Starks Photography Blog

06.04.09

Let me be real for a minute.

If someone were to have asked me a few months ago if baby shoots were our "thing," I would have replied with a firm "definitely not."

It's not that we can't photograph babies, because we can. And we have. But interacting with babies - there's the catch. We have no kids of our own (yet...;)), so it's difficult to know how to connect with one in a shoot. I look at it this way - it's easier to capture something you've had experience with. Been a high school senior? Check. Engagement? Check. Wedding? Check. Portraits? Check. Trashed my wedding dress? Check. Baby? ...nope.

I like babies. I think babies are precious. But I don't have one of my own, so I have yet to grasp the concept of being a parent. Additionally, I'm not a baby whisperer (have you met people like that? Seriously - how does that magical power work? It's like they have some hypnotic, nursery-rhyme voice or something).

Despite my feelings of inexperience, I am starting to think we can chalk baby shoots up as one of our "things." I'm becoming more comfortable with chubby cheeks and tiny feet. And who knows? Maybe this practice will make me more prepared for mom-world. Maybe. ;)

Ben and I photographed adorable 2-week-old Kaylee yesterday. Her parents, Yanelys and Randy, welcomed us into their home - a perfect, intimate setting for the shoot. Kaylee was a fabulous little model. There was only a brief moment of crying, and one unfortunate accident on the bed (and Yanelys' hand :)) during the entire hour and a half that we were there. I think she may have a future in the career - she didn't flinch once while our two huge lenses were shoved in her face. :)

Check out a few of our favorites below. More to come soon!

Kissy-face? :)

It amazed me to see how alert she was at only 2 weeks.

Proud parents. :)

LOVE this.

She looks like a little doll here. :)

Beautiful!

(16) Comments Leave comment Send to a friend

Yanelys Benito:

OMG!!!!! they are AMAZING!!!! I can't express how grateful I am for this experience... Thanks soooo much! I look forward to seeing the rest of them. Much love to you both, Randy and Yanelys

(06.04.09)

Yvonne Morrow:

Beautiful baby -- beautiful pictures. Espcially love the one with her face in her Daddy's hand. Precious!

(06.04.09)

Gabby:

These pictures are so incredible! They make me melt. You two are truly talented, and Kaylee is absolutely gorgeous!!

(06.04.09)

Vicky:

Oh, wow!!! What beautiful pictures! What a beautiful baby!

(06.04.09)

Eileen:

OMG...Kaylee is absolutely precious and your photography captured it in an absolutely great way. I think u did an awesome job!

(06.04.09)

Sandy:

I am in absolute awe!!! Cant wait to see the rest of the pictures. Despite the lil model being as close to perfection as we can get, your shots were able to capture it. Great job! I love it! ♥

(06.04.09)

Eileen N:

I love them all. Excellent work but especially precious baby girl. my LADYBUG!. Gorgeous! :)

(06.04.09)

Sandy:

I am in absolute awe!!! Cant wait to see the rest of the pictures. Despite the lil model being as close to perfection as we can get, your shots were able to capture it. Great job! I love it! ♥ Sandy ♥

(06.04.09)

Maddy The Proud Tia:

I Am speechless, & for those who know me , You'll agree that till now I thought it would be impossiable to ever leave me SPEECHLESS!!!! Your work is AMAZING!!! & My Precious Moment Doll "Kaylee" Is Absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!! I LoVe Your Work!!

(06.04.09)

Dee:

OMG - Amy, I knew I forwarded your email to Yanely's but didn"t actually know they booked you until yesterday. LOL i'm soo happy and I knew you would do a great job. I'm sooo happy with your work and you will soon know most of us here... The pictures are AMAZNG!! Isn't Kaylee soooo freaking cute... UGHH she is precious!

