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It turns out my pet portrait program at the Sayville Library just happened to coincide with a major heatwave on Long Island, but that didn’t keep the pet lovers from coming out to get photos of their beloved animals. We lucked out that the library building perfectly shaded the courtyard we were doing the program in, and there was a nice breeze back there that made it actually a very comfortable setting. The library and I also made sure to provide fans to keep the patrons and their pets comfortable, and we had lots of bowls of water around to refresh the pets that were there for their closeup.
This is was my first time doing a program at the Sayville Library and I was impressed by their beautiful courtyard. The inside of the library is really amazing too. If you have a chance to visit for a program, I’d really recommend it. We had 10 families bring their pets for a photo, which is a pretty good turnout considering it was my first time doing a program there and Long Island’s ambient temperature was slightly below that of Hell on that day! Thank you so much to the Sayville patrons who came out, and to the sweet and dedicated out of district patron Gail who brought the beautiful Muishi in for a photo! I got to know Gail on Instagram and met her in person the first time at the Islip Public Library last year. It was so good to see them again!
Here are some photos!
This is was my first time doing a program at the Sayville Library and I was impressed by their beautiful courtyard. The inside of the library is really amazing too. If you have a chance to visit for a program, I’d really recommend it. We had 10 families bring their pets for a photo, which is a pretty good turnout considering it was my first time doing a program there and Long Island’s ambient temperature was slightly below that of Hell on that day! Thank you so much to the Sayville patrons who came out, and to the sweet and dedicated out of district patron Gail who brought the beautiful Muishi in for a photo! I got to know Gail on Instagram and met her in person the first time at the Islip Public Library last year. It was so good to see them again!
Here are some photos!
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You might remember last summer when I shot an incredibly sweet session with newborn twins and their big adorable Airedale Terrier named Benjamin Franklin. If not, check it out here! I loved this session so much because it perfectly combined my two specialities, newborns and pets. That's why I was so happy when mom Sarah got in touch with me again for round 2 for the twins' first birthday photos! Of course, Benjamin was coming along for the ride too! This time, since the babies are a lot bigger and on the move (Nathaniel is walking, Caroline is close to it!), Sarah decided to adopt a 1:1 supervision technique! She would be in charge of one baby, dad AJ would be in charge of the other, and her brother, the twins' Uncle John, would be there to keep a hold on Benjamin. With two spirited one year olds and a huge dog, needless to say, we all got a workout that day, but it was SO. MUCH. FUN. Is there anything cuter than seeing dogs and babies interact? I daresay there is not.
My favorite photo of the day was a special request by Sarah for a photo to go on some change of address cards. The family is moving soon to a house on a street called Caroline Avenue. She had a friend make shirts for the twins to wear, Nathaniel's with their house number (which I removed in this photo below, since I don't think they'd want me broadcasting their address to the whole internet!), Caroline's with just an arrow pointing up to her face, and a sign with the word Avenue for Benjamin Franklin to wear. Since from previous experience, I know how hard it is to get two kids and a dog to look at me at the same time, I opted to take a few photos of all of them together to have for size reference, and then individuals that I could put together later in Photoshop. I absolutely love the way this came out. They're just too cute.
My favorite photo of the day was a special request by Sarah for a photo to go on some change of address cards. The family is moving soon to a house on a street called Caroline Avenue. She had a friend make shirts for the twins to wear, Nathaniel's with their house number (which I removed in this photo below, since I don't think they'd want me broadcasting their address to the whole internet!), Caroline's with just an arrow pointing up to her face, and a sign with the word Avenue for Benjamin Franklin to wear. Since from previous experience, I know how hard it is to get two kids and a dog to look at me at the same time, I opted to take a few photos of all of them together to have for size reference, and then individuals that I could put together later in Photoshop. I absolutely love the way this came out. They're just too cute.
It means so much to me when clients bring back their children that I've photographed as newborns. It's so fun to see how much bigger they've gotten and what kinds of personalities they've developed over their first year. It also makes me feel great that they're putting their trust in me once again to document a really special time for their family. Here are some more of my favorites from the session!
Have you always wanted your babies and furbabies together for a great photo? Email me at laurapeaphotography@gmail.com or call me at (631)256-7476 to schedule a session!
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I'll be doing another pet portrait program but at a new library this time! On July 20th, I'll be at the Sayville Library taking pet portraits in their courtyard! Registration for the program begins on June 18th. Registration is limited to Sayville Library cardholders for two weeks, and then program registration will open up to out of district patrons from other Long Island libraries on July 2nd!
