Joseph Fitapelli releases his first book

At just 11-years-old, Joseph Fitapelli of Merrick, became a published author. With just a camera and an inspiration, Fitapelli captured his love for dogs — and strengthen his skills in photography — wit his first book: “Dogs of Fire Island 2024.”

Joseph has spent every summer on Fire Island since he was a baby. After learning how to use a camera, he started to document pictures of the dogs he knew from around the island over the summer. Each page in his now-published book includes a fun fact about each dog along with their names, breed — and of course a high quality photo.

Fitapelli dedicated this book to his friend Lou, who helped bring the young photographer’s idea to life. Lou is not young friend that Fitapelli met while spending his summers on Fire Island — he is an 80-year-old man that has been a companion and mentor to Fitapelli while he produced his book.

Besides his own dog, Coco, Fitapelli said his favorite dogs to photograph were Zita and Bogey because they posed perfectly, and stared right at the camera.

Fitapelli held his first book signing at Woof Pet Boutique in Ocean Beach on Fire Island, where owner Diane Madel sold his book at the store.

Next year, Fitapelli hopes to take on a new project. As a continuation of the book, he is planning on making a dog calendar with new photos of furry friends from all around the island.