(06.05.09)

Yanelys Benito:

i have to leave another comment... LOL (I am aloud, cause I am the mommy) ;) I cannot stop staring at these... OMG! I feel like I am not getting anything else done because I find myself on your site every half hour... I am soooo Excited and can't wait for the rest... I may have a heart attack... :)

(06.05.09)

YAMI:

the pictures are BEAUTIFUL...great shots.
I must say, perfect baby for the ART;)..My GORGEOUS niece!
I LOVE YOU KAYLEE...from tia Yami and Mikey

(06.05.09)

Jessica:

These are the pictures I wish I had of Levi when he was that small... Love them.

(06.06.09)

Jackie Beale:

ok I was looking through the TRA recipies website and came across one of your images that was submitted of a beautiful bouquet. Then I saw that you are a local photog! So glad to have stumbled upon your blog! Your work is really cool :)

(06.08.09)

Jenny :

She is beautiful God bless her and your family.

(06.12.09)

Joi and Junior:

Soooo beautiful! She's Noah's future girlfriend ~ :-) They are like Ying and Yang. I don't think we could get Noah to stay still for pics like this unless we sedated him. xoxo

(07.01.09)

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site launch contest winners!

05.30.09

It's like peeking from behind the couch before screaming "SURPRISE!" at a birthday party. It's like pacing the hall of the hospital moments before your child enters the world. It's like sitting on the edge of your seat while watching the Magic destroy the Cavs in game 6 tonight... ;)

It's the feeling of anticipation.

I don't know about you, but I've been feeling it all week! I'm not even elegible to be one of the winners of the contest, but I found myself getting super antsy for today.

There's no point in dragging anything out, because I'm well aware that my amazing way-with-words is not what draws you here today (and most of you have probably already scrolled to the list of winners). ;)

Here's how this went down - everyone was given a number (based on when you entered your comment; 2 numbers if you had an extra entry). I inputed the numbers into the necessary fields at randomizer.org. The Randomizer popped up with winners. So, freak out on the Randomizer if you don't like the results - not me. :)

Without further ado, here are the fabulous winners:

Receiving a $15 iTunes gift card...

*Chantel Hagner!

Receiving a $10 Starbucks gift card...

*Jessica Crosson!

Receiving (the other) $10 Starbucks gift card...

*Brianna Phelan!

Receiving a $15 Tijuana Flats gift card...

*Erika Brennan!

Receiving a free mini Just Because session...

*Hannah Fell!

Receiving a Just Friends DVD...

*Shirley Hanko!

Receiving an iPod shuffle...

*Jennifer Martin (of Jennifer Martin Photography)!

Congratulations! I will be contacting you all soon to collect addresses to send your prizes to. :)

A HUGE thank you is in order to everyone who participated in our contest. Your thoughtful words about our site and our work were incredibly encouraging. Ben and I feel so inspired and blessed, and we cannot express how much we appreciate the outpouring of support from all of you. And your grab bag stories were horrifyingly hysterical. :)

Keep checking in with us! We're excited for the future of Starks Photography!

**P.s. - our site domain name was officially switched back this week, so bookmark this address: www.starksphotography.com :)

(2) Comments Leave comment Send to a friend

Brianna Phelan:

That's super awesome! Thanks so much - I can't wait to finally check out Starbucks. Now I have no excuses :)

(06.01.09)

victoria benito:

De verdad que son muy bueno en el trabajo que hacen,pero mi nieta es preciosa se me cae la baba cada vez que veo a mi princesa

(06.18.09)

Listed below are links to blogs that reference this entry: site launch contest winners! . TrackBack URL for this entry: http://starksphotography.com/darkroom/mt/mt-tb.cgi/39

the list.

05.28.09

Some time ago, I created a list. This list highlighted goals that I hoped to achieve by the time I was ancient. Uh, I mean, 30. ;)

I forgot about the list for awhile, but today while I was cleaning up our hard drive, I stumbled across it. Much to my surprise, I was able to cross off three goals! I was basking in my accomplishment, considering buying myself a pack of gold stars when reality set in. 23 goals are unmarked. Yikes. Birthday number 25 is looming in the months ahead, so I should probably print this baby off and start carrying it around with me:

(*Numbers 4 and 21 were reached back in the old blog days.)

