We here at Mangiante Photography seek to make the photography process as painless as possible for everyone involved: event coordinators, principals, coaches, secretaries, parents, and students. From scheduling to order delivery, we want to make photography a great experience for you! Here are a few things we do to help you along the way:

• Photos are posted online within 24 hours.
• Customers order online anytime, and from anywhere
• Online payment options include credit card, check card, or check draft
• Automated e-mails to our customers when images are posted online
• Direct shipping from our processing lab to the end customer
• Orders printed and shipped within 2-5 days
• Innovative Products
• Unsurpassed Quality
• Prints sorted by class, homeroom, or team for schools and leagues
• Dedicated Account Manager for School, Sports, and Corporate Accounts
• Custom designed photography programs
• Customized picture titles and logos

by Michael Spikes, Operations Manager

During the Holidays, gifts are unwrapped, stomachs are stuffed, and memories are made. It is the last part of that sentence I am most concerned with- capturing memories. It is what we do at here at Mangiante Photography. Hopefully, with these tips we can help you capture some of your own.

• Use a flash – Whether you are indoors or outdoors, using a flash can be very beneficial. It helps fill in shadows on sunny days and provides most of the lighting for indoor shots.
• Use your red eye reduction – Most cameras come with a red eye reduction feature. This feature is most useful with small children and in low light situations. It usually will emit a few short flashes of light before taking the picture and can be disrupting if you are at a function. Best to use discretion.
• Get creative – Always taking a picture horizontally can become a little boring. Try mixing up your composition. When you have 2 people shoot vertically (with the flash on top!) or if you want, you can also shoot some of your photos with the camera crooked. Also, try experimenting with framing your subjects off center. This can help make your photos feel more “Artsy”. Taking photos is about getting creative and having fun.
• Get closer – In photojournalism many great photos are made, and many times these photos are cropped. You can improve your photos by moving or zooming in on your subjects. Eliminating extra details can greatly improve your photos. After all, does anyone want to see your Aunt Betty’s reindeer socks? Well, I’ll leave that up to you.
• Be Spontaneous – Being the fly on the wall is one of the best ways of getting great holiday photos. Always yelling at the kids to “look her” or “look at the camera” makes for grumpy kids and can make taking the photos less fun. Try just capturing them opening presents or drinking a cup of hot chocolate. Also, don’t be afraid to look for things you might not think of photographing, like a part of the meal or the really nice china that your mother in law is using. The details can be just as important.
• Stop – Know when to stop taking pictures, leave yourself time to stop and enjoy the holidays. Spending time with family and friends is what it is all about. Make sure you make some memories of your own.

In 2007, we will begin offering custom cropping for the sports, graduation, and PartyPic markets. You will be able to crop your own photos from our website before ordering! There is no additional charge for this service, so now more than ever, you can be sure that your pictures will be something to treasure! Click the image above to enlarge a sample of the cropping process.

We are now offering metallic (pearlized) paper for our graduation, sports, wedding, portrait, and high school senior markets as an upgrade to our standard Kodak Endura paper. This new paper creates a glowing effect on your photos, with greater depth and vibrancy than standard photo paper. Its glossy finish and metallic appearance creates images with exceptional visual interest and depth that will appeal to clients seeking a unique look. And it delivers rich, vibrant colors and flattering flesh tones. This paper uses a proprietary combination of film laminate layers that results in striking, three-dimensional, lasting images on an ultra-bright background. Its professional emulsion set provides extreme sharpness, brightness, and color saturation. This is a product you must see to believe!

• Gene Mangiante, President
• Michael Spikes, Operations Manager
• Anne Mangiante, Office Manager
• Anna Asbury, Account Manager
• Bob Miller, Florida Manager - Flash Foto