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I was very excited for Faith's parents when they got in touch to book me for her newborn photos. I know Faith's dad from the chapter of the Rising Tide Society that I lead here on Long Island. His business FMF Strategic Communications provides services to small businesses to help their online media presence. Check them out here! When we were planning our session, they told me that Faith's nursery theme was going to be Winnie-the-Pooh, which I loved as a kid. We talked about how cute it would be if we could put Faith into a "hunny pot" like in the cartoon. I looked around and couldn't find one that I thought would be big enough to safely put a newborn in, so I decided to take on the challenge to make one myself! I love to craft so this was a very fun project and I knew it would be a cool prop to have on hand for future sessions in the studio. I found a big plant pot at a local hardware store and painted it to look like the famous hunny pot from the beloved animation. Faith fit in there perfectly with plenty of space for padding and for a weight at the bottom to make sure she wouldn't tip over when placed inside. Safety is always number one when it comes to photographing newborns! After we did some photos of Faith on her own and with her loving parents in her nursery, we headed downstairs for a full family portrait including their adorable pup Comet! We did a few shots of Comet and Faith together, then I set up some blankets for more photos of Faith on her own. She did such an amazing job. Even when she awake for shots, she was very happy and even holding her head up to look around! Such a strong girl already! Here are some of my favorite shots from our session! Get in touch to book your session today! Email me at [email protected]
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For the Crazy Cat Mom
1. Pioneer Pet Stainless Steel Dog & Cat Fountain Raindrop Design: Dogs will love this too, but cats especially prefer their water to be flowing over still. This one is stainless steel, so most of its parts are machine washable and it's very easy to use. My pets love this fountain. My cat Charlie prefers to drink from the top bubbling part of the fountain, and my dog Gracey likes to drink from the bottom part of the basin.
2. Flopping Fish Cat Toy: At first, my cat Charlie was totally freaked out by this flopping cat toy, but quickly he learned to love it. It looks realistic, is activated by touch so it won't run all day and bother you, and it's rechargeable by a USB.
3. On2Pets 2 ft Mixed Maple Cat Tree: This cat tree and scratching post is fun for kitties and adorable to look at. A lot of cat trees are very basic, but this one is so nice looking it can be a part of your decor!
4. Custom Pet Phone Ring: Another one you could get for dog or cat lovers, this is for the pet obsessed owner. The inside of their phones are filled to the brim with pet photos, so why shouldn't the outside of their phones reflect that too? I get a lot of compliments on this phone ring whenever I'm around other animal lovers.
5. Kitty Face Magnetic Bookmark Set: If you know someone who likes to curl up with their cat and a good book, they'll love this magnetic bookmark set with assorted adorable little kitty faces.
6. Kitty Cape: This cape is just too cute. I know a lot of cats don’t appreciate clothes, but this one is pretty loose and may not bother them too much. If you can get them to wear it for 5 minutes for a photo, I consider that a win!
Bonus Stocking Stuffer Idea:
Cat Shaped Cookie Cutter
Catnip Infused Felted Balls
1. Pioneer Pet Stainless Steel Dog & Cat Fountain Raindrop Design: Dogs will love this too, but cats especially prefer their water to be flowing over still. This one is stainless steel, so most of its parts are machine washable and it's very easy to use. My pets love this fountain. My cat Charlie prefers to drink from the top bubbling part of the fountain, and my dog Gracey likes to drink from the bottom part of the basin.
2. Flopping Fish Cat Toy: At first, my cat Charlie was totally freaked out by this flopping cat toy, but quickly he learned to love it. It looks realistic, is activated by touch so it won't run all day and bother you, and it's rechargeable by a USB.
3. On2Pets 2 ft Mixed Maple Cat Tree: This cat tree and scratching post is fun for kitties and adorable to look at. A lot of cat trees are very basic, but this one is so nice looking it can be a part of your decor!
4. Custom Pet Phone Ring: Another one you could get for dog or cat lovers, this is for the pet obsessed owner. The inside of their phones are filled to the brim with pet photos, so why shouldn't the outside of their phones reflect that too? I get a lot of compliments on this phone ring whenever I'm around other animal lovers.