Since photos make posts so much more enjoyable, below is proof of the checked off achievements:

22. Throw my parents a 25th anniversary party.

In late April, my sister and I threw a party in celebration of my parents reaching the milestone of 25 years of marriage (dang it - I still haven't blogged those images...maybe that should be on the list as well...). They also chose to renew their vows at the occasion (in the photo on the right). Aren't my mom and dad the cutest? :)

27. Grow my hair out (including my bangs!)

This may not seem like a huge accomplishment, but for me - the queen of hair fickleness - this is monumental. I had side bangs for years, and I would rotate color, cut, and style to feed my need for variety. I decided to grow my hair out for something new (and for a test of patience :)). I'm pretty proud of myself, but...I'm going back to side bangs in a week or two when I visit my fabulous stylist/friend, Shirley. I gave it a good run, but in my life, side bangs are like that ratty baby blankie you just can't seem to get rid of. You try to shove it under the bed for a few months, but eventually, you pull it back out because you just miss it too much. :)

10. Build a new, amazing blog for our business.

Well, here we are. :) I didn't actually build the blog myself - the awesome people at Into the Darkroom can be thanked for that part! But I have made it our own - adding branding, images, text, and postings. Plus we paid for it, so that has to count for something. :) Side note: Photographers, if you're looking to upgrade you internet marketing, definitely check out ITDR. These guys also built our website, and truly took our business to another level. They have lots of different options for a variety of budgets, and all of their work is top notch! P.s. Our little site and blog are featured on the homepage! :)

**Our site launch contest ends tomorrow at 11:59p.m.! If you haven't already, enter! Fabulous prizes up for grabs! :) Winners will be announced on Saturday afternoon.**

(4) Comments Leave comment Send to a friend

jennifer:

oh oh oh! I made a list! it was pretty unrealistic though...I think it's time for a new one. :) Consider yourself an inspiration.

(05.28.09)

Cristen Clark:

I love the feeling when I mark off something on my to-do list!! :)

(05.28.09)

Shirley:

im proud of you on all your achievements thus far...especially the hair. : ) well blog is awesome too...i mean really they are all a big deal but im strangely connected to your hair haha.

(05.30.09)

Amy Starks:

@Shirley - well my hair is strangely connected to you too. haha. :)

(06.04.09)

Listed below are links to blogs that reference this entry: the list. . TrackBack URL for this entry: http://starksphotography.com/darkroom/mt/mt-tb.cgi/38

i heart faces entry - week 20

05.26.09

This week's theme for the i heart faces contest is 'silhouettes.' I think silhouettes are really interesting (and perhaps especially challenging) because you can't see facial expressions or read emotions. The story of the photograph has to be told in a different, more abstract way - through lighting, background, body placement, etc.

I pulled my entry image from Diane and Derek's beach wedding. I love that you can see her veil blowing - it illustrates a romantic, peaceful mood. And who can resist a gorgeous Florida sky? ;)

Head over to i heart faces for more silhouette goodness!

**And on another note - if you haven't already, check out the post about our new site, and enter the contest for a chance to win fabulous prizes! :)**

(16) Comments Leave comment Send to a friend

NicoleRae:

Lovely! I really like that it looks sepia except for the blue sky in the corner.

(05.26.09)

monkeys on the bed:

We got married in Florida and our photographer forgot his flash. At the time, i was really upset but now i have tons of silhouette pics of us on our Florida beach! I love the way you framed and composed this picture, though! Great work!

(05.26.09)

My Two Seasons:

This is stunning! It really feels magical!

(05.26.09)

Tiaras & Tantrums:

this is such a beautiful shot

(05.26.09)

Life with Kaishon:

Wow. Very lovely picture. It is serene. Love the sun setting and the veil flowing. Magical : )!

