Updated Spring Shoot Schedule

If you'd like to book, please contact me at mandy@mandyshoptaw.com or at 501.766.1879.  These are spring mini-shoots which last 30-45 minutes, are $75 and YOU GET A DISK of your images.  More details at mandyshoptaw.com.

GARVAN WOODLAND GARDENS

Saturday, March 26*

Garvan Woodland Gardens 

Hot Springs, AR

9:30, 10:30, 11:30, 1:30, 2:30, 3:30, 4:30

Admission prices to the garden to be paid at the Visitor's Center Garvan Gardens: Visitor Info

*I have to book at least four sessions in order to keep this date

ARGENTA NEIGHBORHOOD

Saturday, April 2**

Argenta Neighborhood, Main Street

North Little Rock 

9:30, 10:30, 11:30, 1:30, 2:30, 3:30, 4:30

Sunday, April 3**

Argenta Neighborhood, Main Street

North Little Rock 

9:30, 10:30, 11:30, 1:30, 2:30, 3:30 BOOKED, 4:30 BOOKED  

**The tulips may be running EARLY this spring-- if so I will contact you for alternate dates

CLEAR CREEK FARM

Saturday, April 23 (Saturday before Easter, ideal for families) 

Clear Creek Farm, Highway 171

Between Hot Springs and Malvern

9:30, 10:30, 11:30, 1:30, 2:30, 3:30, 4:30

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things (this week anyway)

From time to time I like to share some of my favorite things.  This week I wanted to showcase four things that have made me smile recently.  


First, Mac cosmetics... my friend Shawn Berry is a Mac expert based in Little Rock's Park Plaza Mall and I finally went up one evening and let her show me some awesome stuff.  Well, I'm sold.  I don't even like to wear lipstick but I can't help it-- when I put on this Mac 'Lustre' that is a nearly nude shade it's heavenly.  I love that it really stays in place and after you smile it's not all over your teeth.  I also got some Mac Select Sheer Pressed powder and I love it too.  It's good to have a make up artist as a friend!  

Arkansas weather has been crazy.  Recently we had a warm spell and a lot of the girls pulled out their sandals.  I haven't had a pedicure in a while but I needed some quick color on my tootsies.  At the grocery I saw a "new" product by Sally Hansen called Color Quick Fast Dry Nail Color Pen.  It reminded me of those nail paint pens I used in the 1980's so I thought, what the heck, I'll give it a try.  It was really cool.  Think of a paint pen but with a polish bottle's bristles.  It went on easily and has stayed nice for about a week.  Ideal for quick fixes and the snap tight cap will travel well in purses or pool go-bags.  

My Facebook friend Hannah was talking about the old TV show Quantum Leap (NBC, March 26, 1989 to May 5, 1993, for five seasons) the other day and my hubby suggested that if I wanted to see some episodes that I just watch them online.  I did some research and found that I could get to them at:  TV.com Quantum Leap Show.  


Last but certainly not least, Lipton's Vanilla Caramel Truffle black tea.  This is a great low cal after dinner treat and perfect when the temps dip at night.  Yum!!     

Hope you'll try some of these favorite things and share some of your favorites with me!

Spring Shoots Announced

Announcing the Spring 2011 

Mini-Shoot Schedule 

Argenta Neighborhood, North Little Rock, Spring 2010

Each client gets 30-45 minutes of photography for just $75 (plus tax; does not include admission fees if applicable at shooting location). Client will get a disk of images, password protected online gallery where photos can be printed and shared PLUS the option to pick up to 5 photos for additional photoshop editing. Remember YOU GET A DISK OF YOUR IMAGES with the rights to reprint and upload to social media (as long as mandyshoptaw.com is given credit). Turn around time from shoot to finished product approximately 2 weeks.  More info at mandyshoptaw.com including inclement weather policy.

GARVAN WOODLAND GARDENS

Saturday, March 26

Garvan Woodland Gardens 

Hot Springs, AR

9:30, 10:30, 11:30, 1:30, 2:30, 3:30, 4:30

Admission prices to the garden to be paid at the Visitor's Center Garvan Gardens: Visitor Info

Sunday, March 27

Garvan Woodland Gardens 

Hot Springs, AR

9:30, 10:30, 11:30, 1:30, 2:30, 3:30, 4:30, 5:30

Admission prices to the garden to be paid at the Visitor's Center Garvan Gardens: Visitor Info

ARGENTA NEIGHBORHOOD

Saturday, April 2

Argenta Neighborhood, Main Street

Argenta Neighborhood, Spring 2010

North Little Rock 

9:30, 10:30, 11:30, 1:30, 2:30, 3:30, 4:30, 5:30

Sunday, April 3

Argenta Neighborhood, Main Street

North Little Rock 

9:30, 10:30, 11:30, 1:30, 2:30, 3:30, 4:30, 5:30

CLEAR CREEK FARM

Sunday, April 17 (Palm Sunday, ideal for families)

Clear Creek Farm, Highway 171

Between Hot Springs and Malvern

9:30, 10:30, 11:30, 1:30, 2:30, 3:30, 4:30, 5:30

Saturday, April 23 (Saturday before Easter, ideal for families) 

Clear Creek Farm, Highway 171

Between Hot Springs and Malvern

9:30, 10:30, 11:30, 1:30, 2:30, 3:30, 4:30, 5:30

BOOK TODAY

Call or Email me:

Mandy Stanage Shoptaw

mandy@mandyshoptaw.com

501.766.1879

mandyshoptaw.com

My Valentine's Day Wish

This Valentine's Day I won't be thinking about chocolate hearts or roses, I will be thinking about my uncle, Steve Lane, Sr., a father, grandfather, businessman, and a regular guy who is now facing the fight of his life.  That's why I am asking you to send a special Valentine this year to Uncle Steve by  making a $1 (or greater) donation to Steve's Chain of Hope. 

