Photography & Portraits in Hempstead

Lively photographers play off their high-energy subjects, moving around the studio as families, kids, and pets laugh, play, and display their natural character during relaxed in-studio portrait sessions. While cute and cuddly subjects often light up PortraitBug's flashbulbs, the photographers welcome a variety of other subjects, from families and expectant mothers to professionals in need of resume-worthy headshots and teens looking for the right glamour shot for their social-networking profiles. A link to a password-protected gallery grants continued, unlimited access to any previous shoots, shareable with friends and relatives for direct viewing and ordering.

To achieve a style that it describes as "fine-art photojournalism," the boutique studio employs an award-winning team of photographers and videographers. Instead of churning out the usual stand-and-smile wedding shots, Funico's crew focuses on capturing the little moments, the candid moments of laughter and tears, the subtle gestures of a deep, abiding love, and the living, breathing human rhythm of your celebration (see here for examples of recent engagement photos). After your shoot, you'll receive a webpage with a slide show set to music and an online gallery to share with loved ones, plus two high-resolution images of your choice that you can treasure forever and reprint as often as you like—use them for save-the-dates, wedding invitations, or to blow up for life-sized cardboard cutouts of yourself for your living room. To reserve your slot, make sure to contact Funico Studios at least seven days ahead of time.

Stephanie Reinish employs high-end lenses and a low-tech playful approach to capture moments both fleeting and profound in the lives of families, infants, and four-legged friends of any phylum. During a 45-minute on-location session, candid models can feel free to test out ideas of their own or simply allow Stephanie's keen eye to hone in on a vibrant backdrop or adventurous pose. After the shoot, clients choose an image from a lineup of 10 proofs, pointing out a portrait to imprison in an 11”x14” print on charges of identity theft. Groupon holders also get 10% off additional prints, such as 4"x6" ($45) to spruce up a barren work space or an 8"x10" ($45) to brighten up a barren mantle.

Niki Broyn discovered her passion for photography when she started snapping shots of her four kids in 1996. As her children grew, so did her skills as a photographer, prompting her to found Nikibi Studio, where she currently captures the smiles of other families. She likes to incorporate her subjects’ passions in each photo session, taking pictures of musicians performing or cat burglars posing in front of a cracked safe. Niki also travels on location for special events, such as baptisms, and specializes in portraits for home, business, and commercial use—her shots never looking out of place above a mantle or in the pages of a magazine.

Oversize sunglasses, novelty hats, or simple smiles bedeck partygoers at weddings, birthdays, and corporate events as they pile into Fox Photo Lounge’s spacious photo booths. Behind the booth’s custom privacy drape, guests strike free-form poses while a modern digital camera clicks color or black-and-white photos. The prints—which can be arranged in single, double, or four-photo layouts—reel out of the printer embossed with the details of the event, helping commemorate the occasion when hosts file them into a complimentary scrapbook or the filing cabinet in their handbags.

Fox Photo Lounge attendants set up all equipment before events and stay on hand for the duration of the rental to ensure a smooth, problem-free evening. In addition to personalized prints and decorative scrapbooks, all photo packages include a USB storage device filled with photos guests can share online or print at home.

When cast members from The Real Housewives of New Jersey stopped at Marra's Restaurant for a bite, the owner asked neighboring photographer Mike Kortoci to take a picture. The ladies loved his work so much that, after a tour of his studio, they asked Mike to film an on-camera segment for the show. Snapping shots of celebs isn't uncommon for Mike—according to Ridgewood News, his famous clientele has included the Baldwin brothers and America's Next Top Model –winner CariDee English.

For the most part, however, Mike lends his artistic eye and more than 20 years of experience to creating customized portraits for his everyday clients, including kids and families. He snaps primarily black-and-white images during on-location shoots and inside his 2,000-square-foot studio. Afterward, he retouches clients' favorite shots, removing red eye or blinking specters, and preserves them on canvas or watercolor-paper prints.