5. Kitty Face Magnetic Bookmark Set: If you know someone who likes to curl up with their cat and a good book, they'll love this magnetic bookmark set with assorted adorable little kitty faces.
6. Kitty Cape: This cape is just too cute. I know a lot of cats don’t appreciate clothes, but this one is pretty loose and may not bother them too much. If you can get them to wear it for 5 minutes for a photo, I consider that a win!
Bonus Stocking Stuffer Idea:
Cat Shaped Cookie Cutter
Catnip Infused Felted Balls
For New Moms and their Beautiful Babies
1. Camera Teether: I often put a camera teether in my newborn clients' packaged orders as a gift. The one I typically buy is no longer available, but this one is very similar. Made of soft food grade silicone, this is a machine washable, nontoxic and absolutely necessary when those poor babes are cutting their first teeth!
2. Baby Shusher: Listen, the voice is creepy at first, but I'm telling you, this thing works. My sister gave me this when my nephew grew out of the need to use it and it's become a staple in my studio. I used to constantly shush the babies to quiet and calm them, and I don't have to utter a peep anymore. The baby shusher does it all for me!
3. Electric Baby Nasal Aspirator: AKA "The Boogie Sucker". This thing is very helpful for stuffed little noses. Machine washable tips make this a sanitary option and very easy to clean. A must for cold and flu season.
4. Flappy the Elephant: This Gund classic is both musical and plays an interactive game of peek-a-boo with babies. My nephew loved this toy!
5. Bath Color Tabs: In my experience, kids never want to get in the bath and once they’re in, they never want to get out. These color tabs will help you convince them to get in, and I usually tell my nephew once we’ve added so many that the bathwater looks like mud, it’s time to get out!
6. Fisher-Price Magical Lights Fishbowl: This was another favorite of my nephews when he was a baby. So much so, that I can still sing the songs to this day. And honestly, not bad tunes!
1. Camera Teether: I often put a camera teether in my newborn clients' packaged orders as a gift. The one I typically buy is no longer available, but this one is very similar. Made of soft food grade silicone, this is a machine washable, nontoxic and absolutely necessary when those poor babes are cutting their first teeth!
2. Baby Shusher: Listen, the voice is creepy at first, but I'm telling you, this thing works. My sister gave me this when my nephew grew out of the need to use it and it's become a staple in my studio. I used to constantly shush the babies to quiet and calm them, and I don't have to utter a peep anymore. The baby shusher does it all for me!
3. Electric Baby Nasal Aspirator: AKA "The Boogie Sucker". This thing is very helpful for stuffed little noses. Machine washable tips make this a sanitary option and very easy to clean. A must for cold and flu season.
4. Flappy the Elephant: This Gund classic is both musical and plays an interactive game of peek-a-boo with babies. My nephew loved this toy!
5. Bath Color Tabs: In my experience, kids never want to get in the bath and once they’re in, they never want to get out. These color tabs will help you convince them to get in, and I usually tell my nephew once we’ve added so many that the bathwater looks like mud, it’s time to get out!
6. Fisher-Price Magical Lights Fishbowl: This was another favorite of my nephews when he was a baby. So much so, that I can still sing the songs to this day. And honestly, not bad tunes!
For your Shutterbug Friend
1. Capturing Couture Camera Straps: I like scarf straps for my camera because it's a little softer and easier on the neck when my camera starts to feel like it's 100 pounds toward the end of a session!
2. Backdrop Clamps: These are great to keep fabric backdrops wrinkle free and in place. They attach to the side of your backdrop holder and clip to your backdrop and can be adjusted to the desired tautness you need.
3. Hot Shoe Level: This sits in the hot shoe of the camera and helps you stay level for horizontal shooting. This is especially helpful for landscape photography. It also serves to protect your hot shoe contacts and keep them in tiptop condition.
4. Photo Prism: This prism can be shot through, held in front of the lens and used to create interesting colors and reflections in your composition.
5. Flex Tilt Tripod Attachment: This gives you more flexibility with the angles you can shoot from when your camera is attached to a tripod!
6. Dust Blower: This blows air to gently clean the camera's very sensitive components. A special valve keeps dust from being redeposited onto your camera.
I hope that helps you check off a little bit more of your holiday shopping list this year. Thanks for reading and happy holidays!