I saw Uncle Steve last spring at a baby shower for my cousin, Whitney.  Part of my contribution to the party was taking photos for my family since so many of us were together.  Uncle Steve had come up from Texas to this event so that he could see his sisters and mother. His brother, Joe, was serving in Iraq at the time and everyone was very aware of how important the bonds of family are knowing that Joe was in danger on a daily basis. Joe came home safely a few months later but what no one knew during the baby shower, not even Uncle Steve, was that Steve was also fighting an enemy: Cancer. 

Steve Lane is no stranger to hard work and long hours so when he started to feel a little run down both Steve and his doctors initially thought it just a normal reaction to stress and his body fighting off different common ailments like a stomach bug or a cold. However, as Steve’s condition worsened his doctors became concerned and started running tests. His kidneys were failing and his body shutting down. As more and more tests were preformed over two weeks it was determined that Steve has Blood Plasma Cancer (Multiple Myeloma) that has metastasized to the bones (Bone Cancer) and Kidney Cancer (End Stage Renal Disease or ESRD Stage 5).

Uncle Steve is a businessman who owns a catering company in Longview, Texas, and works as much as his condition allows; still, at the end of 2010, Steve’s “past due” medical bills rose to more than $100,000. Steve says that although the prognosis is not good, survivability is much better with a Stem Cell and Kidney Transplant. Each transplant costs $250,000 or more.  

Until a transplant is possible, Steve is on a routine of dialysis and chemotherapy. He is being treated in both Longview and in Dallas at Baylor Medical Center and will soon be making a visit to Little Rock's UAMS. 

Part of Steve’s disease is called Light Chain Type K with 17th Chromosome Destruction which is why we are forming a “Chain of Hope.” Please send your prayers, your thoughts and good wishes as well as your financial contribution and become a link in Steve’s Chain of Hope.  Thank you!!  

Visit the website and learn more by clicking the below link:

Steve's Chain of Hope

Favorite Shoot Locations updated 12/27/2010

I prepared this PDF for a potential client who is looking for a place to shoot during the winter but, of course, this is helpful to others as well.  Enjoy!  If you have a favorite place to take photos let me know.

What to Wear

I'm the first to admit that I am no fashionista (seriously) but I am often asked for my expert opinion about what to wear in photos.  Coming from a video media background I alway advise against small prints or busy fabrics.  In video these can pixilate and while that is certainly less of a problem in digital photography you are still dealing with distracting fabrics that take away from the subject in the photo.  That's why I tend to recommend bold solids and less busy patterns as well as items that bring texture into the photo such as denim jackets and sweaters.

If there is more than one subject in the photo I suggest you pick clothing that is all in the same color family and perhaps one person's fabric could be the starting point.  For example, below, this is the York family (and yes, mom-Erica is a fashionista who owns a children's clothing company called Ella Couture).  See how the older girl's shirt ties everyone together with its mix of black, white and gray.  I also love how the family mixed classic elements such as jeans and plaid with more modern and sassy pieces like the younger daughter's fluffy petti-skirt and the mom's ankle boots.

When it comes to engagement and couple photos you should think about complimenting one another as well as your background (or in some cases how you want to contrast your background if going for that modern v. rustic look).  This is Stacy and Todd, below, and I liked how their clothing choices brought color and texture into the photo while complimenting one another and also the fall foliage.

Props-- yes, no, maybe?  I enjoy having props to fall back on especially with kids.  Cowboy hats are a favorite of mine!  But really it's about what is an organic addition to the picture.  If shooting pics of a young child you might want to add in their favorite toy because, after all, it's about who they are at this moment in time.

But most of all, when you come to a photo shoot with me dress for fun!  If your clothes are too tight or your shoes hurt it's hard to get a natural smile.  If you want those 3" heels in the shot bring them along and change into them when we get you set up.  Because, as you can see from the below photo of young Harrison, we usually do some walking and getting silly and sometimes we are even known to do some running and jumping.

 
Hope these tips help you pick out the perfect outfit for your next photo shoot with mandyshoptaw.com.

Always,
Mandy

Love & Marriage

I've been looking forward to the month of October since the spring.  Not just because I love the fall and all of the rich colors that make photographs pop but because I was contracted to help my friend Polly Hartley with so many weddings (Polly owns Simply Digital and Heart Shot Photography studios in Central Arkansas and I often work as her second or back up photographer--www.heartshotphotography.com).

I didn't realize that I had so many wedding photos in my files from 2010 until today when I went to upload a few to my website.  Wow!  I had so many shots that I love that had to divide out the engagements from the weddings-- you can see the work under "Love Stuff" and "Wedding Stuff" at www.mandyshoptaw.com in the Mandy's Photo section... or you can get a preview here in this post. 

This was a beautiful wedding (above) and that vintage car can be rented out by contacting Distinctive Designs by Tanarah in Little Rock, Arkansas.  Tanarah's husband restored it and serves as chauffeur.

The guys and I called this the "Abby Road" shot.  In fact, this group of groomsmen really got, er, into the "swing" of things and enjoyed putting together this golf inspired photo (below). 

  

I enjoy so much being a second photographer on these shoots because I get to focus on the detail shots that help to tell the story of a bride's special day-- like the bouquet above and the rosary that the bride carried with her down the aisle.  Thanks to the confidence I've gotten working with Polly, I've started to photograph small weddings on my own and it is so rewarding to see the finished project and to know that you've captured incredible memories for a family.      

Up next... updating the many family and children photos I've taken this year so stay tuned for more progress from the photography front.

Always,
Mandy