Come out and view the works of nine (9) featured photographers at Bayard Cutting Arboretum this weekend.  This fine art photography show is sponsored by Long Island Photo Gallery.  Long Island Photo Gallery members are proud to be participating in this outstanding Long Island Photography Exhibit featuring dedicated Long Island fine art photographers.

The exhibit, “Long Island and Its Photographers – Varied Fine Art Photography Expressions” will be held at the Bayard Cutting Arboretum in Islip on June 18 & 19 from 10 am – 4 pm.

Taking inspiration from the beauty that is Long Island, the exhibited photographs are individual expressions of visual art held dear by some of Long Island’s most promising fine art photographers.  All artists are exhibiting to further there fine art photography reach.

Mark your calendars for this exciting event.  Bayard is a great place to bring the family, to spend time strolling the beautiful landscape and to get to know some outstanding Long Island fine art photographers.

Heckscher Sunset

Long Island Photo Gallery is proud to announce a weekend photography exhibit at the Bayard Cutting Arboretum in Islip this coming June.  The exhibit is titled ”Long Island Photographers  - Varied Fine Art Photography Expressions” will be held on June 18 & 19 from 10 am – 6 pm.

Iridescent Waters

Long Island Photo Gallery members will display fine art photography on canvas, matted and in frames.  Photographic subjects will range from Animals & Creatures,  Florals,  The Surf,  Black and White,  Landscapes,  The Sand,  Bridges,  Macro,  Urban,  Digital Designs, and  The Sun.

Montauk Point Lighthouse Beach

All items displayed will be available for sale during the exhibit, in addition to all fine art photography for sale in our online store.

Mark the date for June 18 & 19, 2011 and come on out to the Bayard Cutting Arboretum.  It is a wonderful place to walk around, take in the scenery and support Long Island artists.

Long Island Photo Gallery, Help-Portrait and Christmas Magic come together at St. Patrick’s Parish in Bay Shore to deliver an electrifying and unimaginable night like no other!

The holiday season can become a busy and overwhelming time of year, sometimes making it difficult to focus on what truly matters most; our family and friends.

Child Posing For Our Cameras

On Thursday, December 16th several of our  members took time out of their busy schedules to volunteer and enjoy a night out  with 19 loving families from Bay Shore, New York. Held at St. Patrick’s Parish, Long Island Photo Gallery teamed up with Help-Portrait and Christmas Magic to create a mystical and memorable night for everyone involved. Help-Portrait is a movement of photographers who donate their time and creative abilities to give back to those who are less fortunate. Help-Portrait’s Long Island chapter was held in conjunction with St. Patrick’s annual Christmas Magic, a night where families throughout the community come together to enjoy a holiday meal and spend time with Santa Claus himself.  It turned into a night that genuinely enhanced the magical sensation of the holiday season.

A number of volunteers and community members took part in the gathering including Deacon Frank Keach and and hospitality center director Katherine  from St. Patrick’s. Multiple volunteers dedicated countless hours of their time to plan and coordinate the event.  The evening kicked off with a delicious assortment of steaming hot meals and savory desserts followed by individual family portrait sessions coordinated by participants from our own Long Island Photo Gallery, included co-founders Joanne Henig and Jessica Hirschmann.  Kim Pace, Mark Stumpf and Joe Cubiotti joined in and  teamed up with non-LIPG members and photographers Bob Palmieri and Rod Franklin to deliver extraordinary moments captured forever for each of the families.  “We didn’t just give families a meal and a toy, we gave them a memory”, boasted Long Island’s Help-Portrait Event Coordinator Joanne Henig.

Lights. Camera. Action!

Following dinner and portraits on the first floor , everyone made their way upstairs to enjoy Disney Radio entertainment where DJ’s contributed to the  vibrance of the night by playing a variety of engaging songs and sing alongs before hosting a series of family oriented games. Before anyone realized how quickly the night was flying by, Santa Claus stole the show and surprised everyone with what seemed like endless bags of gifts specifically organized for each child. One by one, each and every patient child was called up  to the stage to meet Santa and unwrap one gift. At the height of everyones awe and excitement, each boy and girl was given a titanic bundle of gifts, all of which were brought by Santa Claus himself. The heart warming night at St. Patrick’s Parish served as a great way to celebrate the holiday season in a way that no one will forget.

