferson this year. We found a Christmas tree right outside the Village Center and did a quick session there for some photos to go on their Christmas card this year. Seth was rewarded for his cooperation with a trip to the candy store after, and a walk up and down his favorite set of stairs that he visits every time we're down port.

Then Seth was treated to two more photo shoots in the studio. I broke it up so as not to push my luck. There's a short attention span when it comes to four year olds and I always want to keep photos in Aunt Laura's studio to be a positive experience for him, so that it's something he doesn't come to dread! Because, let's face it, I'm never going to stop dragging him in there because he's so darn cute. First he wanted to take a few photos with my dog Gracey, because he loves her so much. I have to admit those were a struggle, so I only got one good one, and it was heavily Photoshopped haha! Then we took some photos of him in his Christmas outfit. I gave him a stuffed bear to hold onto to keep his hands busy.

Then another day we tried again in some Christmas pajamas for more photos with his huge stuffed moose, who he named Horns, which was his big Christmas present last year. He likes to sit on top of Horns and has decent balance, but he was getting a little wobbly toward the end, so I added a little support for him so he could be antsy on top of Horns and we wouldn't have to worry about him taking a tumble.

Happy Holidays everyone!

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Photos from the MCPL Pet Portrait Program 2023

To be notified of all the events I’m participating in,
join my email list or follow along with me on Instagram!

Killian's Newborn Session

Welcome to the world, Killian!
Get in touch to book your newborn session today! Email me at laurapeaphotography@gmail.com
or call (631)256-7476.

Gianna, Coda & Cadence's Lakeside Session

Schedule a session for your kids, two or four-legged, by emailing me at laurapeaphotography@gmail.com or calling (631)256-7476.

Spring Pet Portrait Program at Middle Country Public Library 6.3.23

To be notified of all the events I’m participating in,
join my email list or follow along with me on Instagram!

Emi's Pack

Spring is here! This is a great time to schedule an outdoor pet photo session before the summer when it can get too hot for pets to be comfortable.
Get in touch to book! Email me at laurapeaphotography@gmail.com or call (631)256-7476.

Bell and Pike’s Portrait Session

Get in touch to book your pet session today! Email me at laurapeaphotography@gmail.com or call (631)256-7476.

Wilhelmina, Patrick and their Expanding Pack

If your maternity session won't be complete without your pack of pups, book it with me by emailing me at laurapeaphotography@gmail.com or calling (631)256-7476!

Nova and Halzie’s Sagamore Hill Session

Get in touch to book your pet session today! Email me at laurapeaphotography@gmail.com or call (631)256-7476.

Documenting Your Life

Schedule a portrait session with me by
emailing laurapeaphotography@gmail.com
or calling (631)256-7476.

Some Personal Christmas Photos

Happy Holidays everyone!

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​To be notified of all the events I’m participating in,​ join my email list or follow along with me on Instagram!

Welcome to the world, Killian!​Get in touch to book your newborn session today! Email me at laurapeaphotography@gmail.com​ or call (631)256-7476.

Schedule a session for your kids, two or four-legged, by emailing me at laurapeaphotography@gmail.com or calling (631)256-7476.

To be notified of all the events I’m participating in,​ join my email list or follow along with me on Instagram!

Spring is here! This is a great time to schedule an outdoor pet photo session before the summer when it can get too hot for pets to be comfortable. ​Get in touch to book! Email me at laurapeaphotography@gmail.com or call (631)256-7476.

​​Get in touch to book your pet session today! Email me at laurapeaphotography@gmail.com or call (631)256-7476.

If your maternity session won't be complete without your pack of pups, book it with me by emailing me at laurapeaphotography@gmail.com or calling (631)256-7476!

​​Get in touch to book your pet session today! Email me at laurapeaphotography@gmail.com or call (631)256-7476.

Schedule a portrait session with me by​emailing laurapeaphotography@gmail.comor calling (631)256-7476.

Happy Holidays everyone!

Author

Categories

Archives

To be notified of all the events I’m participating in,
join my email list or follow along with me on Instagram!

Welcome to the world, Killian!
Get in touch to book your newborn session today! Email me at laurapeaphotography@gmail.com
or call (631)256-7476.

To be notified of all the events I’m participating in,
join my email list or follow along with me on Instagram!

Spring is here! This is a great time to schedule an outdoor pet photo session before the summer when it can get too hot for pets to be comfortable.
Get in touch to book! Email me at laurapeaphotography@gmail.com or call (631)256-7476.

Get in touch to book your pet session today! Email me at laurapeaphotography@gmail.com or call (631)256-7476.

Get in touch to book your pet session today! Email me at laurapeaphotography@gmail.com or call (631)256-7476.

Schedule a portrait session with me by
emailing laurapeaphotography@gmail.com
or calling (631)256-7476.