Chickpea Photography Studio

Cyndi is great! She managed to capture our 16 year olds personality, as well as boundless ball obsessed much younger Jack Russell mix. Cyndi took a couple of great photos of them posing together + one of me with our older dog, which means a lot to us.
She is extremely professional, detail oriented and puts together a delightful treasure.
Thank you!

Getting a head shot was more nerve wracking than I expected. The idea of someone looking closely at me through her camera lens was almost as bad as getting x-​rays. But Cyndi’s charming studio located in a lovely garden and her friendly manner quickly put me at ease. The half hour passed quickly, and I ended up with images that I’m happy to share with the world. Also, I did a fair amount of research before choosing Chickpea, and Cyndi’s rates are much more reasonable than most of the photographers offering the same service.

Cyndi is a delight. She put my grumpy, non photogenic self at ease and took lovely pictures that I can use for professional purposes. She turned something I dreaded into a pleasure. Her magic with four legged beasts also works with us two-​legged critters. I thank her and recommend her wholeheartedly, regardless of the species that needs a photo.

I got headshots done for professional networking purposes. Cyndi was pleasant, professional, proficient and timely. I am not naturally photogenic and I don’t usually like pictures of me, but I am satisfied with the end result. Her studio was easy to find and well equipped, and the whole thing was pretty painless. Recommended.

I had head portraits taken, mostly for my professional CV, but also for less formal social websites and so forth. The overall experience was very pleasant yet productive. Cyndi keeps you relaxed with her engaging conversation style while getting you to mix up your «presentation styles» so you’ll actually have a good range of choice for photos to select from. Last but not least, she obviously knows her way around the equipment. I am a very satisfied customer.

THANK YOU CYNDI for our wonderful and memorable photo shoot– THIRD year in a row! WE ALWAYS feel JOY being around CYNDI; and seeing my Bloodhound Wyatt so COMFORTABLE in front of her lens. Cyndi has AGAIN CAPTURED my strong feelings for my boy and it never looks staged. She just lets us do our thing and imprints our essence. Like the past two years, I will forever cherish our photos, and look forward to seeing Cyndi later this year for our FOURTH session!

Cyndi did an excellent job of not only taking fantastic photos of my four dachshunds, but she also worked very hard at delivering great customer service as well. I did two photo shoots (two dogs per photo shoot) because I had four dachshunds (Guinness, Riley, Charlie, and Peanut) who were full of vim and vigor. Cyndi had more patience and determination than I would have had in trying to capture these wild kids in a photo. I was exhausted from the two photo shoots. How Cyndi managed to capture my shadow-​obsessed, catapulting dachshund in one of his flying leaps, I’ll never know. The end results were so good that I couldn’t make a decision, so I purchased a bunch of them I am so grateful that Cyndi helped me through the ordering process because, if she hadn’t, I might still be trying to decide which ones to buy and in what format. My Charlie went to the Rainbow Bridge earlier this year due to lymphoma, so I am very grateful for the life-​like, high-​quality photos that I now have of him. I also appreciate the fact that Cyndi’s photo shoots helped benefit canine cancer.

We first heard about Cyndi through some friends and once we saw her work, we made a date with her and every aspect was wonderful. We have one guy that is not at all camera shy, WOW did she get a lot of great shots of him. There were so many amazing shots it was hard to pick just a couple. The other guy (the big olé mute) was exactly opposite … by 180 degrees. She was so patient with him and not only got several wonderful shots of him, but she snuck one in of him and me laying on the grass playing, one of my all time favorites photo’s as it captured his personality to a T.
Taking the pictures, while is the creative part and foe which Cyndi definitely has talent, is just one aspect of the process. From the first conversation to receiving our photos on time and as promised … easy and a fun experience with no sticker shock!

Cyndi did an amazing job with the pictures she took of our kids as well as our family portrait. We had our session at Arlington Park in Kensington and she had a sharp eye for good spots in the park. She also put our kids, who were very reluctant at first, quickly at ease and they had a great time. (Afterwards they kept telling us how much fun they had.) She had me fill out a questionnaire before our session and that was really helpful as not only did it give her things to talk about with the kids and get them engaged, but it also helped her get a sense of they type of photos we were looking for so our time together was efficient. We definitely recommend Chickpea Photography!

I had my two cats photographed at my house. Cyndi took the time to ask about their personalities through a thorough questionnaire before she arrived. She also asked plenty of questions about what I was looking for regarding my session. I would recommend going to her website and view her video montages to see what she can do/​and has done. Also at the bottom of her web page there is an «archive» button to go back to other sessions that she had posted. This is how I knew of specific shots that I was hoping to duplicate with my animals. Even though one of the shots of hers that I loved was initially with a dog, no problem. I have the shot of my cat and I going for a walk on the leash (: One thing I wish I had known before she came… Clean your animals face! The photographs are so vivid that the smallest piece of fuzz/​lint/​eye junk shows up. I also hadn’t noticed that their collars were a bit crooked and their tags were backwards. Cyndi is very accommodating and easily could photo shop things out that you don’t like, like the crooked tag. I opted to keep the tag crooked because it really is more of «our» personalities. I love the «acrylic» style print I had made, and I love the «metal» print. The metal one I love because it doesn’t have the reflective glare that some prints have. The acrylic one is beautiful for the color and clarity, and they both are very modern and don’t need a frame. I highly recommend getting the prints that come framed unless you are motivated to go and search frame shops. I am looking forward to making some cards with her connection to «Tiny Prints» but haven’t done so yet. I also am excited to have her make a coffee table book for me of the session. These photos have warmed my heart and captured the «look» of each of my animals in a way that I knew existed, but would have failed to capture.