(05.26.09)

tiff:

So very beautiful and gives out alot of emotion.

(05.26.09)

American in Norway:

What a beautiful photo! Nice job!

(05.26.09)

carmen:

Beautiful picture....

(05.26.09)

Amanda J.:

Gorgeous!

(05.26.09)

Foursons:

That settles it. I need to renew my vows on the beach.

(05.26.09)

Carebear:

Very lovely shot - I really like it!

(05.26.09)

Lisa Noel:

really pretty. wish we had a silhouette in our wedding shots!!!

http://www.lisanoel03.blogspot.com

(05.26.09)

animator's wife:

Absolutely true about telling stories in another way. Love the contentment in this shot and that sky is AMAZING!

(05.26.09)

Sara:

I love how the sky turns blue and the clouds pop in the right.

(05.26.09)

Hana:

Beautiful capture!

(05.27.09)

Tina Smith:

Beautiful. Great job!

(05.27.09)

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erin & spencer : sneak peek!

05.24.09

10 days of rain.

This was the forecast on weather.com for the week leading up to Erin & Spencer's wedding. Ben and I were preparing for the worst (but not talking about it, because we didn't want to jinx the day). I even styled my hair wavy for the occasion, because I know the not-so-cute outcome when straight locks and stormy weather combine.

Well eat your heart out Mr. Meteorologist - Erin and Spencer's day was drizzle-free.

That's right. Not a single drop. The sky was overcast (providing perfect, even lighting for photos), the temperature was warm, and the air had a slight breeze that made the inevitable Florida humidity totally bearable.

One could say that Erin and Spencer got lucky - it happened by chance; a fluke in the barometric predictions. I have another theory - I believe that good things happen for awesome people. Erin and Spencer are one of the most down-to-earth, easygoing, fabulous couples I have ever had the privilege of being around. Even if it had downpoured on their big day, they would have rolled with the circumstances.

So it's nice when God hooks it up for people who really deserve to be hooked up. ;)

Since this is a sneak peek, I'll try not to get too wordy. Check out the images below - there will be plenty more to come soon. This wedding will go down as one of my all-time favorites!

The gorgeous ladies...

...and studly guys. :)

Bling, bling.

The vows.

I LOVE these next two - the second might take the cake as my favorite from the day. Right after the ceremony, Erin and Spencer stole a couple of moments alone to enjoy the feeling of being husband and wife. :)

Seriously. Love, love, love.

Erin's brother, Justin, may be in the running for best brother of the year. Not only did he cover the photography cost as a wedding gift for the newlyweds, he also did an amazing job of playing guitar and singing the first dance tune - "Lucky" by Colbie Caillat and Jason Mraz. :)

The guests at the wedding knew how to get down. For real.

A photographer's dream venue - Casa Feliz (lit up at night).

Ok. I'm posting this last one because it cracks me up. While Ben and I were rounding up family members for portraits after the ceremony, I set my camera down on a chair. One of the groomsmen picked it up and started playing photographer for a few. This was one of the "gems" he captured:

**One more thing: If you haven't already, be sure to enter our contest for the launch of our new site! Killer prizes are up for grabs! :)**

(4) Comments Leave comment Send to a friend

Aunt Tina:

This is an awesome place to photograph. I have a meeting there once a year and have many great pictures of the house. It's beautiful.

Love ya,
A.T.

(05.24.09)

Anonymous:

Oh my Amy AMAZING pictures once again! That couple are beautiful. I loved there style and cant wait to see more!

(05.24.09)

Bri:

Love love love the ring shot!

(05.28.09)

Becka @Studio222 Photography:

I know them! Nate and I went to college with Justin. Erin looks absolutely beautiful! You guys did a fantastic job!

(06.05.09)

Listed below are links to blogs that reference this entry: erin & spencer : sneak peek! . TrackBack URL for this entry: http://starksphotography.com/darkroom/mt/mt-tb.cgi/36