Pictures capture important moments in your life. You can certainly find deals online, or clip…read morecoupons for your department store photo studio. You'll save a few bucks, but you'll greatly sacrifice quality. I used to do this by going to Picture People and JCP, but no longer. I would rather have my precious moments beautifully captured, because you can never recreate these moments. In fact, I now regret going to JCP and Picture People in the past, because the quality was not as good, and I can never redo newborn shots with my eldest kid. Like others, we used to go to Picture People. In a way it was good that they closed because it allowed us to find At Home Studios. Ken and Stephanie are absolutely wonderful. A few differences between Ken and your typical portrait studio: 1. At regular studios like JCP or Sears, random people are trained on how to use a camera. It's not their full time profession; it just provides a paycheck. Whereas with At Home Studios, Ken's passion is photography and that is all he has done for most of his life. The passion is evident in the fact that his pictures are far superior to anything you could get in a department store. 2. They treat you like family. At Picture People we had to wait 30-60 minutes, even with a scheduled appointment. And we had to wait another 30-60 minutes just to get our pictures on CD. Not to mention them rushing you through the photo shoot so they could take more customers. It was a dreadful experience, whereas we were welcomed into Ken and Stephanie's home like we were family, and didn't have to wait in a queue. 3. Ken is absolutely wonderful with kids, and very patient. He was patient with us as our newborn needed to feed and also change an outfit. Our toddler wasn't interested in looking at the camera, but Ken took care of that with his humor. Our toddler was still talking about him for days after we left. 4. At the typical portrait studio, they only give you about 8-10 shots, whereas Ken gives you much more (all of the good ones). I was always surprised that Picture People used to take so many pictures during the sessions, but only gave us limited number on CD. 5. If you are going to frame your pics, ask Ken to do it. He will touch it up and it will look much better than doing it yourself at CVS or Walgreens. Ken has more expertise on touching up pics than a traditional studio would. And request the frames that day, or you'll never get around to it. Ken and Stephanie aren't pushy and not after every penny like Picture People used to be; you'll have to ask if you want specific prints. Picture People never used to let you leave until you listened to their sales pitch, which was quite annoying when you've already been waiting around in the store for 2 hours. 6. By the end of the session, I felt as if we were with family. In a world where encountering rude people has unfortunately become normal, it was refreshing to meet some really nice people. 7. US Military dignity: Ken and Stephanie have a military family. Their children serve and have been stationed in various places. Being away from your family and pledging your life for your country requires honor and dignity. It is not just an individual sacrifice, but that of the entire military family. This is highly relevant, because such a high level of dignity means that you won't feel cheated. They will do their best to provide you with what you came for, and won't take shortcuts. Ken and Stephanie's art will be with us for the rest of our lives. It's so much more beautiful than anything else we have gotten from the department stores. We're so happy to have found them.

We did a newborn shoot and got some family pictures with the little one. Working with a 20 days old…read moreisn't easy and Ken was extremely patient with us. Whenever the baby got a little fussy, he allowed us to feed and soothe her. They have quite a few costumes that we could use. End pictures are lovely and Ken made the whole experience very peaceful.

PET PHOTOS: At the Friends of Ortley Beach's Doggie Day event, we met Tom, the owner and…read morephotographer of Bundle of Paws Photography! He was awesome offering mini photo sessions at and there was a line down the boardwalk to get it done! Brie LOVED him and couldn't stop giving him kisses. That just shows how sweet he is and he had all the tools necessary to get Brie to look at the camera (we could learn a thing or two from him). Reach out to him to see what he can do for you, your pets, and your family, and other projects you may have!

Tom from Bundle of Paws took pictures of our 20-year-old cat, fitting us quickly into his schedule…read morebecause our cat had developed serious health issues. The pictures were wonderful! He worked with her until she was comfortable with him and then got pictures that made our hearts melt. He worked to get just the right circumstances and looks. We can't thank him enough. We then took two of our dogs to one of his mini-sessions and were equally pleased. Anyone seeking animal photography to have a lifetime of memories should contact Bundle of Paws!

My session with Teresa was absolutely amazing! My duo took to her immediately which was so…read morewonderful to see. She was so patient with them and knew all the tips and tricks to get the best shots. She even came prepared with pre-approved treats and a squeaker! This was my first photo session with me and my two babies and it will now be at least an annual tradition- if not no-annual. When I saw the photos I cried happy tears. She captured their personalities SO perfectly and gave me photos to cherish forever. My oldest pup is 10 and I know time is borrowed ( regardless of age ) and these photos are so special to me. Teresa was so great recommending poses, she knew the spots for the best shots, lighting etc. and overall it was the best experience. I am so excited for our next one. Thank you SO MUCH for giving me memories and photos to cherish forever!