Visit Help-Portrait for more information on the movement and for ways for you to get involved!

Also visit Long Island Photo Gallery to learn more about the artists who donated their time to Long Island Help-Portrait

~ Joe Cubiotti, InFocus Blog Post Contributor

Help-Portrait Long Island Team, 2010

ALL ABOARD!!!  Time to get on the POLAR EXPRESS!

As the children enter the train, you can feel and see the excitement on their little faces. The train begins to move, and you hear the gasps…the smell of hot chocolate and cookies fill the air! Smiles and WIDE eyes with the hopes to get a glimpse of Santa surrounds you. What a special feeling that can give ANYONE the Christmas spirit.

I had the pleasure of experiencing this first hand. This holiday season, my whole family got together with all the children to take this magical ride. I was lucky enough to capture a magical moment between Santa and one of my beautiful nieces that just warms your heart.

The Polar Express Experience

In sharing this moment, I won a holiday tradition photo contest with Long Island Pulse magazine’s Facebook fan page! There is nothing in this world that compares to the awe and wonderment of children…may that feeling always be in your heart. Happy Holidays to all!!

~ Laurie Barone-Schaefer

Wanted to give a quick shout out to Long Island Photo Gallery’s top selling artists for October, 2010.

Joanne Henig with 8

Steve O’Day with 5

Brian Sheahan with 2

The following artists also had sales in October:

Jim Dohms

Joe Cubiotti

Jessica Hirschmann

Mike Stein

Jim Cook

Debra Moody

Please keep an eye on the images you have available for sale on the newly designed Long Island Photo Gallery website as we add new photos all the time.

We spent the better part of last week focused on Long Island Photo Gallery. We kicked off a new season of photography networking with our annual meeting on September 22, 2010. Great turn out and great ideas. (See previous post)

Then we bought a booth and displayed our fine art at the West Islip Craft Fair. A huge fair, filled with great vendors, food and music. Long Island Photo Gallery was one of the great vendors. Right up there with the pickle vendor!

Those that passed by were drawn into our ‘gallery’ to view our newest medium, the Gallery Wrapped Canvas printed by member Rich Lombardi. We sold a lot of matted prints and we believe that the amount of cards and literature that we gave out will carry over to sales off the website.

We also believe that we could see our membership grow as a result of being at the fair. Numerous photography buffs stopped in to chat. We met so many really nice people.

Photo Credit - Joe Cubiotti

Thanks to Mike Stein and his daughter Danica (who wanted a plate of bacon for breakfast) who came out to help us set up and sell. Mike sold 3 pieces! Congrats Mike! Also thanks to some of our members that stopped in to say hello. Kim Pace with her boys and Mom. Joe Cubiotti with his good friend Derek. Mark Stumpf with his son, daughter and parents. Great to see you all!

Next up … Fink’s Farm photography field trip. October 9th, 2010 at 1:00 PM. Please RSVP at Event Brite and please visit the Fink’s Farm website for attraction information. This is a FAMILY field trip and is a great place to play with the camera.

The 2010 annual meeting was a huge success. I am humbled by the experience.

Who knew a year ago that we would be able to assemble 10 Long Island Photographers in one room and get them to discuss their personal photography goals, their collective desire to see Long Island Photo Gallery become the best it can be. Wow. And wow again!

The Numbers Game

Compared to last year, Membership is up 633%, Unique Site Visitors are up 173% and the average sale in our online store is up 301%. This is no accident. This is hard work!

Create Your Opportunity

This unique group is driven by its phenomenal members. With such a great and diverse group of people we can only be successful in all that we do. I am a firm believer in the ‘laws of attraction’, meaning that you get what you give. T-E-A-M. I’m sure you all know what that stands for

That Was Cool

The results of the ideas and desires of our members will develop over the next several months. Make no mistake about it, there will be further development! Everyone that attended the annual meeting last night contributed to the discussion. That was cool!

We Are Not In Competition With Each Other

It is no longer cool to be silent. We have become a group where everyone’s voice counts. Each of us is a sponge soaking up snippets of photography knowledge. Share. Share. And share some more. We are not in competition with each other. We are each other’s support!

