10 May 2026 Unmistakably Brandy
By Rita Halter Thomas
Poised behind a camera, Conway native Brandy Strain-Dayer spent her life capturing other people’s most important moments, never imagining the community she loved would soon rally to preserve her story.
In February, Brandy passed away at 52. Those who knew and loved her described her as true, loyal, kind, artistic, “extra,” wildly creative, and never one to do things halfway. A vibrant woman with curly hair and leopard-print clothing, Brandy was unquestionably her authentic self.
Even those who didn’t know Brandy likely knew of her through Strain Photography, the business she and her younger sister, Jackie Strain-Mahar, have operated together for 25 years. The studio’s roots were planted in 1961 by their parents, Gary and Nancy Strain, who founded Gary Alan Strain Photography.
“We pretty much grew up at the studio,” Jackie said. “We were always there, playing or helping, like cutting big rolls of school pictures as they were coming off the printer.”
For Brandy, photography wasn’t just work. She loved capturing life’s fleeting moments and turning them into something lasting and beautiful. She found joy in creativity. It was art, and it was with family.
Their father, Gary, taught at Conway High School for a decade before he began photography on the side. At the time, he wrote for Speed Sport magazine, covering dirt tracks and race cars. “They would pay extra if he submitted a photo with his articles.” Jackie said. So, Gary and Nancy spent most weekends at racetracks, and Nancy developed the photos in the darkroom at their home and sold prints to the fans.
Before long, families began asking Gary to photograph engagements, weddings and newborns. Still unsure if photography would support the family, he quietly stopped cashing his teaching checks until the school called and insisted he deposit them. “That’s how they started the studio,” Jackie said. Nancy handled all developing and printing, retouching by hand with dyes and pencils, before digital was an option. “They never outsourced any of their printing or developing,” she said.
Some of Jackie’s favorite childhood memories are of those early years at the studio with Brandy. “We played a lot in the camera room, especially in the days of glamour shots,” she said. “We had all this gold bling and fabric. Brandy would wrap it all around me and put lipstick on me.” One day, their dad walked in to find them fully glammed up. Soon after, Brandy won a portrait contest after submitting a picture of Jackie wearing their mother’s jewelry draped across her forehead. “That’s how we started out, just playing in the camera room,” Jackie said.
Both sisters loved photography, but Brandy was the one who couldn’t wait to get to the studio. It wasn’t until Jackie started a family and began taking pictures of her children that she returned to photography, earning her Photographic Craftsman and Master of Photography degrees from Professional Photographers of America. She has often joked that she’s been “interning” with her sister for more than 20 years.
Losing a business partner is hard. Losing the big sister you’ve followed, admired and grown up beside is something else entirely. The appointments, booked well in advance, haven’t been easy, but Jackie feels Brandy is with her. “Because I was in every single appointment with her, I’ll catch myself saying something exactly the way my sister said it,” she said. Sometimes she hears Brandy in her thoughts, offering the same advice she always did.
Jackie now carries a charm made by local boutique owners, a small, multi-colored piece that hangs from her camera. “It says, ‘My sister’s keeper, my guardian angel,’ and has her name on it,” she said. “It jingles like a dog’s collar. Brandy loved dogs, so it’s like she’s following me around to all the appointments.”
Brandy married fellow Conway native, Leonard “Len” Dayer, on May 5, 2007. “I always remembered our anniversary because it’s Cinco de Mayo,” Len said. “Brandy loved going to Razorback football games. She loved vacations on the beach. Florida, California, anywhere seaside. And she loved Disney.” She showed her love out loud, especially when it came to her nieces, nephew and 4-year-old granddaughter. “We’re a pretty tight family,” he said.
When she married him, Brandy gained a bonus daughter, Allison (husband, Ausher Adbo). “Our granddaughter, Mila, was her pride and joy,” Len said. “Brandy also loved to decorate. We always had the fanciest Christmas decorations. She’d take whatever she had and make it marvelous.”
Brandy’s love for dogs ran as deep as her love for Conway. She devoted time and energy to supporting animal shelters and rescues, but still made time for food and coat drives. She often rallied friends to join. “These were big drives,” Len said. “She’d help raise semi-trailer loads full.”
In her honor, friends are working to raise $20,000 to name a room at the Faulkner County Animal Shelter after her. A pancake breakfast at Stoby’s in late March, coordinated in part by Patti Stobaugh, brought in more than $13,000. Patti, along with Chrissy Parris, Velda Lueders, Drew Spurgers and Lori Quinn, continues the effort by selling T-shirts (designed by Jessica Kelley) featuring an outline of Brandy, camera in hand, surrounded by her dogs. Donors who give $100 or more will have their names listed on a nameplate in the room.
“I’m on the board there, and because of her love of dogs, this is just one way we can keep her name out there and tell her story,” Patti said.
The family has been deeply moved by the community’s response. “The love and support we’ve received has been overwhelming,” Len said of the visitation, memorial service and fundraiser turnout.
This community is determined not only to support the shelter but also to honor Brandy Michelle Strain-Dayer, the lady behind the camera. She deserves a framed portrait on the wall in a place that will honor and preserve her story for years to come.
To donate, visit https://tracer.cocard.app/U8EFNPEPMTHJ/paymentLink.
