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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.
portrait of an airedale terrier dog
portrait of an airedale terrier dog with two toddler twins, a boy and a girl
portrait of an airedale terrier dog with two toddler twins, a boy and a girl
photo of toddler twins, a boy and a girl
photo of toddler twins, a boy and a girl
portrait of a toddler boy
portrait of a toddler girl
portrait of an airedale terrier dog
photo of toddler twins, a boy and a girl, and a newborn baby boy
portrait of an airedale terrier dog with two toddler twins, a boy and a girl, and a newborn baby boy
photo of toddler twins, a boy and a girl, and a newborn baby boy
photo of toddler twins, a boy and a girl, and a newborn baby boy
photo of toddler twins, a boy and a girl, and a newborn baby boy
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!
photo of a newborn baby boy
photo of a newborn baby boy in a white wooden moon prop
photo of a newborn baby boy close up
photo of a newborn baby boy from above
photo of a newborn baby boy from the side
photo of a newborn baby boy from above
photo of a newborn baby boy from above on a gray blanket
photo of a newborn baby boy from above on a homemade knit blanket
photo of a newborn baby boy in a blueberry hat
photo of a newborn baby boy from above
photo of a newborn baby boy from above with a space themed blanket
photo of a newborn baby boy from above in a white wooden moon prop
photo of a newborn baby boy from above in a white wooden moon prop

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

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I was so happy to be able to come back to the Islip Public Library for another pet portrait program on their awesome outdoor terrace. This was my second in person event back from the pandemic and we were lucky to get such a beautiful day for it.

We had many families come
to bring in their pets for a portrait. We had mostly dogs, but one family brought in their two hamsters, who were named Hamstie and Tim. This was my first time photographing hamsters and I was surprised at how well they did! I always love adding another animal to the list of those I’ve photographed!

Thank you to all the families that brought their pets to the program and to the library for having me back! Stay tuned for another pet portrait program I’ll be announcing soon!

Here are some of the photos we got that day!
photo of a brown dachshund puppy
photo of a group of four chihuahuas on a bench
photo of a senior Asian woman with a terrier dog on her lap
photo of a brown doodle puppy
photo of a hamster
photo of a hamster
photo of a golden retriever
photo of a beagle with three white children on a bench
photo of a retriever mix dog
photo of a pekingese dog
photo of a puggle dog wearing pink fairy wings
photo of a senior dachshund dog on a green bench
photo of an Asian woman with a Shiba Inu dog sitting on a green bench
photo of a mixed breed white and brown dog
photo of a boy with two husky mix dogs
photo of a mixed breed dog
photo of a dachshund puppy smelling flowers
photo of a terrier dog sitting on a blue chair
photo of a silver labrador dog looking up
photo of a chocolate labrador dog
photo of a white woman with a Pekingese dog on her lap
photo of two Alaskan Malamute dogs
photo of a mixed breed dog

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​ join my email list or follow along with me on Instagram!

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I met these sweet pups and their parents at Blydenburgh County Park to do a long-awaited session that we'd planned all the way back in 2020. Zoey is a black Lab/Chow mix, which is exactly the mix that my dog nephew Ash is, so I have a lot of experience photographing a dog with fur like hers. I couldn't believe how soft and fluffy she was, and she was so amazing at posing. Her doxie siblings Hero and Robin might be much smaller than their big sister but they more than make up for their small size with big personalities. Dachshunds are especially fun to photograph with their long beautiful snouts and big expressive eyes.

We went for a walk in the woods for our session and even though we got a particularly hot day in May, these pups were up for any challenge. They even did a great job posing on the skinny long bridge on the trail. I thought I might have to do a ton of intricate editing to get shots of all the dogs looking at the same time, but for the most part, they did such a good job posing together that my compositing expertise wasn't even necessary! 

