Category Archives: Pet Photography

October 8, 2025

Studio Dog Portrait Session with Sue and Her Rescue Pup, Harry

I recently had the joy of photographing Sue, the talented owner of The White Violet, a New Jersey-based business known for its high-quality silk flower arrangements. Sue’s artistry and creative touch shine through in everything she does — and her photo session was no exception!

Sue won her pet photography session through a silent auction benefiting The Raptor Trust. They are a remarkable wild bird rehabilitation center in Millington, NJ, nestled within the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. The Raptor Trust provides care for injured and orphaned wild birds, and it was so rewarding to see Sue supporting this incredible local organization. In fact, when my children were little, we would visit the Raptor Trust regularly and look at all of the birds which include, my favorite, OWLS!

Meet Harry — The Adorable Rescue Schnauzer

The star of the session was Harry, Sue’s rescue white Schnauzer. With his sweet face and spunky personality, Harry was a natural in front of the camera! We captured a beautiful mix of black-and-white portraits, candid expressions, and cozy family moments that perfectly show off his charm.

To make the session even more special, Sue’s daughter joined in, creating heartwarming portraits that celebrate the love between a mother, daughter, and their beloved pup. These are the kinds of photos that become family treasures.

From Pet Portraits to Professional Headshots

Sue loved her pet session so much that she later returned to the studio for a professional headshot session. Her new portraits reflect her confidence, creativity, and the refined style behind The White Violet’s brand. It was such a pleasure helping her create updated imagery for her website and marketing materials. Because strong, authentic photos help every business stand out.

Supporting Local Animal Causes

As someone who loves working with both pets and their people, I’m always thrilled to support organizations that care for animals. I’m currently participating in a pet photo contest for the Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter in East Hanover, NJ. The winner of the contest will receive a complimentary pet photography session with me! And their photo will appear on the cover of the shelter’s 2026 calendar!

It’s a wonderful way to give back and celebrate the pets who bring so much joy into our lives.

ENTER HERE

Book Your Own Pet Photography Session

You don’t have to win a photoshoot to have a pet portrait session with me! If you’ve been thinking about professional photos of your furry best friend, now’s the perfect time! My pet photography sessions are available in Scotch Plains, Fanwood, Westfield, Summit, Millington, East Hanover, and surrounding New Jersey towns.

Whether you prefer a studio portrait, an outdoor lifestyle session, or a family session that includes your pets, each experience is designed to capture your pet’s personality and the special connection you share.

Ready to book your pet session?
Let’s create beautiful, timeless portraits of your four-legged family member.
👉 Contact me today to schedule your pet photography session in Scotch Plains, NJ.

Find out more about my Pet Portraits and view my Galleries here.

May 12, 2025

Studio Pet Portrait Session with Toba the Westie & Dwen Dwen the British Shorthair

There’s something magical about celebrating the milestones of our beloved pets. Especially when they’re as charming as Toba and Dwen Dwen! This custom pet photoshoot was created to mark their 3rd birthday in unforgettable style. Joan Marie is a Dog Photographer in Scotch Plains, NJ.

Toba, a spirited West Highland Terrier, and Dwen Dwen, a regal orange British Shorthair, are not just pets. They’re family. And their mom wanted their portraits to reflect just how cherished they are. As a fine art pet and dog photographer in Scotch Plains, I had the joy of bringing this vision to life through a one-of-a-kind photoshoot that truly captured their personalities and bond.

🎂 A Tailored Birthday Experience with professional pet portraits

The inspiration came straight from their mom’s imagination. A whimsical hot air balloon set, a bubble-filled wonderland, and formal portraits that felt timeless yet playful. From beginning to end, we designed a shoot that was personal, elegant, and worthy of these furry superstars.

Hot Air Balloon Set – Featuring pastel tones and vintage charm, this setup made Toba and Dwen Dwen look like they were floating into their next adventure together.

Bubble Wonderland – Soft lighting and floating bubbles made for a dreamy, magical vibe that added a touch of fun to their session.

Rusty Brown Portraits – The formal portraits were set against a rich, rusty brown backdrop that perfectly complemented their fur and gave the images a warm, artistic quality.