The program will be held on July 20th from 10am to 12pm, first come, first served. Your pet can enjoy a solo portrait or you can join them for a family photo. There could be lots of other animals around when you bring your pet for a photo, so we ask that you make sure your pet is clean and well-behaved around other animals. Please bring your pet on a leash or in a carrier. Note that event is not limited to just dogs and cats! I've done this type of program at other libraries and we've gotten pets like ferrets, turtles, etc. I love all types of animals, so bring it on!
There will be a rain date of Saturday, 7/27 in case of inclement weather!
The program will be held on July 20th from 10am to 12pm, first come, first served. Your pet can enjoy a solo portrait or you can join them for a family photo. There could be lots of other animals around when you bring your pet for a photo, so we ask that you make sure your pet is clean and well-behaved around other animals. Please bring your pet on a leash or in a carrier. Note that event is not limited to just dogs and cats! I've done this type of program at other libraries and we've gotten pets like ferrets, turtles, etc. I love all types of animals, so bring it on!
There will be a rain date of Saturday, 7/27 in case of inclement weather!
Register for the program here!
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Stay up to date on all the Long Island events I'll be participating in by signing up for my email list!
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I've been a big fan of Ronan's mom Bonnie since we met at a Rising Tide Society meeting a few years ago. She's a talented illustrator, designer and copywriter and I love following along with her instagram because she posts really cute, funny and inspiring stuff in her feed (check her out @bonniebryantcreative and her adorable products at shopbonnie.com). Her Instagram Stories, though, are where I was first introduced to the gorgeous little Ronan. Bonnie and her husband Dennis have 3 pets, a goofy lovebug tank of a dog named Rooney, a beautiful red kitty named Rudy, and the shy but sweet Ronan. Now, they love all their pets, but Ronan is the prince of this family and he has a special place in his parents' hearts. Dad Dennis told me that he had never had a cat before, but Ronan turned him into a cat lover.
I've always loved watching Bonnie's online documentation of her furry family, so I was so sad when she posted back in February that Ronan had a tumor on his paw and his prognosis was not good. When Bonnie asked to schedule portraits for him before he became too sick, I was honored to be able to help immortalize their love for him. Animals leave such a lasting mark on their owners, it's only fitting that we humans should have beautiful photographs to look back on when they have to leave us.
At our session, Bonnie and Dennis told me a lot about Ronan and the little quirks and eccentricities that make him such a unique and special cat. For instance, Ronan has a very peculiar obsession with tape. He loves to chew on anything sticky. At the beginning of our session, he was shy and hiding under the studio furniture and the only way we could lure him out was with some catnip and a sticky piece of lint roller tape for him to nibble on. Ronan was pretty shy at first and he even managed to open up the door to my studio closet and crawl inside. Dennis had to get on the ground and squeeze almost his whole body into my cluttered little closet to get him out! He started to calm down a little after a few more hits of catnip and we were able to keep him in place just with a nice loving touch from mom.
I love the way the photos came out, because you can really tell the special bond between all of them. My heart goes out to Bonnie and Dennis during this really tough time, and I hope that the photos we took will be a comfort to them when their little Prince Ronan is no longer around to eat tape, pound catnip and melt hearts.
Here are my favorite photos from Ronan's session.
I've always loved watching Bonnie's online documentation of her furry family, so I was so sad when she posted back in February that Ronan had a tumor on his paw and his prognosis was not good. When Bonnie asked to schedule portraits for him before he became too sick, I was honored to be able to help immortalize their love for him. Animals leave such a lasting mark on their owners, it's only fitting that we humans should have beautiful photographs to look back on when they have to leave us.
At our session, Bonnie and Dennis told me a lot about Ronan and the little quirks and eccentricities that make him such a unique and special cat. For instance, Ronan has a very peculiar obsession with tape. He loves to chew on anything sticky. At the beginning of our session, he was shy and hiding under the studio furniture and the only way we could lure him out was with some catnip and a sticky piece of lint roller tape for him to nibble on. Ronan was pretty shy at first and he even managed to open up the door to my studio closet and crawl inside. Dennis had to get on the ground and squeeze almost his whole body into my cluttered little closet to get him out! He started to calm down a little after a few more hits of catnip and we were able to keep him in place just with a nice loving touch from mom.
I love the way the photos came out, because you can really tell the special bond between all of them. My heart goes out to Bonnie and Dennis during this really tough time, and I hope that the photos we took will be a comfort to them when their little Prince Ronan is no longer around to eat tape, pound catnip and melt hearts.
Here are my favorite photos from Ronan's session.
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Stella’s mom Veronica wanted some photos of her, but was worried that Stella wouldn’t cooperate for her session, since she’s very shy. I told her not to worry, we were going to get great shots. For cat sessions, I always offer the option to go to the client’s home, because cats can get very nervous when traveling to a new place and that doesn’t make for good photos! When I got to her house, I had Stella’s mom bring her in to observe me a little bit.