Here are some of my favorite shots from this fun session!

photo of a fluffy long haired black labrador chow chow mix dog
photo of a long haired black and tan dachshund dog
photo of a short haired brown and tan dachshund dog
a black and white photo of a long haired black and tan dachshund dog and a short haired brown and tan dachshund dog and a large black labrador chow chow mix dog
photo of a long haired black and tan dachshund dog
photo of a fluffy long haired black labrador chow chow mix dog
photo of a short haired brown and tan dachshund dog
photo of a long haired black and tan dachshund dog and a short haired brown and tan dachshund dog
photo of a long haired black and tan dachshund dog on a bridge
photo of a fluffy long haired black labrador chow chow mix dog on a bridge
photo of a short haired brown and tan dachshund dog on a bridge
photo of a long haired black and tan dachshund dog and a short haired brown and tan dachshund dog and a large black labrador chow chow mix dog sitting on a dock
photo of a short haired brown and tan dachshund dog
photo of a fluffy long haired black labrador chow chow mix dog
photo of a long haired black and tan dachshund dog
photo of a long haired black and tan dachshund dog and a short haired brown and tan dachshund dog and a large black labrador chow chow mix dog sitting on and next to a bench
a black and white photo of a long haired black and tan dachshund dog
photo of a short haired brown and tan dachshund dog on a dock
photo of a fluffy long haired black labrador chow chow mix dog on a dock
photo of a long haired black and tan dachshund dog and a short haired brown and tan dachshund dog looking out over a pond of water

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

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I was so happy to be back at the Middle Country Public Library in Centereach for another pet portrait program. This was my first pet event back after the pandemic made it impossible to gather safely for so long! We had 13 dogs come in to be photographed, along with one turtle and even one stuffed fox (a very low maintenance pet indeed!) Those last two didn't sign my model release forms, so unfortunately you'll just have to imagine those, but I assure you, they came out beautifully :D. It was so nice to be surrounded by pets again, even those of the stuffed variety.

To be safe, we held this program outdoors in the library's Nature Explorium, which is a really cute area at the library for kids that has all sorts of fun activities. It also provided some beautiful backdrops and really nice shade on a particularly hot May day. I can't wait to bring my nephew Seth there to play! Thank you to the library for having me for another awesome program, and thank you to everyone who brought their pets in for a photo!
​Here are some of my favorite shots of the day!

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​ join my email list or follow along with me on Instagram!

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Meet Mama! She’s a beautiful 11 year old pit bull and an absolute sweetheart. Her mom Elizabeth got in touch with me to take some photos of Mama to be displayed at her wedding in October. Her photos will be featured on the table number cards so that Mama can be a part of the big day. We met at Blydenburgh County Park and the weather had been looking a little iffy. But we persevered and only felt a drop of rain or two and we were able to get some great photos of this adorable girl.

Elizabeth had some very cute props for us to use, like wooden signs and some flower crowns she made herself for Mama to wear! She was so patient and took every one in stride. Even though she isn’t a young pup anymore, she was game to go everywhere we led her and she sat beautifully for our photos. We got some nice shots of Mama on her own and also some very sweet photos of the special bond she shares with her mom Elizabeth.

I’m so happy I was able to help capture some special memories for Elizabeth and Mama, and I can't wait to see some snapshots of how the photos are incorporated into their special day!

Here are some of my favorite photos from our session!
A color photo of a pit bull dog wearing a flower crown on her head
A color photo of a pit bull and her owner looking at each other lovingly
A black and white photo of a pit bull standing with her eyes closed in a park
A color photo of a pit bull with a wide smile on her face
A color photo of a pit bull dog wearing a eucalyptus crown on her head
A color photo of a pit bull dog wearing a wooden wedding sign around her neck
A color photo of a pit bull dog wearing a flower crown on her neck
A color photo of a pit bull sitting in  front of a wooden sign that reads "love is a four-legged word"
A color photo of a pit bull and her owner sitting together on a dock in front of a pond
A color photo of a pit bull dog wearing a flower crown on her neck
A color photo of a pit bull sitting on a trail bridge in the middle of a forest
A color photo of a pit bull sitting in a clearing in the middle of a forest
A color photo of a pit bull looking up while sitting on some steps
A color photo of a pit bull dog wearing a wooden wedding sign around her neck
A color photo of a pit bull with a wide smile on her face
A color photo of a pit bull looking to the side in the middle of a trail in a forest
A color photo of a pit bull sitting on steps in front of a dock on a pond looking out at the water from behind
A black and white photo of a pit bull and her owner looking at each other in the forest
A black and white photo of a pit bull dog wearing a crown on her head
A color photo of a pit bull dog wearing a gold crown on her head
A color photo of a pit bull dog wearing a gold crown on her head
A color photo of a pit bull dog wearing a wooden wedding sign around her neck
A black and white photo of a pit bull and her owner sitting together looking to the side in a forest
A color photo of a pit bull and her owner sitting together in a forest
A black and white photo of a pit bull and her owner from behind sitting together at the end of a dock in front of a pond
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I’ll be back at the Islip Public Library for another pet portrait program on their beautiful outdoor terrace. The program will be on Saturday, June 12th from 1pm to 4pm, by appointment. Please keep 6 feet of space between you and other patrons. Any pets are welcome, but please make sure they’re restrained with a leash or in a carrier to keep everyone safe. Appointments are available now to Islip patrons but will open to out-of-district patrons on June 9th. You’ll receive a free 8x10 and a digital file of your photo!