🖼️ Heirloom Artwork for the Home

Toba and Dwen Dwen’s mom chose a stunning rose gold velvet album to preserve the memories from her shoot. Albums are an elegant and tactile way to relive the session again and again. Also, mom will receive the matching digital file as well as the album! win-win!

📸 Interested in a Luxury Pet Photoshoot?

If you’re a pet parent in Union County, dreaming of high-end, artistic portraits, I would love to help!

I am there every step of the way! From initial concept and styling to handcrafted final products like albums and wall art, my studio specializes in turning your pet’s personality into art. How will YOU display the art we create from your session?

🐾 Follow Toba and Dwen Dwen’s adventures on Instagram: @toba_n_dwendwen
✨ Book your luxury pet photoshoot in Scotch Plains NJ today and let’s create fine art portraits that you’ll treasure forever. See more of my pet portraits here!

December 18, 2023

Holiday Dog Portraits at Bloomingdale’s in the Willowbrook Mall

Dog photography is one of my favorites to shoot! And what a fun time I had photographing Holiday Pet Portraits at Bloomingdale’s at the Willowbrook Mall for their Friends and Family event! I worked with some of their Store Managers who created this adorable Holiday set for the dog photography photo op! How cute is it??? Everyone who works there is so friendly, nice and attentive. Not only to their customers, but to me as their photographer for the day. It was really such a pleasure working with all of them. I really hope I get to do it again next year!

Who let the dogs out?

We had a great turnout for these pet portraits and all of these little fur babies were just SO CUTE! My assistant for the day, my 13 year old son, challenged me to see if I would be able to guess all of the breeds as they came up. And I don’t remember what the end tally was, but I was pretty spot on for nearly all of them! I don’t know where or how or why I learned all these different dog breeds, but you might just say I have a bit of a special talent when it comes to that. Now to figure out what this special power can do for me LOL!

I had planned on doing this solo, but I’m so happy my son came with me. I didn’t think about how much work and effort it would be to bring all of my equipment in, set it up, break it down, etc. It sure does help having a big strong teenager who suddenly towers over me there to help me with all of it. And we got to spend some nice quality time together which I have been missing. I also think it was good for him to see his mom hard at work, doing what she loves to do.

Mall rats

After the dog photography we took a stroll around the mall and I was transported through time and space to my childhood. The mall was the place to go when I was in my early teenage years! And admittedly I have not been to a mall in a long time. Quite possibly pre COVID?? Is that crazy? Is it possible? I don’t know, but it sure was nice to see the mall filled with people.

We went over to Champs, another store I haven’t been to in years to see what kind of clothes they were selling. I figured that my assistant earned some fresh new threads and we were able to get some nice deals on a couple of sweatshirts and plain solid t’s. He also found a really sweet Nike shirt that had a cool retro vibe. So I’d say all in all, it was a really great day <3

Thank you for your service <3

One of my dog models was a beautiful service do named Sage. Something about her just captivated me. I think it was those soulful eyes <3 I had to turn her image into a portrait. I do love doing these, but dog photography composites take a good deal more of time and effort to do. I thought it would be fun to show you a little before and after of that!

Now for the Holiday Photos!

Ready to learn more about my Pet Portraits? Click here!

November 23, 2023

A Studio Pet Portrait Session with Zena the Entlebucher Mountain Dog

Zena (with a “z”) Warrior Princess!

Zena’s mom and dad reached out to me wanting to get some printed portraits of their baby Zena. Although Zena isn’t a baby. I believe she is about 5 years old. But dang, she has some puppy energy!

I love that about photography. I can be photographing Newborns one day and then dogs the next! Have you seen my dog photos? No? Well, you can see more of them here.

Mountain Dogs

Zena is a Entlebucher Mountain Dog, a breed related to the Bernese Mountain dogs. If you know anything about Bernies, you know that they are BIG dogs! They’re awesome actually. And lately you may have seen some Bernese Mountain Dogs mixed with Poodles, yielding the Bernedoodle! These dogs are so beautiful and I especially love their coloring. You can see the relation between Zena and the Bernies by their coloring for sure! I took an adorable photo of my friend’s Bernedoodle, Dexter, a couple of years ago. Here he is after stopping by my neighbor’s place, Simply Groomed.

Say Cheese for your dog photos!

We took a ton of photos of Zena and in the end her mom and dad chose these 2 final images for their selections. And I have to say, I think they picked some good ones!

