Michelle Zuccaro Photography, Smithtown

Michelle Zuccaro interned at Teen Vogue and for the iconic Annie Leibovitz, but she'd rather capture the glimmer of a child's smile than the glare of the red carpet. For 10 years before she took up the study of fine-art photography at St. John's University, she volunteered to work with children ranging from 6 months to 7 years of age at a vacation Bible school. During those years, she developed a keen sensitivity to children's moods—"I wanted to be a teacher before I discovered photography," she says. With her professional photography career now in full throttle, she specializes in portraits of children, but also snaps holiday-themed family photos and flattering headshots for upcoming auditions for Wheaties commercials.