From the owner: Capturing the essence of the shared bonds between pets and their families in the form of…read moremini-sessions, full-length sessions, birthdays, engagement sessions featuring your fur-family, and end-of-life sessions. Content photography is also available for small business owners in pet care.

Dana did a wonderful job photographing my family for the holidays. She was very easy to work with…read moreand made everyone feel comfortable. She knows how to pose people so that they look natural. I also loved the fact that she allows you to download as many photos as you want from her website after booking a session, without an obligation to buy a specific package. Highly recommended!

I am so happy with all of Dana's work! She was so easy to contact and was so flexible with setting…read moreup a time to photograph my new puppy! I was so hesitant thinking my new monster would be hard to capture a good picture but, Dana worked magic! She was so professional and AMAZING with my puppy. I am definitely going to use her again for my upcoming wedding! I am very excited for her to capture the most important moments. I highly recommend using Dana as a pet photographer, portraits, or family photos. Thanks again dana!

Absolutely the BEST!!! Danette covered my daughter's sweet…read moresixteen in its entirety!!! Each and every moment was captured so beautifully We feel grateful to have been in her hands! Definitely recommend

From initial booking to wedding day, working with Danette was such a fun and seamless process for…read moreour wedding. Danette is so professional and talented. She was able to suggest certain timelines for photography on wedding day to ensure that we were able to take all of the photos before the ceremony. Danette is a great person to work with and captures the beautiful moments perfectly. She was a NINJA on wedding day - She got all of the memorable moments and captured it perfectly without feeling like she was "in our face" all night!

I have personally worked with Jill Caren at the shelter I volunteer at in Northern NJ. It is called…read moreEleventh Hour Rescue. Jill has come to our shelter on a couple different occasions (which BTW, is not too close to her) and donated her time photographing the shelter animals and allowing us to use those beautiful photographs to promote their adoption. She does not charge for her time and she does this out of the goodness of her heart and her love for the animals.It's proven that a beautiful, professional looking picture gets the attention of potential adopters versus a sad one behind a cage. She has helped us get our dogs adopted and I am grateful to her for that. She is a pleasure to work with and you can see her love for the animals in the photo shoots. She is rolling on the ground, in the grass and dirt, trying to get the best shots possible. I have seen the muddy and grass stained paw prints on her clothing and yet I always see a smile on her face. She truly loves the animals and loves what she does and it shows in her pictures.

From the owner: Jill Caren Photography creates editorial and lifestyle imagery of families, kids and pets…read moreon-location at your favorite place or in your home. As a New Jersey Photographer. I work hard to capture moments and emotions that make your family unique so you can enjoy the story of your family, not just the pretty faces.

My family and I have been coming to TLP/Lensfriends for a few years now. They are our go to spot…read morefor our family photos. The staff has always had an outstanding attitude and knows just how to work with our kids. They have seasonal events and sets along with a huge amount of props (or, as my kids treat them, toys to play with between photos) and we have never felt rushed during our sessions. What sets these guys apart from their competitors is that you get all of the photos taken during your session included with your package. This is a great bargain given that we often have 50+ photos. My only complaint is their use of Dropbox to give you copies of your photos. Dropbox has never been the easiest to navigate if you want to download your photos. It's a small price to pay though for an epic photo session.

Such a great photography studio! Rick & Connie were so helpful and kind during our newborn shoot,…read morethey really are pro's at it. They took their time & worked through the baby's feeding/crying schedule. The photo's are amazing, you get to see them before you leave the studio! We are looking forward to choosing a few we love to have them cleaned up and looking so much more like that professional shot. We can't wait for the baby to get a bit older to go back and get the next round of photos done. I would highly recommend TLP Studios for any occasion (they do parties too).

I do have to state that I do know the owner of Lucky Leashes personally. Having said that though,…read moreshe has 2 dogs of her own that she loves and cherishes, who are extremely well cared for. The owner, Jenna loves animals, all animals, be it a dog or cat. If you need a dedicated person to walk your animal she will do it with a smile. Going away for the weekend? She can help you with that too.

From the owner: I offer dog walking, petsitting, active playtime, during the week and weekendsread more