I don’t think it occurs to many people to have their dog photos done, but I love it! And they ARE a part of our family so why wouldn’t we want some portraits of them to hang around the home?

August 26, 2023

Pet Portrait Special

In honor of National Dog Day, and the 1 year anniversary of my pup’s “gotcha day”, I will be offering a Pet Portraits Promotion for the month of September!

$99 Pet Portrait Sessions!

These will be 15 minute professional portrait sessions of your pup. Includes 1 8×10 and matching digital file. Gallery reveal and image selection will take place immediately after with the option to purchase additional products. That’s over $300 in savings! Check out some of my pet portraits HERE!

BOOK NOW!

January 21, 2020

PROFESSIONAL DOG PORTRAITS IN SCOTCH PLAINS NJ

As a Dog Photographer in Scotch Plains, NJ I know how much our fur babies mean to our families. They are often with us through many stages of life. And more often than not they are our first real experience with parenting! I recently had to say goodbye to my 18 year old kitty and it was HARD! Now I am busy parenting my 126 lb 3 year old pup (aside from my kids that is!).

I know for me, portraits of my pets are just as important as the portraits I take of my children. And I want to share that with you. I cover a wide range of portrait styles. My pet portraits are truly a collaboration with my families. I want to make sure we get the images that speak most to you and encapsulate your pet’s unique personality. From dog photos to cat photos and beyond! There is no limit to the fur (and scale) babies that I can capture!

VIEW THE GALLERY

ARTWORK THAT IS PERSONAL

Being an artist, I have an appreciation for all kinds of art. And as a photographer who specializes in Fine Art Portraits, I love nothing more than providing my Clients with some of the most magnificent products to display the artwork we create together! My degree is in Fine Art and therefore I have taken many Art History courses. I won’t say how long ago that was, but that’s not important anyway! Portraiture has my heart. I love paintings from the Renaissance. In the 16th Century images of dogs became more common in paintings. And I love that!

Our pets are part of our family and of everyday life. And why wouldn’t, why shouldn’t, they be represented in the artwork? So as a portrait photographer, my work is not limited to human portraits. Everything I shoot is a portrait. I especially love taking portraits of people’s pets. I AM A NJ DOG PHOTOGRAPHER TOO! I love memorializing them. When a Client says “I don’t ONLY want the digitals. I want a big beautiful canvas that I can hang on my wall!”. Honestly, this is an investment. I would be doing you a disservice if I DIDN’T offer you beautiful ways to display your artwork. Because that is what we are creating after all; artwork of your most loyal companion. So whether it’s dog photos, cat photos, BIRD PHOTOS…I do it all. I can’t wait to create an amazing piece of artwork that is deeply personal to YOU!

The ART of Portraiture

What I offer to my Clients is a service. We are a team with a goal and a vision. Collaborating to create something beautiful together. Something that will last longer than that 1 social media post and the memory that pops up every year. And we create ART! Art to hang on your walls, to gaze upon day after day. Through the good and the bad. Someday that piece of wall art will serve as a reminder of how loved your pet was. How much joy they brought you. And will let them live on in your memory and your heart for all the days to come.

Pet End of Life Sessions

While most of my pet portraits take place in The Studio, I also offer end of life sessions outside. These sessions are designed to document the final days celebrating the love and bond between a family and their special pets. So if you are looking for a NJ Dog Photographer, take the next step and fill out my contact form!

April 27, 2017

SCOTCH PLAINS PHOTOGRAPHER OFFERING FINE ART PORTRAIT SERVICES:

From Newborn Photos to Professional Branding, Joan Marie Photography specializes in a range of Fine Art Services with an emphasis on capturing life’s most precious moments. Our job doesn’t stop when the session ends. In fact, it’s just the beginning! Next we work with you to carefully select the best images from your shoot and decide how the images will best be displayed. We offer Albums and beautiful statement pieces for your walls.

THE LUXURY EXPERIENCE:

NOT JUST A SESSION, BUT AN EXPERIENCE.

When you book a session with me, you’re not just capturing a moment. You’re investing in an experience that transforms into timeless art for your home. I have you in mind every step of the process, from the initial consultation to choosing the perfect products to display your portraits. My sessions are meticulously curated. As a result, I will insure that we craft your artwork with the utmost care and attention to detail.