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Happy Shopping!
This session is a throwback to when I got to meet my beautiful baby cousin Riley! I had so much fun photographing the newest member of my family Riley’s dad is my cousin and we were so close growing up, so this session was really special for me. The whole time I was photographing little Riley, we reminisced about our childhood and our awesome grandmas.
My grandma Freida (AKA Mema) and Robbie’s grandmother Celeste were sisters and thick as thieves. My Aunt Celeste was always the life of the party with a quick wit and a sharp tongue. Mema was a quiet and calm sweetheart whose house was the center of our family gatherings for so many years. They were the perfect contrast to each other and they both loved all the kids in the family fiercely. We had such fun times with the rest of our cousins growing up and I hope the next generation of cousins in our family has just as many special family memories as we do!
Robbie and his wife are such amazing people and I’m so happy for them and their new addition. Welcome to the family, Riley! Here are some of my favorite photos from our session!
My grandma Freida (AKA Mema) and Robbie’s grandmother Celeste were sisters and thick as thieves. My Aunt Celeste was always the life of the party with a quick wit and a sharp tongue. Mema was a quiet and calm sweetheart whose house was the center of our family gatherings for so many years. They were the perfect contrast to each other and they both loved all the kids in the family fiercely. We had such fun times with the rest of our cousins growing up and I hope the next generation of cousins in our family has just as many special family memories as we do!
Robbie and his wife are such amazing people and I’m so happy for them and their new addition. Welcome to the family, Riley! Here are some of my favorite photos from our session!
Get in touch to book your session today! Email me at [email protected]
or call (631)256-7476.
I first met this awesome family a few years back when they had their twins Nathaniel and Caroline. They wanted photos of them with their eldest child, a beautiful Airedale Terrier named Benjamin Franklin! You can see those here! I got the pleasure of photographing them again for the twins’ first and second birthdays and it’s been amazing to see them sprout up into sweet toddlers and see their personalities develop over the years.
This year I was so happy to be there to photograph the newest member of their family, baby James! While James was getting ready for his close up, I started off getting some shots of the older bunch. Nathaniel and Caroline were a little hesitant to start but once they watched the master Benjamin Franklin pose, they felt much more comfortable. Once we got those, sweet baby James made his debut and joined his siblings for some group shots.
This year I was so happy to be there to photograph the newest member of their family, baby James! While James was getting ready for his close up, I started off getting some shots of the older bunch. Nathaniel and Caroline were a little hesitant to start but once they watched the master Benjamin Franklin pose, they felt much more comfortable. Once we got those, sweet baby James made his debut and joined his siblings for some group shots.
After he dipped his toe in the modeling world with his brothers and sister, he was ready for his solo career! He followed in his elder siblings’ footsteps and did such an amazing job posing. The theme of James’ nursery is space, so I brought my moon and star props, including my big white wooden moon which I love to use. Here are some of my favorite shots of this new little man!
Welcome to the world, James!
Welcome to the world, James!
Get in touch to book your newborn session today! Email me at [email protected]
or call (631)256-7476.
I could tell Dominick's mom Christine was so so excited to meet her baby boy when she got in touch with me last summer. Because she wanted their two dogs, Jax and Paisley, to be involved with the shoot, we decided to do an in-home session so the dogs would feel nice and comfortable on their home turf. Dominick was born at the end of October, so we scheduled our session for early November so that he'd be all sleepy and flexible for his photos.
On the day of our session, I let Jax and Paisley get used to me while I set up my equipment. This step is pretty important with dogs because they need a few minutes to smell me and make sure I'm not a threat to their parents before they settle down. Once they decided I was not a murderer, they flopped on the couch and I was able to take a few photos of them on their own while their human family got ready for their close up. This is another important step with dogs, because I can make sure my lights aren't bothering them. Most dogs don't mind them, but I've come across one or two that are scared of them. This also makes sure I can deliver some solo photos of each pup. Since I'm a pet photographer, I want to make sure that everyone has a great individual portrait of their dog, so I like to provide those, even if the main objective of the shoot is to get a group shot of the family.
