Brian is very professional, would totally recommend him for your next portrait session. I took my son for his 2nd birthday photo's and he was quiet difficult. Brian did his best to engage with him but he never really relaxed. I didn't hear the shutter click many times and doubted that there would be more than 5 usable shots. When we went to view the photo's there were 20 good photo's. The package prices are incredibly reasonable and there is no sitting fee. You can pay $99 and get the sitting and 5 photos. This is a great deal for a professional photo sitting. The turn around on the printing and pick up was fast. All round a pleasant experience and I plan to return for my holiday pics! read more

My sister and I came here to get portraits taken of my niece (including a few shots of us with her). We got there a little late (there was a little confusion about the time - not sure on who's end) but our photographer was great and didn't make a fuss about the time even thought it was the last appointment. The photo shoot was fun and our photographer was great with the baby. She was good at giving us direction and keeping my niece focused. She was really patient when the little babe wasn't giving the smile we were all hoping for. She sang sweetly to the babe to make her smile and laugh. It was great. There were also backdrops and scenes to take pictures in front of. These were super cute and give you a fair amount of options to choose from. Our photographer even let us take a few with the baby which was generous. I know some photographers charge if you're going to add an adult or anyone to the picture so this was a nice bonus. I'm not sure of the follow up details - but from what I understand my sister goes back to see the photos and will get a copy of all of the digital photos which is really nice. Many places tend to limit you to choose just a few. I really enjoyed this experience and would suggest folks looking for a photo session to consider here. The only drawback was that the building and office didn't seem to reflect the quality of the pictures/work. I also think there could be a little more effort put into the decor and overall aesthetic. It looks a little worn but I doubt that means anything. I'll provide an update once I see my sister's holiday pics! read more

We recently had a session for our daughter's yearly birthday pictures, as well as some family shots. This was our first time at Big Apple; we used to go to Portrait Bug before the two businesses merged. I wish I could give separate ratings for the experience and the end product. If I were rating the photo session I'd give four stars, the photos themselves, only two, maybe even one. The pluses: No sitting fee, which is impossible to find in Manhattan. There was a nice selection of backgrounds for the pictures. The proofs were beautiful. The minuses: They Photoshopped the HELL out of those beautiful proofs! I don't mind editing out a little ruddiness, an errant hair, etc., but the skin on my husband's face was shopped to be so pink and smooth that if you took away the facial features, it could easily pass for a baby's bottom. They even edited out some of the hair on his arms! Overall, the photos were too light. The rich color and contrast that were present in the proofs somehow didn't make it onto the printed pictures. It looks like they messed with the saturation, leaving the pictures looking a bit washed out. Next year we'll go with someone else. I'd rather pay a sitting fee and have more control over the final product. read more

For my first-ever photography class, I couldn't have had a more thorough and efficient teacher than Mattie. In addition to covering a great deal of material, she also gave us a number of opportunities to practice our skills on and with each of our fellow students. And after making us all feel significantly better about our photo-taking abilities, she spent a good amount of time snapping nearly a dozen professional pictures of each participant, which was a cool experience! I'd highly recommend Mattie to anyone interested in learning the art of photography and look forward to applying the basic concepts she taught in the near future! read more

Will not be returning EVER. They used to be portrait bug & we've taken a few pictures there with no problems. I've also referred many people BUT .... We returned and were rudely turned away due to a scheduling conflict. Someone supposedly left me an imaginary message cancelling when in actuality they lefta message CONFIRMING. So two toddlers all dressed up lugged on the subway for nothing.(not an easy task). To make matters worse when I spoke to the manager no apology no nothing, he tried to reschedule us! Big apple portraits shame on you! read more

If I could give this place negative stars I definitely would. The photographer was 25 minutes late & had an extremely high pitched voice. She screamed to get my son's attention - scaring him multiple times. I asked her to stop when he started crying & she told me it was the only way to get a child's attention. A couple weeks later Kim, the owner, called to cancel my viewing session one hour before the appointment - with no apology, the nastiest attitude & after I confirmed the appt TWICE that week. An online gallery was created for me instead & 10% off coupon was offered. I waited until the day before the gallery expired to view (honestly thought my son would look scared in most of the pictures - out of 21 images I liked 5; he was actually crying in 1 of them). Tried to place an order online & couldn't. Called, spoke to Brian who offered to extend the gallery & coupon for a few more days because they were closed the following day. However, he never did. Called again a couple days later & spoke to Kim. When I explained the situation she told me Brian shouldn't have extended the gallery or the coupon, that I was an unsatisfied customer who has had every courtesy extended to me & lectured me for 3 minutes about the status of my viewing gallery and why she was upset I didn't place an order before the gallery expired. I actually ended up speaking with the other owner, Bob, a few days later & placing an order via email because I just didn't want to deal with anyone in the studio. While he was nicer, he still didn't apologize, made excuses for Kim's behavior, told me "at least the pictures came out ok" & hoped I would return. I take responsibility for waiting to view the gallery. However, no one at Big Apple has taken responsibility for their actions. In addition, I never called & gave any of their employees an attitude nor did I demand anything more than the 10% off that was offered. While I don't think the customer is always right, I do believe this business had so many opportunities to make this situation right & could have made me a return customer at so many turns. Instead, I hope everyone else's experience is much better than mine. However, I cannot ever recommend this place to anyone & really hope Kim takes some courses in providing better customer service. read more

Wife took the baby there for pictures, and got about 10 pictures. which cost about 500 bucks for the whole set. It is way to expensive. Image is 300 dpi, which is a bit low. Pictures are average in quality. Overall, I don't think it is a good value. read more