The Year Ahead

It’s going to be busy. Participate as often as you can. Stay in touch with fellow members. Login and post comments to the blog. Bring opportunities in for all of us to share. Make a suggestion. Suggest a Critique Night theme. Lead an education event. Get in front of the camera during an LIPG Studio Headshot event. Sign up for LongIslandPhotographers.org. Join our ‘Promote The Gallery’ committee. Submit suggestions for improvement of your LIPG websites. Sign up to be a Guest Writer for this BLOG. Be an LIPG Facebook Friend. Follow LIPG on Twitter. Give during our 1st Annual Help Portrait event.

I thank you all from the bottom of my <3.

~ Joanne

This little group of ours has gone from a ‘good idea’ to a real ‘community with opportunity’!

Congratulations to Debra Moody, Jessica Hirschmann and Joanne Henig!  All three Long Island Photo Gallery members have had their fine art photography chosen by the SheltAir Corporation to be on permanent display at their new terminal at the Francis S. Gabreski Airport, which is located in the Village of Westhampton Beach.

This is some great recognition for our group and our members.  Here are the 6 images that were chosen:

What’s next for Long Island Photo Gallery and its members?  We can only say that we have high hopes for continued success.  It is because of our member’s enthusiasm that we continue to grow and achieve outstanding recognition throughout Long Island as ‘the’ place for fine art Long Island photography!

Long Island Photo Gallery, the LI photography “Community With Opportunity”,  is on a positive roll.  Please join us in welcoming Tommy Brunhuber and Edward Mooney to our group.

Tommy Brunhuber explains, ”My “career” as a photographer is still very much in its infancy and I am by no means a professional, but I am humbly willing to learn as much as I can.”   Well Tommy, with your membership in Long Island Photo Gallery, you are beginning to move your career forward.  We encourage Tommy, as well as all of our members, to update their images in the gallery and  their images offered for sale on the website, on a regular basis.  Attend our field trips (May 8, 2010, Vanderbilt Museum, Centerport, Long Island) and our critique sessions (April 14th, 2010 at 7:00 PM).  Read and post to this blog as well.  Challenge yourself everyday!  I look back at my work when I first started Long Island Photo Gallery with Jessica Hirschmann and I can’t believe how much my work has improved.  You all will improve too.  Practice, share, grow.

Newest member Edward Mooney has “his work exhibited in several galleries on Long Island and also at the Fire Island, Montauk Point and Horton Lighthouses.”  Eddie also has his own website and blog.  His distinguished career as a fine art photographer has work exhibited at the Village Art and Frame in Babylon and the Seafarer Gift Shop in Sayville.  We are delighted to have his work exhibited here, on the Long Island Photo Gallery website, and we hope to see his framed pieces in our Bohemia gallery soon.

With every new member that joins, the exposure for all of us grows.  Each of us has a unique artistry.  As we grow, we will be able to offer a greater variety of fine art to a general public that is hungry for Long Island Fine Art Photography for their home and office.

~ Joanne

I’ve been dancing around these characters on my computer keyboard for over a week now, trying to come up with a great topic for all of our members.  I was supposed to do a piece on the fantastic time we all had at the Atlantis Aquarium, but Mother Nature dumped nearly two feet of snow on us and, ‘viola’, another field trip and blog post thwarted!

So before the weather gets too nice and all of Spring has sprung, please refocus your photography minds and efforts on two HUGE things in this blog post.

First -  your NEW Long Island Photo Gallery website, your NEW Fire Island Photography website, your NEW Members area, your NEW Photography Resource area and your NEW Photography Equipment area.

Whoa guys! (I said this was HUGE!)

All of this has been revamped and expanded to drive more visitors (a.k.a. shoppers) to us all.

I want to send out a HUGE thank you to Jessica Hirschmann who has been working like a woman possessed with this for a couple of months!  It would mean the world to ME … if YOU … would take a moment to post a THANK YOU to Jessica.  She deserves our collective praise for making us all look great!

Second – our Print Gallery located at 1650 Sycamore Ave, Bohemia needs your print work!  We have NEW prints on the walls in Bohemia and want to continue to build our physical gallery.  We are looking to advertise the Bohemia gallery to the public and want each of you to have something hanging in the gallery and marked “For Sale”.  Call me!  I want to help grow our physical gallery into the real deal and to sell, sell, sell for you.

Short, but SWEET!  As always, we welcome your comments.  And don’t forget to post a thank you to Jessica!

~ Joanne