The dogs were so good for their family photo, they just chilled on the couch with their parents and new brother and they were happy to look my way occasionally. After some family photos on the couch, mom Christine and dad Anthony wanted me to head into their basement for a few photos in front of their amazing vintage jukebox. Anthony is a huge fan of vintage stuff, especially the '50s, so that was an important shot for him. After that, we headed into Dominick's Mickey Mouse themed nursery for a few more family shots and individuals of the man of the hour. He did such an amazing job! He wasn't super sleepy for a good part of the session, but he had no trouble looking my way and he barely cried! Such an easygoing little guy!
Dominick's parents are serious about Christmas. It was early November during our session, but they were already fully decked for Christmas. Anthony collects amazing vintage Christmas lawn decorations and they were stationed outside the house like a small army, it was so impressive! It even got them featured in the newspaper! That's why we had to make sure to do some fun holiday shots. They had an adorable Santa outfit they wanted to use, and I supplied a reindeer one that looked perfect on Dominick. His parents also wanted to take a few shots of Dominick along with photos of some beloved family members who are no longer with us, like Anthony's grandma and Christine's mom. I thought that was such a touching tribute and I was honored to help capture those special photos for them.
After we were all done in the nursery, the dogs were begging to be let in because they were feeling left out of the fun. I made sure to get in position before they came in, so I could sneak a cute photo of them sniffing at the crib to check on their baby brother. I love how that one turned out.
Here are some of my favorite photos from this very fun session!
On the day of our session, I let Jax and Paisley get used to me while I set up my equipment. This step is pretty important with dogs because they need a few minutes to smell me and make sure I'm not a threat to their parents before they settle down. Once they decided I was not a murderer, they flopped on the couch and I was able to take a few photos of them on their own while their human family got ready for their close up. This is another important step with dogs, because I can make sure my lights aren't bothering them. Most dogs don't mind them, but I've come across one or two that are scared of them. This also makes sure I can deliver some solo photos of each pup. Since I'm a pet photographer, I want to make sure that everyone has a great individual portrait of their dog, so I like to provide those, even if the main objective of the shoot is to get a group shot of the family.
The dogs were so good for their family photo, they just chilled on the couch with their parents and new brother and they were happy to look my way occasionally. After some family photos on the couch, mom Christine and dad Anthony wanted me to head into their basement for a few photos in front of their amazing vintage jukebox. Anthony is a huge fan of vintage stuff, especially the '50s, so that was an important shot for him. After that, we headed into Dominick's Mickey Mouse themed nursery for a few more family shots and individuals of the man of the hour. He did such an amazing job! He wasn't super sleepy for a good part of the session, but he had no trouble looking my way and he barely cried! Such an easygoing little guy!
Dominick's parents are serious about Christmas. It was early November during our session, but they were already fully decked for Christmas. Anthony collects amazing vintage Christmas lawn decorations and they were stationed outside the house like a small army, it was so impressive! It even got them featured in the newspaper! That's why we had to make sure to do some fun holiday shots. They had an adorable Santa outfit they wanted to use, and I supplied a reindeer one that looked perfect on Dominick. His parents also wanted to take a few shots of Dominick along with photos of some beloved family members who are no longer with us, like Anthony's grandma and Christine's mom. I thought that was such a touching tribute and I was honored to help capture those special photos for them.
After we were all done in the nursery, the dogs were begging to be let in because they were feeling left out of the fun. I made sure to get in position before they came in, so I could sneak a cute photo of them sniffing at the crib to check on their baby brother. I love how that one turned out.
Here are some of my favorite photos from this very fun session!
Want your baby and fur baby to have a photo together? Email me at [email protected]
or call (631)256-7476 to schedule a session!
I’ve photographed Evelyn’s family a lot, so big brother Owen and sister Juliette are well used to me snapping away at them. Now that Evelyn has joined the family, it was time for her to get the Laura Pea Photography treatment! I posted their family maternity session a while back, and we did that session just in time because Evelyn was born not that long after! She just couldn’t wait to get in front of my camera, I think!
Evelyn’s mom Nina has a big love for fall like I do, so I had fun gathering up a ton of hay, pumpkins, gourds, flowers, etc. to use for our fall setup. I love how those photos came out! Evelyn was super sleepy and comfortable for our session and we got through tons of outfits, headbands, wraps and more. She did a great job!