I set up a few things, then I just sat on the floor for a little while, and let Stella get used to me. I threw her a couple of treats now and then, and once she was comfortable enough to come up to me, I knew it was time to test out my lights. The flash of my lights can bother some animals or make them blink too much, but only rarely. Stella didn’t seem bothered by them, so I was able to start shooting! My lights are very portable so I was able to twist them around to follow Stella’s movements. Treats, jingly toys and a ribbon on a stick were all very helpful in getting Stella to look my way so I could photograph her beautiful eyes! Here are some of my favorite photos from her session!
I set up a few things, then I just sat on the floor for a little while, and let Stella get used to me. I threw her a couple of treats now and then, and once she was comfortable enough to come up to me, I knew it was time to test out my lights. The flash of my lights can bother some animals or make them blink too much, but only rarely. Stella didn’t seem bothered by them, so I was able to start shooting! My lights are very portable so I was able to twist them around to follow Stella’s movements. Treats, jingly toys and a ribbon on a stick were all very helpful in getting Stella to look my way so I could photograph her beautiful eyes! Here are some of my favorite photos from her session!
Schedule a portrait session for your cat! Email me at laurapeaphotography@gmail.com
or call (631)256-7476.
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It’s been a little bit of a crazy time over here at Laura Pea Photography! I try to dedicate a blog post to most sessions I do, but this V-Day season got away from me. If you follow along on my Instagram (@laurapeaphotography), you’ll have seen all these photos but I decided to do a roundup post of the sessions I did for Valentine’s Day this year for those that follow my blog!
First up is my nephew Seth! This is his first Valentine’s Day and I was so excited to get him in the studio to use some of the props I’ve been accumulating over the years! He’s so used to the click of my camera and the flash of my lights, so he did an amazing job!
First up is my nephew Seth! This is his first Valentine’s Day and I was so excited to get him in the studio to use some of the props I’ve been accumulating over the years! He’s so used to the click of my camera and the flash of my lights, so he did an amazing job!
Next is Juliette and Owen! I photographed them at two of the pet portrait programs I did at the Islip Public Library and then I was honored to photograph Juliette’s 1st birthday photos! They came back for her 18 month photos to surprise their dad whose birthday is the day before Valentine’s Day. They had so much fun playing around with the props I have in the studio! I love how these came out! Jules has such a brilliant smile and Owen is such a great older brother, who was so happy to pose with his little sister.
Next are my little girl Gracey’s photos! I always take photos of her when I’m figuring out my setups for sessions. She’s always happy to model for me, especially because she knows there are freeze-dried beef liver treats in it for her!
Finally is my cousin Peyton’s Valentine’s Day photos! Peyton’s mom Lori is the reason why I have this very cute little play kitchen. She saw it for sale online and told me about it. I agreed it would be a very cute addition to the studio and picked it up. Peyton was very happy to play with it in exchange for a few beautiful smiles toward the camera!
I hope everyone had a great Valentine’s Day!
Book a session with me by emailing laurapeaphotography@gmail.com
or calling (631)256-7476!
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At our holiday pet portrait mini session event at Barkfield Road in November, I was telling owner Carol about a red play kitchen I had gotten as a prop for the studio and she suggested we try a mini session event with it for Valentine’s Day. It made total sense since Barkfield Road is such a great place to buy baked doggy goodies! We called our event “Baking Up Some Love”!
I brought some kitchen themed props like a chef’s hat and apron and a toy cupcake tray. We filled every appointment of the day and got great shots of the pups and a nice donation for the Dotty Fund! Carol and I always have a very fun time during these events and I love meeting so many dogs and their owners. Her employees Vicky and Nicolette are so helpful! Go visit Barkfield Road if you’re in the area. They have such a great selection of products for pets and I know every time I go there, I’m getting something high quality and safe for my Gracey.
I hope to keep doing more events like this!
Here are some of my favorite photos from the day!
I brought some kitchen themed props like a chef’s hat and apron and a toy cupcake tray. We filled every appointment of the day and got great shots of the pups and a nice donation for the Dotty Fund! Carol and I always have a very fun time during these events and I love meeting so many dogs and their owners. Her employees Vicky and Nicolette are so helpful! Go visit Barkfield Road if you’re in the area. They have such a great selection of products for pets and I know every time I go there, I’m getting something high quality and safe for my Gracey.
I hope to keep doing more events like this!
Here are some of my favorite photos from the day!
If you were there for the event, you can pick up your products now at Barkfield Road!