My husband and I have been wanting some cheesy holiday pictures for a while and came across Big Apple Portraits. We had SO much fun in the studio and got exactly what we were looking for! The company can directly upload your pics to Tiny Prints, which made ordering our holiday cards super easy. And, no sitting fee! read more

Just flew from our home in LA for a second time for an AMAZING Chick and Bunny photo shoot! I am seriously obsessed with this studio. Kim and her team just keep improving on a truly memorable experience (I don't know who has more fun, the kids or the onlookers), capturing delightful moments amidst stunning sets which we will gratefully cherish forever. Six years after I found Big Apple Portraits (they've been at it a lot longer than that) my kids are now 14, 11 and 6 and still getting such a kick out of our annual tradition. Thank you Big Apple Portraits! read more

This is the second time I've booked photo sessions at Big Apple Portraits. I feel so lucky I saw their Bunnies and Chicks street sign last spring and signed up! The photographer is very professional and kind. She thinks of great angles, truly experienced in photography and is fast with children. Her assistant was so patient and helpful with my sisters and our 6 children. The gallery was available within a couple of days; and they worked over the holidays to get us retouched final photos! Overall it was about less than two weeks from photo session to final delivery. Big thank you to Big Apple Portraits! read more

My husband and I took our newborn for a photoshoot and the level of service we received was impeccable. Kim and her team made us feel extremely comfortable, even providing a quiet area and separate room for me to nurse in prior to the photoshoot. Once we got into the studio to begin the photoshoot, my daughter was being fussy and the photography team were so accommodating and patient, allowing them to capture the perfect shots. The room was just the right temperature and they had a sound machine that helped our daughter drift off into deep sleep. Kim carefully placed her body in the cutest positions and used some beautiful props. The final results were even better than I had imagined! Overall, our experience was wonderful and we highly recommend Big Apple Portraits!! read more

We had an amazing time at Big Apple Portraits. No sitting fee? That is RARE for NYC Photographers. We got the basic package which is what we could afford so it made it very accessible to get high quality photos of my little one. Highly recommend. read more

We took our grandsons (7&4) to Big Apple to take some photos just before they moved away to Colorado. The boys had a blast at the session and the photos show it. I have to admit that I cried when I saw the finished shots - it was as if the boys were back in NYC with us. We ended up buying the full CD package, but there was absolutely no hard sell. (In fact there is no charge for the photo session!) The CD even came with a personalized photo of the boys! We also bought individual photos for the extended family, all of professional caliber. Everyone raved and couldn't believe we got the boys to pose without the usual faces, antics etc. The answer, these people are pros with a masters in child communication. If you want memories of your children or grandchildren that will last, this is definitely the place to go. read more

Scheduling is hectic and they are not accommodating. They pretty much tell you what time is available. Period. Call back when you make up your mind. During the photo shoot, everything seems very rushed. There is a feeling that your are taking the time from their busy schedule. Our kids felt this nervous and rushed energy. Didn't hel with the shoot at all. We are looking for a more relaxed and friendlier place. read more

I scheduled a cake smash session for my soon to be one year old on Saturday 12/21 at 3:30 pm. I called in a few days later to change my appointment to Sunday 12/22 at 3:30 pm and the women who took my call said no problem we have the 3:30 available. When I show up Sunday, the "manager" on duty looks as if she has seen a ghost and says to me "how can I help you?" I said yes hi Im here for my 3:30 appt to which she replied with no you're not. My heart stopped and she goes behind the counter, checks the computer and says you were suppose to be here yesterday. I said well no I called and whoever took my call said Sunday at 3:30 was still available. She said well no I have my 3:30 booked for weeks now. I was extremely upset as a mother can only understand the work it takes to get your infant ready for a photo shoot or any event for that matter! She suggested I come back at 5pm instead as that time was the only one available. I left Big Apple portraits in such disgust and anger! Such decent reviews I was excited to have professional shots of my little one. I was completely wrong and unsatisfied! Furthermore, the unprofessional "manager" texts my cell phone later in the evening to extend an apology and ensure me that they call to confirm appointments multiple times. That's completely not true as NO ONE CALLED me to confirm! Terrible service ! read more

This used to be Portrait Bug on Bwy. I love this place. We have been going there since my son turned 1. We now go there for family portraits and important milestone pics of our son. One photographer in particular is FANTASTIC with our son. Our son is slightly on the autism spectrum and they treat him so well and are extremely patient This is the main reason why we keep returning PLUS the pictures come out amazingly well. I have yet to have a bad experience with them. I love this place. read more

I've had several sessions with Kim and the results are always amazing. We had our daughter's first birthday cake smash pictures here. As far as NYC photographers go, Big Apple's about the best I've come across. Not only do they come up with uber cute motifs for my baby girl, there are great print options, etc that you can get directly from her - no fuss and it's always a breeze. Highly recommend - we even come in from Jersey to get our shots down with her. read more

Got headshots done for my LinkedIn page. Kim (the owner) was wonderful. I was very pleased with the results!

We came to this studio to get a photosession done for our newborn. They were so flexible with our schedule, as we did everything last minute, the photographer came in on her day off and stayed late for us. She was so great and patient with our baby and you can tell that this place has a lot of experience with babies and kids and know exactly what they are doing. The photos came out amazing and we even ended up buying a large framed print, which they rushed for us. We were very happy with the experience and the work. read more

Very very dirty. Ive been there twice - thinking that the first time was just a "bad day" for the studio and/or me. The studio is disgusting. Kim doesn't listen to direction (I really didn't want my 3 mo old baby in faux fur) but she only has 1 mode... read more