When families book plane tickets from Dubai or England for a photo session, it’s clear something unusual is happening. For Dee Giumetti, a fine-art photographer in South Jersey who’s spent 14 years perfecting her craft, those international bookings have become part of doing business.
Giumetti’s Shooting Star Photography has earned five consecutive “Best of Philly” titles and international publication features, but the real story lies in what she’s created: experiences that make children feel brave, magical, and utterly transformed. Her signature approach blends luxury couture styling with painterly editing techniques that make portraits look like they belong in storybooks rather than Instagram feeds.
The Unicorn That Changed Everything
One of Giumetti’s most distinctive offerings is her work with Drifter, the actual unicorn from Lionsgate Films’ “Sparkle — A Unicorn Tale.” It’s this kind of authenticity that sets her apart in a crowded photography market. While other photographers might use props or digital effects, families travel across states and continents for sessions with a real unicorn from a major motion picture.
The business serves Philadelphia, the Mainline, Northern Delaware, and Southern New Jersey, but its reach extends far beyond the region. Families have flown in from multiple U.S. states and as far as Europe specifically for Giumetti’s beach sessions and unicorn experiences.
More Than Pretty Pictures
What distinguishes Giumetti’s work is her focus on the emotional impact of each session. Parents don’t just receive polished portraits—their children leave feeling confident and celebrated. This emphasis on the experience of luxury children’s photography rather than simply the final product has built a loyal following of more than 20,000 on social media and created a client base that returns year after year.
Her investment in education shows in the work. After training with world-renowned fine-art photographers through masterclasses and editing intensives, Giumetti developed a distinctive style that’s immediately recognizable: painterly, cinematic, and whimsical. She maintains a high-end designer closet stocked with gowns from brands like Anna Triant Couture and Dollcake, eliminating the stress of styling for busy families.
The business has built a reputation for consistently sold-out seasonal offerings, from wildflower and sunflower field sessions to Cape May Christmas experiences and Philadelphia city series portraits. USA News recently featured her work for creating confidence-building children’s experiences in the Philadelphia and South Jersey area.
Looking ahead, Giumetti envisions expanding into destination sessions in Paris and European castles, positioning herself as an international fine-art destination. She’s also planning to mentor other photographers, sharing the techniques she’s refined over more than a decade. For now, though, she’s focused on what’s made her business thrive: creating magical fine-art portrait experiences that families remember long after the session ends.