You can register for the program here.

Here are some photos I captured at this program in years past!
Picture

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I was on a four year streak of doing pet portrait programs at the Middle Country Public Library, until last year (I think you know why we skipped a year haha). Even though the pandemic is not over yet, we're getting back to it with an outdoor program this Spring! On May 22nd from 11am-2pm I'll be photographing pets and their families outside in the library's Nature Explorium!

This year instead of first come, first served, photos will be taken by appointment. COVID-19 protocols will be in place, so please come wearing your mask and practice social distancing from others. Pets should be clean, well-behaved around other animal, and in a cage or on a leash to attend.

Get more info and sign up for your time slot here.

I'm so excited to be doing this program! Not being able to do photo events last year was a huge blow to my business. I really missed meeting so many pets and people. Hope to see you there!
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Spring has sprung here on Long Island, even though most days it doesn't feel like it temperature-wise! I've been feeling more and more hopeful these days about the state of the world, even though we aren't out of the woods with this pandemic yet. I hope you're all staying safe and healthy and enjoying your Spring holidays! We're celebrating Easter here at Laura Pea Photography, so I brought my nephew Seth into the studio for some Easter photos. We didn't get around to taking them last year with everything so crazy at the beginning of the quarantine, so we were eager to do them this year!

I love photographing Seth, but as he gets older, I'm reminded more and more why I chose to specialize in newborns and pets. 2 and a half year olds are crazy little balls of energy and they don't fall asleep like newborns and they don't sit and stay like dogs! Luckily he still finds it funny when I pretend to sneeze a stuffed animal off of my head, so I was able to get some beautiful smiles out of him. ​

Here are my favorite photos from Seth's Easter shoot! (Wait until the end to see a behind the scenes shot of how the studio looked after Seth was done with it! 😂)
Toddler boy dressed in an Easter bunny costume holding a big yellow egg looking at the camera
Toddler boy dressed in an Easter bunny costume holding a big yellow egg looking down at it after he cracked it in half
Toddler boy dressed in an Easter bunny costume holding a big yellow egg cracking it in half and looking down into it
Toddler boy dressed in an Easter bunny costume holding a big yellow egg looking down at it
Toddler boy dressed in an Easter bunny costume holding a big yellow egg looking down at it
Toddler boy dressed in an Easter bunny costume holding a big yellow egg from the side
Toddler boy dressed in an Easter bunny costume holding a big yellow egg looking surprised
Toddler boy dressed in an Easter bunny costume with a big smile
Toddler boy dressed in an Easter bunny costume with a big smile laughing and looking at the camera
Toddler boy dressed in an Easter bunny costume sitting on a stool smiling at the camera
Toddler boy wearing a shirt with a shark dressed as an Easter bunny smiling at the camera
Toddler boy wearing a shirt with a shark dressed as an Easter bunny smiling at the camera
Toddler boy wearing a shirt with a shark dressed as an Easter bunny smiling at the camera
Toddler boy wearing a shirt with a shark dressed as an Easter bunny smiling at the camera
Toddler boy wearing a shirt with a shark dressed as an Easter bunny smiling at the camera
Toddler boy wearing a shirt with a shark dressed as an Easter bunny smiling at the camera
Toddler boy wearing a shirt with a letter S and a bunny looking at the camera
Toddler boy wearing a shirt with a letter S and a bunny looking at the camera
Behind the scenes photo of a big mess a toddler boy has made while taking pictures. Books are strewn all over the floor and he looks down at them.