Cyndi did a fantastic job of getting my mostly deaf dog to play along during a photo shoot, and got great pictures that really captured his personality.

Working from photos, Lisa created a poster of my dog Topo to my specs. She was patient and open to making changes according to my requests. Her work was painstaking yet creative and the result is amazing! I really think that Lisa captured Topo’s spirit and personality in the poster, in which he is a one pup circus. The poster has become a much-​sought after holiday gift for special friends. I highly recommend Lisa for her professionalism, perfectionism and artistry. Check out her posters and see what I mean.

If you’ve seen her photos, you already know Cyndi has an incredible eye. But until you experience her in action you have no idea how lucky you are to have found her. Count your blessings! First, even if your pet is zinging around, sniffing this, jumping off that, Cyndi will still «find the shot.» In fact, she’ll find dozens. Where you just see your pet eating a shrub, Cyndi sees a certain look in his eye, a certain tilt of his head. She captures micro-​gestures and moments within moments, and the result is photos that are less photos than 5×7 captures of pure emotion: love, loyalty, mischief. I get that this sounds corny, that I sound like one of those «pet people,» but I’m serious: it’s like she takes soul shots. Just look at her work. See for yourself.
Plus, Cyndi clearly loves the challenge of what she does, adores animals, and has patience out the wazoo. There’s a calmness about her when she’s shooting, like she’s found a way to slow down time so that she can see and snap all these fleeting moments. She was so focused when taking pix of my dog that she accidentally rolled backward down a hill, then just sat there for a few seconds, looking utterly relaxed. That calm and steady vibe? Your pet will pick up on it, and you’ll get the best possible results because of it.
If I could give a hundred stars instead of five, I would. Cyndi’s wonderful!

I had been meaning to have my beloved 10 yr old mutt, Buddy, professionally photographed for the longest time. When I was referred to Cyndi, I was excited and immediately scheduled an appointment. Cyndi takes the time to ask the right questions about your pet’s personality and disposition. She met with us near our residence so that Buddy was in familiar surroundings. Buddy was a ham during his shoot walking around and posing for various shots. Cyndi is a true dog lover and knew exactly how to capture his essence. I loved how the photos turned out! I’ve since blown up and framed several shots that now adorn my walls at home and cube at work! Thanks Cyndi, for capturing precious moments of my best friend.

I’ve had my dog, Obi, for 9 years and counting. Sure I have pics of him I’ve taken with the point-​and-​shoot and mobile phone but nothing worthy of gracing the walls of our home. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve tried to capture Obi’s rubenesque beauty but manage to fail miserably. Enter Chickpea Photography. Cyndi is not only a great photographer, she LOVES animals. She met us around our neighborhood to capture the swagger Obi has developed from urban living at Jack London Square. Obi has never looked so youthful and handsome. Cyndi was also able to capture some great shots with Obi and the rest of the family. Cyndi managed to capture Obi’s naturally majestic nature. Equipped with toys and treats, she’s keen to connect with her subject in their surrounding.
We just got Obi a new sister. Looks like we may be giving Cyndi a call!

Yes Chickpea Photography is as good as it gets!!!
I highly recommend Chickpea for your next pet photo shoot. Cyndi is an amazing photographer. She came to my house and skillfully and patiently took fabulous pictures of my three neurotic Pugs. She was gentle with my dogs and managed to capture some great shots which really reflected each dogs character, personality and beauty. I feel Cyndi performed miracles with my «not so» well behaved Pugs. I plan on using Chickpea again and again.
Woof Woof to Chickpea Photography!!!

Have you ever tried to capture that perfect moment of your cat or dog? Well, I had tried for years without success to take a few perfect pictures of my loving Siamese cat: I had neither the skill nor the right equipment (camera) to do the job. Then, I found Chickpea Photography through a friend. The photographer (Cyndi) came to my house and spent almost a good half day patiently following my cat around and snapping hundreds of pictures of him in his most natural states: at rest or at play. She saw my cat’s most endearing, beautiful, and playful features and attributes through the camera lens, from his big blue eyes to the whiskers, and seized them all in high-​resolution pictures. Cyndi’s professional-​grade equipment combined with her instinct and genuine affection for animals enabled her to see my cat exactly as I see him: with love! In the end, we had hundreds of pictures to choose from, which made narrowing down to a small number of photos very difficult. I trusted Cyndi to the task, and I’m proud to say I now own a dozen pictures of my cat that are worthy of a commercial coffee-​table art book. As a matter of fact, had a calendar made of these pictures. Some of them are artfully black and white, some in life-​like colors and sharpness. Cyndi put in delicate touches and played with her lenses to make some of these photos absolutely unique and eye-​catching. If you have a pet you love, I highly recommend Cyndi. Contact her right away for an apppointment.