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welcome to our blog!

Thanks for stopping by! We're Ben and Amy Starks (that's us in the photo to your left :)).


Our blog serves as our online diary. Here, you will find lots of eye candy, stories about our photography experiences, and other random tidbits about our quirky life together.


Feedback makes us super happy, so feel free to leave some! And if you have a few minutes, check out our site!


(*We switched over from our old blog on 4-10-09. R.I.P. old blog.)

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In my blog posts, I hesitate to utilize music to illustrate a relationship. Not because I don't feel like music plays a crucial part in love (because in my world, with Ben, it totally does), but because I'm afraid that I will start relying too heavily on someone else's words to describe something that is unique and special. While music and lyrics continuously inspire me, I never want to use them as a crutch.

That being said, I do think that music can enhance a description. :)

When I think of Erin and Spencer's relationship, I can hear the following tune playing in my head. The words, the melody, the feel - everything about it is completely fitting for the love shared between this couple:

Everything's Right

Windows down as the night blows in
Tap a beat on the wheel as the tires spin
Until we're there crank the radio
We'll join in with the songs we know

Hey, everything's right, said everything's right tonight
Hey, everything's right, said everything's right tonight

Smiles light up as we walk in
Old conversations begin again
Nostalgia's thick as the August air
Takes us back to a time when we didn't care, we didn't care

Hey, everything's right, said everything's right tonight
Hey, everything's right, said everything's right tonight


While this song may not be your "typical" anthem of love, it's refreshing. It's inviting, comforting, carefree, affectionate, and mellow. This song, to me, is Erin and Spencer. Individually, they are two of the most good-natured, approachable people in the world. Together, well, "everything's right." :)

Erin and Spencer, we're officially 22 days away from your wedding and we couldn't be more excited! You guys completely rock our world, and we can't wait to see you again soon!





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Nicole:

Wow. I LOVE these pictures. I will definitely very seriously consider giving you a call when I get engaged/married. You are VERY talented! I am so glad I stumbled upon your work!

(07.08.09)
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24
Meet little Callie (not to be confused with "Big" Callie - who is not the mother of little Callie, or "big" in any way, really).

Since this is a sneak peek (and it's past midnight), I'm not going to say anything more. There will be a bigger post later with details, but for now, check out the photos below and be prepared to say "awwwwh" at least 37 times.


The hat is a tribute to her daddy's occupation...

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Who doesn't love little baby rolls?

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Or little baby feet?!

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My favorite. :)

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(7) Comments Leave comment Send to a friend
tricia:

amy, these are amazing! everytime i look at your pictures i am constantly inspired!

(04.30.09)
Cami:

Oh Amy!!!! I could not love these more! Thank you so much for giving me a peek!!

(04.30.09)
Big Callie:

Ahhh oh my gosh these turned out sooo precious! Little is so photogenic! Precious

(04.30.09)
YaYa:

Thanks Amy for not making us wait 2 weeks to view these...i can hardly wait for more...i just love - love - love her!

(04.30.09)
Anonymous:

AWWWW, these are sooo awesome!!! Of course look at the subject!!

(04.30.09)
Nana:

She is just too cute!! isn't it amazing how many comments baby photos bring?
Love, Nana

(04.30.09)
Elaine Weldon:

you guys do great work... Who wouldn't want to give this little one a hundred thousand kisses... what a cutie

(05.02.09)
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23
On this blog, I often write about people I've only known for a short period of time. Our clients are insanely fantastic, and I love having the opportunity to meet new people, observe their unique personality characteristics, and detail our experience with them. Blogging about recently acquired relationships is not super easy, but enjoyably fresh and exciting.

Then, there are times when I have the chance to have someone who is already close to me step in front of my camera. I know their personality. I understand who they are. I've seen them at their worst, and at their best. We're comfortable together. Their session is effortless because our bond is already established.

Which would seem like the more challenging task? Writing about an new friend? Or an old one?

The answer, blog readers, is the latter choice. Hands down.

How do I describe a relationship that developed behind the lens? I sit in front of my computer after shoots like these, dumbfounded by the assignment that lies ahead. I resort to cliches and terrible metaphors in hopes of illustrating something that is intangible.

This afternoon, I've been scraping away at my creative self-esteem by offering several failed, puny attempts (and pounding on the delete key more times than I'd like to admit) to try to depict my friendship with Letty.