To stay up to date on events I’ll be participating in, sign up for my email list here.
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When I first met dog dad Ralph on the day of our session, he prepared me for “four crazy dogs”. He wanted photos of his pack as a present for his wife, but he wasn"t sure that we’d be able to get some decent photos of them together. He let me and the dogs roam around the yard and have some fun together, and before long they were sitting together beautifully (with the help of a bag of treats)! When he saw the photos afterward, he was so happy that we ended up getting so many great group shots of the dogs.
When he told me about his pack of pups over the phone, I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to tell them apart because they’re all Australian Shepherds. I didn't have to worry about that though, because when I met them I realized they’re each so unique looking and have such distinct personalities, that they were all unforgettable.
Let me introduce them to you!
When he told me about his pack of pups over the phone, I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to tell them apart because they’re all Australian Shepherds. I didn't have to worry about that though, because when I met them I realized they’re each so unique looking and have such distinct personalities, that they were all unforgettable.
Let me introduce them to you!
This is Harley. He’s definitely the spitfire of the group. He always wanted to be dead center in the front of the photo, like the star he is.
This is Christie. She’s a little shy and didn’t want to be the center of attention, so we had to keep pulling her forward to make sure she didn’t get lost in the photo. She’s incredibly sweet and gentle.
Reese is Christie’s sister. She was a little shy at first but really warmed up and showed her personality once she got to know me. She’s got beautiful blue eyes.
Last but not least is Johnny Utah. I love his light coat. He was very energetic and loved to take photos with his favorite toy “Purple Guy”.
Here are some of my favorite shots from our session!
We did some of the dogs together, some in groups and then some individual shots. Ralph even called his neighbor over to bring her dog Layla. Layla and Harley were born around the same time so they’ve been playing together since they were puppies. All Ralph had to say was “Layla” and Harley started to prance around and get excited for his friend. When her mom brought Layla over, they started playing together just like they were still puppies.
This turned out to be one of my favorite sessions of 2018. A lot of times pet owners are anxious that their pet won't sit, won't do well, will be too hyper during the session, that it makes the pet even more nervous. Ralph was totally at ease, he let the dogs have fun and he trusted me to do my thing and get great photos. He and his wife loved the way they came out and bought my biggest album, which came out so beautifully that I'm going to order a sample of it to keep in my studio. I also got to spend some time with 5 of the sweetest and cutest dogs ever, and that never hurts. If you're getting photos taken of your pet, remember to relax and have fun with it. Your dog will sense you're at ease and they'll be at ease too, and it'll make for fun and beautiful photos like these!
Do you have a pack of “crazy dogs” you’d love to get portraits of?
Contact me at laurapeaphotography@gmail.com or (631)256-7476.
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You might have seen Zeus’ outdoor session at the park last week. Well, this guy’s cuteness can’t be contained to just one post! After our fun session at Blydenburgh Park, Zeus’ mom Katrina brought him in for some studio shots to celebrate his birthday! Katrina got Zeus a beautifully decorated birthday cookie. He waited so patiently for us to take a few photos before he tore into it, but then he made quick work of devouring it. He’s such a gentleman that he made sure to lick up all the crumbs off the floor. Thanks, Zeus!
Here are his birthday photos!
Here are his birthday photos!
After his birthday photos, we brought in the holiday props to take some Christmas shots! Zeus is so well-trained and sweet that he let us put a bunch of funny headbands on him and didn’t make a peep or try to shake them off once!
We finished up with some special photos with Zeus’ favorite toy. This is the first toy Zeus’ mom Katrina bought him and he treats it really well. She told me he never chews too hard on his Duck and he sleeps with it at night. This reminded me of our family dog when I was younger, Whiskey. He had this fuzzy toy “Baby” that he cherished his whole life and used to carry around tenderly. It was so cute to see Zeus cuddling with his special toy, especially because he was wearing the most adorable pajamas!
HAPPY 5th BIRTHDAY, ZEUS!
Does your fur baby have a birthday coming up? Celebrate it with photos! Email me at laurapeaphotography@gmail.com
or call (631)256-7476 to schedule a session!
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This is the third year I’ve had the pleasure to photograph sweet Gianna and her two dogs, Coda and Cadence! They’re always so good at posing. I was looking back at Gianna’s past sessions and I noticed these three photos that are very similar to each other. I love to see a progression like this from year to year!
It’s so nice when clients come back to me again and again, because it shows me that they’re pleased with my work, and that makes me very happy. It’s also just great to see how the kids grow and change, and how the dogs are still goofy and sweet as always.
Here are my favorite photos from Gianna’s Christmas session this year!
Here are my favorite photos from Gianna’s Christmas session this year!
