Our Photographers>>
PortraitBug's co-owner, Kimberly Brooks' favorite thing about running PortraitBug is the opportunity to bring her daughter Asher to work with her and making the company feel like a family. Before opening PortraitBug, she was a software engineer in Silicon Valley, California. However, Kim was raised in New York. When asked about her guilty pleasure, she failed to comment, stating that "she was above all guilty pleasures" (which is just a lie). Kim likes to teach classes about "taking good pictures of your kids" and helping people take the final steps to finish a project.
Bob Goldenberg, the other co-owner, is often referred to as "Grandpa" by most small children who come through the store who know him. Bob's favorite thing about running PortraitBug is the interaction with the customers - and since he is fluent in both French and Italian (and speaks some German) it makes getting to know tourists and locals that much more fun...and is quite helpful for those of us in the store who only know how to say "stickers" or "patterned paper" in English. Before deciding to open PortraitBug with his daughter Kim he owned his own fashion showroom for men's and woman's fashion. Bob's favorite meal is good Italian pasta. 
Kim and Belle's daughters Asher Brooks and Chanelle Battravilleare our store and studio's mascots. Asher's favorite colors are green and blue. She knows all the ins and outs of the Hippo Park and is fluent in Dora the Explorer Spanish. She highly recommends the rainbow bagels from the rainbow bagel store on 90th and Amsterdam. Chanelle, age three, has become one of our store models along with Asher.
Belle Battraville is a master photographer with newborns and a lighting expert. She is a gentle presence in the studio and has unmatched focus when it comes to getting terrific shots. She is also a wonder with retouching and if you want to look ten years younger or have a double chin suddenly disappear, Belle can make that happen for you - she can maneuver Photoshop better than the creators. 
Noor Elashi is from Texas, though she shows no trace of an accent. She is a driven professional and always knows what lighting or pose need is needed to make a great photograph. When not working at PortraitBug she is a Creative Writing MFA student at the New School and is currently working on her memoir. She loves the portrait studio and especially working with the very littlest subjects: those between 6 and 9 months because "as long as they are in a good mood you can get them to do whatever you want and they'll always have a smile". She is a health nut and could live off avocados, raspberries and pumpkin bread. Noor is terribly sophisticated and she speaks Arabic...and she loves the beach. 
Mattie Ettenheim recently received her masters degree in Museum Education from the Bank Street School of Education. She loves taking photos of anyone who can stand without support and older. She aims to get the candid photo that really shows the child. Her scrapbook style is fun and bright and organized. She enjoys teaching sketching and advanced sketching techniques like scraplifting. She also loves birthday parties, especially the scrap-at-home parties, and anything else that allows her to work with large groups of kids at once. Mattie feels like turtles aren't given nearly enough credit and are as cool, if not cooler than puppies or kittens. She is rated professionally in Wii tennis and welcomes any competition. 
You would know Brian Finnegan is working somewhere in the store if you hear Beethoven or Chumbawumba playing. A supporter of the art of film photography, his favorite part of the job is, of course, the photography. He truly loves creating something for people to take home and put on the wall or share with their family and friends. He has a magic touch with putting those new to the studio setting at ease, especially antsy kids or nervous adults. Born and raised in central New Jersey, Brian came from a family of New Yorkers, finally making the city his home in 2008. An avid collector of classical vinyl and comic books Brian's interests cover a wide range of things. He can also proudly say he has watched every single episode of Seinfeld to ever air. 
Harmonie Soyk is an organizational wonder who works hard producing our promotional materials. She loves photographing little ones and is a great team member for more difficult sessions. If it could result in a great pose or a huge smile from a photo subject Harmonie will go the extra mile to get it. When Harmonie is not at PortraitBug she is a manager at GameStop. Harmonie calls a water fountain a "bubbler" and knows a thing or two about real frozen custard because she's from Milwaukee, WI.