And then I had a revelation. Keep it real. Enlightening, right? But it really is that simple. I don't need fancy language or some brilliant analogy - I can just tell it how it is. And that's what I plan on doing.

Letty (along with her husband Bill and their 3 phenomenal kids) have found a place in our lives as some of our closest, most cherished friends. The relationship we have with their family consists of lots of laughter, support, love, trust, encouragement, silliness, and sincerity.

I have several relationships with many great people, but my friendship with Letty is one of the very few that completely embodies all of the previously listed qualities. We have shared tons of remarkably great life experiences together, but more importantly, we have shared remarkably tough life experiences. And that, to me, is the mark of a true, solid camaraderie; not simply being present for the fun times, but trekking through the trenches. Our relationship has withstood countless testing points and I can say, without a shadow of doubt, that it is totally grounded. She's stuck with me for life - regardless of if she really wants to be. ;)

Since I have a tendency to completely digress from the actual purpose of my posts, let's stop there. :)

Letty is a woman of many talents (musician, mother, friend, leader, wife, etc) and recently, she has added "photographer" to her growing repertoire. She started her own business, and asked me to take some shots of her for her brand new website. We walked through downtown Mt. Dora (stopping for a cupcake along the way, like any normal person would) pushing through the Florida humidity and grabbing some fabulous shots. I'm super proud of Letty, and I am so pumped to see her future in photography. Be sure to leave some love for her on her blog and check out her work! :)

Here's some of my favorites from the day:




(1) Comments Leave comment Send to a friend
Amy T:

wow. you totally did capture Letty. some of the most beautiful pictures. and I LOVE how you write Amy. I hope someday your words can be published for more people to read. but again... the photos are amazing!

(04.28.09)
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22

I stumbled upon the i heart faces site a few weeks ago, and I was intrigued by the concept. The founders of the site post contests every week highlighting various specific categories. Professional and amateur shooters are able to enter their images, and other well-known, successful photographers choose winners.

I spent some time simply browsing (or stalking...whatever) the site, but this week I decided to enter. The category is "reflection" and I found a photo that I think fits the theme. This is Ella, the adorable flower girl from Amy and Chad's wedding:

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Regardless of whether or not I win, I think it's a great way to connect with other photographers, and admire some fabulous eye candy! Head over to the site and check it out!


(11) Comments Leave comment Send to a friend
Mom2Four:

Really cute, great photo!

(04.27.09)
Katarina:

I really like this picture. What a great moment to capture. She is adorable.

(04.27.09)
Project Ni Hao:

Beautiful capture!

(04.27.09)
Rebecca:

WOW! This is definately one of my favs so far! Fantastic shot. Love the lighting, the focus, the b&w, the adorable little girl, and well... everything!

(04.27.09)
Becca:

Well I think you should win for sure! this is such a great shot! :-) perfect!

(04.27.09)
Niecey:

I love this. Awesome photo. I love your whole blog! fantastic.

(04.27.09)
Taylor:

What a little angel. This photo is gorgeous! Fir some reason, the ring box really stands out to me, lol!!

(04.27.09)
Peggy:

Lovely photo! Such a pretty little flower girl!

(04.27.09)
Sasha Branam Photography:

Love it!!

(04.28.09)
jennifer:

so good. everything about it - it's both genuine and art.

(04.29.09)
Herb of Grace:

Awww, so precious!

(04.29.09)
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21
I'm actually supposed to be getting ready for a conference right now (sorry babe), but I wanted to blog a quick post about Rae and Jason's engagement session.

To keep it short and sweet - Rae and Jason are a perfect match. Their love for each other was easy to capture, because they didn't have a problem showing it. Though Rae warned us that they had "no idea" what to do in front of a camera, their session was completely comfortable, fun, and produced plenty of incredible shots (so you were wrong, Rae! ;)). Here's a glimpse of their engagement shoot at beautiful Bok Tower Gardens:

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Ben's view is on the left, mine's on the right. :)

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I love the next two; there's something really natural about their expressions. I like how they are in their own moment - just the two of them. It's like Ben and I aren't even there. Future clients take note - we want you to ignore us. Seriously. You'll end up with pictures like this if you do. :)

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Jennifer Lamy:

What an adorable couple! Awesome job!

(04.21.09)
Claudiu Visan:

Nice set! really natural picture's .. it's best thing we can cathc at a engagement session

(06.19.09)
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