“Do you have a ‘tickle-me’ belly?” photographer Katie Brill asks a 3-year-old. She then quickly turns her attention to the little girl’s 5-year-old brother and asks him to give her a high five, but moves her hand away quickly, jokingly shouting “Too slow!” Cheerful, giggling, and completely energized, the duo is all set for a photo shoot at PhotoOp, a Manhattan-based and kid-centric photography studio with locations on both Upper East and Upper West sides. Furnished with sleek, modern furniture and pictures of smiling children all over the walls, PhotoOp’s Upper East Side location feels stylish and welcoming, exactly as owner Nathan Gindi intended.
The inspiration to create a family photo studio came to Gindi when his own eldest child started to lose her baby teeth. The sudden change in her appearance made him realize how important it was to document these fleeting moments. As Gindi tells it, he then was unable to find a photo service that matched his standards for quality, kid-friendliness, and affordability. That’s when the former lawyer became inspired to switch gears professionally and focus on opening a studio of his own. “I really approached it from the standpoint of: ‘What do I want as a consumer?’” he says.
One of the keys to PhotoOp’s success is that the staff is committed to forging a long-term relationship with their customers. Rather than charging steep prices to help families document once-in-a lifetime events like bar and bat mitzvahs, Gindi prides himself on having “accessible prices” so that families can afford to capture their children’s development periodically throughout the year (and through the course of childhood)—and then share it with family and friends through the PhotoOp’s selection of custom holiday cards and photo keepsakes. “My kids change every six months,” Gindi points out, referring to his brood of Lynn, Sam, and Hannah, who are 7, 5, and 2.5 respectively.
While the core of the business is family sessions, most notably with young children, the company’s longtime clients often begin their photographic journey with maternity shoots, specifically the From Bump to Baby package, which includes a follow-up newborn session. “Maternity is a way of introducing moms and families to our studio as well as getting them comfortable,” Gindi says. Other first family experiences at the studio also include birth announcements, photo shoot-themed birthday parties for kids, or even head shots for working parents.
As a family-focused studio, PhotoOp is about more than good photography technique. As Gindi explains, “I look first for photographers that are great with kids—then I ask if they are good photographers.” Whether it means getting down on the floor with children to form a connection, showing them the pictures as they are taken, or just being goofy, the photographers all know what it takes to get a smile. “It’s all about having fun,” enthuses Rob DeSantos, a photographer at the UES location.
Most sessions take place at one of the PhotoOp studios, (rather than outdoors or in clients’ homes), with the priority on “classic, timeless photos” that can be produced using a simple studio background. PhotoOp does encourage small props or even dress-up outfits, especially when it helps capture aspects of the child’s personality or interests at their current stage in life. In fact, as soon as a reservation is made, PhotoOp sends out a flipbook describing what to expect and offers suggestions on how to prepare for a shoot, including what type of clothes to wear. After filling out a questionnaire, each customer has a consultation with the photographer a couple of days before the appointment to discuss everything in greater detail. Of course, photographers are happy to travel to other locations on request—park series are often popular—or capture events like mitzvah celebrations, and even birthday parties, both at venues across the city as well as at the PhotoOp studios.
Hosting parties in the studios offers parents the convenience of having the birthday venue and photography combined—and offers children a variety of unique themes to choose from. Younger kids especially love the dance-themed parties, which include a professional dance instructor to get them up and moving for great action photos. Another favorite is the glamour photo shoot theme, in which girls can pretend to be models after enjoying a style closet for dress-up as well as professional hair and makeup services.
As the holidays approach, the demand for memory-making increases fiercely. PhotoOp offers a variety of festive seasonal cards for families to order during the holiday season. All customers have to do is describe what they are looking for and the staff will take care of the rest, from taking pictures to retouching the best ones to designing and printing the card. “We do all the work for you; it’s one of the easiest things you can do,” Gindi explains. But customer input is always welcome—just about any aspect of the cards can be customized, all the way down to the font, to produce a perfectly unique card for each unique family.
Recognizing that each child and family is different, PhotoOp aims to celebrate that diversity in order to capture their essence. “We want to portray who you really are,” emphasizes DeSantos.