Here are my favorites from Evelyn’s newborn session!
Evelyn’s mom Nina has a big love for fall like I do, so I had fun gathering up a ton of hay, pumpkins, gourds, flowers, etc. to use for our fall setup. I love how those photos came out! Evelyn was super sleepy and comfortable for our session and we got through tons of outfits, headbands, wraps and more. She did a great job!
Here are my favorites from Evelyn’s newborn session!
Get in touch to schedule your newborn session by emailing me at [email protected] or calling (631)256-7476.
Meet sweet little Rylee! At the beginning of her session, Rylee was wide awake. We joked that in the first few frames, she looked like she was giving me side eye, like... “I don’t know about this lady”. I think I passed the test though, because she soon fell fast asleep and even gave me a few sleepy smiles, which I love so much.
Rylee has a big support system. Her mom Maria and dad Timothy were accompanied to the session by Rylee’s big sister Haiden and her older cousins Samantha and Taylor, who are sharing the job of being godmother to Rylee. You could tell they’re up to the task by how helpful they were during the session. They helped big sister Haiden get dressed for her photos with Rylee and even stood behind me to help make her smile.
Maria told me Haiden doesn’t really love picture time, so she wasn’t sure we were going to get any photos of her. After I showed her a few of the photos I’d gotten on the back of my camera, Haiden decided I wasn’t so bad after all, and she gave me some beautiful smiles. She also did an excellent job holding her baby sister for photos. She’s going to be an amazing big sister to Rylee!
Here are some of my favorite photos from our session!
Rylee has a big support system. Her mom Maria and dad Timothy were accompanied to the session by Rylee’s big sister Haiden and her older cousins Samantha and Taylor, who are sharing the job of being godmother to Rylee. You could tell they’re up to the task by how helpful they were during the session. They helped big sister Haiden get dressed for her photos with Rylee and even stood behind me to help make her smile.
Maria told me Haiden doesn’t really love picture time, so she wasn’t sure we were going to get any photos of her. After I showed her a few of the photos I’d gotten on the back of my camera, Haiden decided I wasn’t so bad after all, and she gave me some beautiful smiles. She also did an excellent job holding her baby sister for photos. She’s going to be an amazing big sister to Rylee!
Here are some of my favorite photos from our session!
Schedule your newborn session with me by emailing me at [email protected] or calling me at (631)256-7476!
Every time I book a newborn session, I get excited. Every baby I’ve ever photographed has been so unique and special. I look forward especially when it’s a first baby, because I know these photos are going to mean so so much to new parents. I could tell Cole’s parents were so happy to welcome their little boy into the world. They brought such cute outfits for their little guy to wear, including a blue moon knit set that’s become one of my favorite outfits a client has ever brought in. It worked so perfectly with my white wooden moon prop! They also brought a very special prop from home with them, a bunny rabbit stuffed animal that had been Cole's dad's when he was a kid. I love when people bring in things with history, it means so much to get them in photos.
Cole did such a great job, tolerating a ton of outfit changes to make sure we got shots of all his cute duds! What I really loved about this session was that mom Tracy and dad Sean wanted to be involved. Oftentimes, new moms are not entirely comfortable with their postpartum bodies and they demur when it comes to being included in photographs. I’m a big believer that every body is beautiful and deserves to be celebrated and photographed, especially when it’s just done the amazing work of creating a new life. I hope Tracy will cherish these photos of her and her baby boy for a very long time.
Here are some of my favorite photos from our session!
Cole did such a great job, tolerating a ton of outfit changes to make sure we got shots of all his cute duds! What I really loved about this session was that mom Tracy and dad Sean wanted to be involved. Oftentimes, new moms are not entirely comfortable with their postpartum bodies and they demur when it comes to being included in photographs. I’m a big believer that every body is beautiful and deserves to be celebrated and photographed, especially when it’s just done the amazing work of creating a new life. I hope Tracy will cherish these photos of her and her baby boy for a very long time.
Here are some of my favorite photos from our session!
Schedule your newborn session today!
Email me at [email protected]
or call me at (631)256-7476.
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Laura Paesano
Long Island, NY
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