Happy Easter!

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I hear people say a lot that they can't keep track of their photos. A lot of people know their photos are precious to them, but it's frustrating to try and organize them, so the task gets put off because it seems insurmountable. Photos pile up and pile up and before they know it, they have a mountain of digital files and they can't find the ones they want when they need them.

There are many ways to keep your photos in order, but this is the way that works for me and I'd like to share it with you. (Keep in mind that I use a Mac, so some of these techniques may be different if you're using a Windows system!)


  • Obviously, the most common system is to keep photos organized by year. I have a folder on my desktop called "Photos" (I know, creative, right?), and each year gets its own folder within that master folder. Upon importing the photos onto my computer from my memory card, I separate them into their respective month folders. If you have a mess of photos all together and don't know what months they belong to, I suggest arranging by "Date Created". You can also check the info of photos (Command-i) to see when they were created. Big events such as weddings, concerts or vacations (anything more than 30 or 40 photos) gets its own folder within that month to keep the folder visually neat and the pictures easy to find.
  • If you can, make use of keywords to make your photos searchable. On the info screen of your photo (Command-i), you can add text in the "comments" section, which will make it much easier to find later if you need to. Unfortunately, I don't know of a way to do this to more than one file at once, so you may need to copy and paste it to every file. If there are too many, it may not be worth your time.
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  • When I have all the photos from that particular month in the folder, I batch rename all the files in the folder. To do this on a Mac, select all the files in the folder and right-click on your mouse. Click "Rename (#) Items" . There will be a drop down menu that says "Replace Text". Change that to "Format". When it says "custom format", change that to the corresponding month, year number, and an underscore, so if the folder was for March 2017, I would enter Mar17_ in that box. Keep the box "Start Numbers at" set to 1. Then click "Rename" and you're done! I find this helpful to do because if I'm searching for a particular file, I can usually remember in what month I took the photo and then helps narrow down the pool of photos I have to look through. If I have a subfolder in a month with a certain event, I might make the custom format something like Jul12_LisaWillWedding_ to make the photos easier to find later. This is especially helpful when it comes time to print your photos. 
 
  • When you have photos printed, most companies print the filename on the back of the photo for reference. If you've named your files according to their month, this makes it so simple to place them chronologically in a book or photo album. If you're not a stickler for keeping things in order, another way to organize photos once they're printed is just to keep a photo box for every year and chuck the whole pile in there. Then they can be taken out, enjoyed by the whole family and put back in their respective boxes when you're done. ​


I hope this has helped you a little bit to make sense of your digital photo stockpile.  It's so frustrating to me when I can't find a photo I know I have somewhere, so this system has really helped me. We document so much of our lives nowadays and I think it's so important to keep those memories safe and organized so that you can enjoy them! Good luck!

Once your photos are all organized, why not schedule a photo session for some more?!

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My sister, brother in law and my nephew accompanied me on my shoot at Prosser Pines with our friend Lauren this year. When they were there they took a walk around the preserve and afterwards said "Ok, can we do our Christmas photos here too?" Of course! It's such a beautiful spot for it!

Lisa had the idea to use Seth's Little Tikes car in the photos and put some of my little tree props on it as if Seth had gone to the woods to chop down his own tree. The problem was that his car is green with yellow dinosaur scales! But that's where Aunt Laura's years of Photoshop practice came into play. It was more time-consuming than my normal edits but I was able to turn his car red to match her vision for the photos. We wrapped a string of fairy lights around it to complete the look and Seth was happy to pose in it, because he loves his dino car! He wouldn't wear the trapper hat we brought for him, but that's ok because they still came out super cute. 

We also took some sweet family shots of the three of them, but most of the photos were about Seth, because he's obviously the star!

​Here are some of my favorite photos from our session!

Happy Holidays!

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Laura Paesano
Long Island, NY

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