Photographer Andrea Castanon got her start shooting school portraits and yearbooks.
She's still doing portrait photography, but now she brings squeak toys with her.
"I loved doing it for humans, but I don't have kids of my own, so I connect so much stronger with the dog community," Castanon says.
The Astoria, Queens, resident owns "Bowie Shoots," named after her rescue dog "Bowie."
The business is based entirely around taking school portrait-like photos of dogs for their pet parents.
"It just took off and into something that I didn't even know it would become. I ended up quitting my job and I do this full time now," she says.
In the year since she launched her Instagram page, she's booked photoshoot after photoshoot and expanded to the West Coast.
"Now I have clients in LA, I'll be in San Francisco soon and Chicago next month," says Castanon.
She still takes photos at a school — but it's the School for the Dogs in the East Village. It's where her business got off the ground. Castanon credits social media and some of her Instagram-famous clients with helping her build her brand.
"What I really think makes them fun is when you have dogs doing human people things. Your dog is your child, and I think it's just a really fun idea that shows how much people care about their dogs these days," says Cassondra Bazelow, owner of "Sally Long Dog."
Castanon's clients often pull out all the stops dressing up their dogs.
Some of the dogs are decked out in custom-made doggie clothes, while others wear designer duds made for pets.
The cost of props and any outfits is on each of the owners.
Castanon charges $125 to $175.
Castanon is sharing her success and donates 15 percent of the proceeds from the photoshoots each month.
"Every city that I'm in, I work with a nonprofit animal rescue," she says.
Castanon says that she always imagined her photographs would make an impact on the world but never dreamed it would be like this.
"I get messages from people who tell me that this brightens their day," she says.