By: Amy Pantone August 5, 2019September 20, 2019 Client Sessions, Client Spotlightfamily photo session, Friendship Gardens, Plainfield, springLeave a Comment

A Special Family Session With a “Newborn”

During the late spring a family with a very special four month old wished to have family photos. You see Tyler was born 4 months early. He spent his first few months in the ICU at Riley Children’s Hospital. Fighting hard and with the help of his parents and excellent staff, Tyler finally came home…

By: Amy Pantone November 5, 2018September 18, 2019 Photo of the weekfall, foliage, forest, leaves, nature, simple livingLeave a Comment

A Lovely Walk in a Fall Forest

With my Nikon in tow, I took a stroll through our woods last Monday. I am glad I did. The fall foliage was at its best. This beautiful fall day was followed by several rainy days in a row. Leaving many of our trees with fewer leaves. Click on any image below to view a…

By: Amy Pantone September 17, 2018September 18, 2019 Photo of the weekanimals, barred owl, box turtle, critters, Josie the Boxer, juvenile squirrel, nature, simple living, skink, toadLeave a Comment

Critters From Our Woods

Since living at our place a little over 3.5 years, I have encountered a variety of critters. Unable to photograph many of them, here are a few I had the pleasure of capturing digitally. (I had to include one of Josie our Boxer.) In addition, I would like to dedicate this post to a special…

By: Amy Pantone August 20, 2018September 18, 2019 Photo of the weekbutterflies, nature, sanctuary, simple living2 Comments

A Butterfly Sanctuary of Our Own

A short walk from our cabin there is a place where butterflies flutter free. Here they thrive on wild growth. On any day one will encounter 20 or more. Flying above your head, dipping here and there, or resting on a tall pink flowering plant. Last year I do not recall as many. But this…

By: Amy Pantone June 4, 2018September 18, 2019 weekly photo challengeAll-time favorites, last one, new challenge, photo challenges, photos3 Comments

Weekly Photo Challenge (The Last One): All-Time Favorites

When I pulled up the Weekly Photo Challenge I was shocked to see it would be the last one. I am sad to see this challenge go. It has been a big part of my blog over the last 3.5 years. At first, I was slightly irritated it was going away. How could Word Press…

By: Amy Pantone April 21, 2016September 20, 2019 Travel ThursdaysBadlands National Park, out west trip, travel, Travel Thursday5 Comments

Travel Thursdays – Badlands National Park

The geological landscape of the Badlands National Park is worth the stop if you find yourself traveling through South Dakota. For us, this would be our last stop during our six-week trip out west. As our trip neared the end we only had a couple of hours to tour this lovely park. The day was…

By: Amy Pantone February 19, 2015September 18, 2019 Travel Thursdaysbeach, Cairdean Estates, California, camping, coast, Glass Beach, harbor seals, Lake Cleone, MacKerricher State Park, ocean, travel, wine5 Comments

Travel Thursday – MacKerricher State Park

While traveling throughout the western United States this past summer, we had the opportunity to stay at a wonderful coastal state park. MacKerricher State Park is located a few miles north of Fort Bragg, California (roughly 3.5 hours north of San Francisco). Finding a campsite along the coast of California during the summer can be…

Family | Wedding Photography

Currently, I offer the following: Candid/lightly posed sessions Family sessions Maternity sessions Engagement sessions Wedding photography At a location of your choice. I serve central Indiana with ability to travel for your photography needs. All sessions include: Shooting time Professional edits Online gallery of images Personalized app of your session Digital downloads Choose from the…

Writing

As an aspiring writer, I plan to offer freelance writing services in the future. Please check back for updates and information. You can visit my profile and stories on Medium. Medium.com/@fstopmama

Yoga

I am currently working on my 200 hour Yoga Teacher Certification. Check back for updates on my progress and opportunities for private yoga instruction.

Week 40: Modern Convenience

By: Amy Pantone October 2, 2019

52-week photography challengecomputer, modern convenience, photo challenges, Think Pad, week 40Leave a Comment

Week 40 of the 52-week photogaphy challenge: Story Telling: Modern Convenience “What modern convenience of 2019 can you not live without? Create an image that looks like an advertisement for your favorite Modern Convenience.” I love my Think Pad. It is the modern convenience I cannot live without. Well that and the internet. I use both…

52- Week Photo Challenge Week 39: The Elements

By: Amy Pantone September 26, 2019September 18, 2019

52-week photography challengecreek, forest, photo challenges, The Elements, week 39Leave a Comment

Week 39: Inspiration: The Elements “Earth, Fire, Wind, Rain, and Spirit. Find inspiration in the elements of our world.” This quiet spot in our forest offers 4 of the 5 elements. Earth, rain, wind, and spirit. Earth – plenty of soil and trees. Rain – adds to this small creek. This time of year it’s…

Latest Reads: A Jewish Story; A Sci-Fi Planet; & A Brain Book

By: Amy Pantone September 23, 2019September 18, 2019

booksbooks, Kaddish.com, The Better Brain Solution, The City in the Middle of the NightLeave a Comment

“Kaddish.com” by Nathan Englander (Fiction, 203 pages) What a great little book. The story of a Jewish man on a quest to redeem himself for indiscretions during his father’s death. The reader will find themselves being sucked in through a vividly told story. Humerous, sad, happy, and ultimately a story of family. In addition, I…

52-Week Photo Challenge: Weeks 34-38

By: Amy Pantone September 18, 2019September 18, 2019

52-week photography challenge, UncategorizedB&W, field, flower, old foot bridge, photo challenges, portrait, rule of odds, seasons, urban bridge, week 34-38, wine, yoga2 Comments

I missed a month’s worth of the 52-week photography challenge while updating my website. (Time well spent, you can see the post about the changes here.) Yesterday, during my photo walk in our forest, I managed to capture some of the weeks I missed. Here they are weeks 34-38. The last one is obviously not…

Changes: The Only Constant in Our Lives

By: Amy Pantone September 12, 2019September 12, 2019

Status, Uncategorizedchanges, new website, Photography, writing, yoga3 Comments

It seems appropriate to make a big change to my blog/website as we enter the fall season. Although this week it still feels like summer, change is in the air. The evenings are a bit cooler and the sun is setting a little earlier each night. Time to face the fact summer is ending. …

Under Construction: Be Back Soon

By: Amy Pantone August 20, 2019September 6, 2019

Uncategorizedchanges, site under construction1 Comment

Please excuse the mess while this blog site is under construction. Watch your step over there. That pile of rubble might trip you up. F-stopmama is undergoing some changes and will rejoin the blogging world soon. How soon? Hard to say. As soon as I set a date, then I’ll drag my feet on completing…

Summer Reading Continues…

By: Amy Pantone August 19, 2019August 24, 2019

booksBarbara Kingsolver, books, Liane Moriarty, Paulette Perhach, Stephen King2 Comments

“Unsheltered” by Barbara Kingsolver (461 pages, fiction) This was another excellent book by Barbara. I love all of her books especially the underlying themes that weave themselves into the stories. A tale of two different families separated by a century but with one common cause, a house they both lived in, in a Utopian like…

Week 31-33 of the Photography Challenge

By: Amy Pantone August 13, 2019September 6, 2019

52-week photography challengeKubota tractor, photo challenges, sky, stinging nettle week 33, trees, week 31, week 32Leave a Comment

Playing catch-up with the 52-week photography challenge. Week 31: Friends & Family Story Telling: Friends and Family “Telling the story of someone you know well is sometimes the hardest story to tell.” This little Kubota tractor belonged to our beloved neighbor and friend David Otto. Sadly, he passed this past January. Yet his memory lives…