A Proposal.

Here at Starks Photography, we strive to stay in touch with what's going on in our world. I'd consider myself to be politically informed (well, if you count People magazine as a reputable news source), so I felt a strong urgency to write a blog post detailing my thoughts on the current state of our fiscal lows and woes.

Ok, not really.

But I do have a proposition (and a super cute, colorful chart!) that coincides with the ever popular dinner table conversation topic - the economic crisis. 

First, let me make one thing perfectly clear - I am well aware that the recession is no laughing matter. We are in the middle of extremely trying times, and lots of lives are being affected along the way. That being said, I refuse to sulk underneath a gloomy rain cloud while we're in a rut. There's a little sunlight that wants to peek her head out, and I'm going to allow it to happen. There's not much worse than sporting a pouty lip in an already somber circumstance, so I'm plastering a smile on my face for the sake of optimism. I'm not naive, nor running for the Suzie Sunshine award, but I am making a choice to remain hopeful. 

Did I promise not to detail my thoughts? I got a little carried away for a minute. Back to the point, here. 

Since President Obama has implemented a new stimulus package for the economy, we felt like it would only be appropriate if we offered a little "boost" of our own. Regardless of your opinions on President Obama's plan (*re-read above paragraph if you're feeling pessimistic :)), we're hoping that there won't be much opposition to ours:

Please try to stay neutral when reading over our plan - no matter what side of the fence you stand on. The proposal has already passed in the House(hold), and Putter's Kennel - unanimously. We're hoping that this plan will provide some relief to the hardworking, photogenic people living in our country. Thanks for tuning in. 

Feel free to e-mail us with questions regarding the above info! We look forward to hearing from you! :)

(Um, p.s. Happy Valentine's Day! I keep forgetting it's today.)

Giving is Awesome announcement!

I can honestly say, without blinking an eye, that choosing a Giving is Awesome candidate was one of the hardest decisions that we've ever had to make. 

After announcing our participation in Giving is Awesome, it didn't take long for nominations to start pouring in. I guess I wasn't quite expecting the impact that this opportunity would make in my own life. In the beginning, I saw Giving is Awesome as an extension of provision to someone else - the possibility of an internal affect never even crossed my mind. Oooh, but that quickly changed. 

There were many nights that I sat in front of our computer in my sweats, tears plopping onto my keyboard. I didn't merely cry out of sympathy - I cried out of humility. I cried because I take my "basic" blessings for granted on a daily basis. I cried because I live a life of comfort and satisfaction, but I still have selfish moments of griping.

And I smiled. I smiled because of the amount of love that was dripping off of every story written in. These are real people, writing about real people - people who deserve jobs, money, food, love, support, shelter. Emotion ran deep through each nomination, and I was taken aback by the amount of sheer compassion extended through these e-mails. I smiled because I have hope for our world. 

Ben and I spent a lot of time reading and re-reading each nomination. I found it exceptionally challenging to remain objective in this type of situation - how can we choose just one when everyone is so deserving? After countless conversations and a few more emotional moments, we've reached a decision:

Nominated by Kenny Backhaus, the Gilmer family - consisting of Sarah (wife and mom), Dan (husband and dad), Chloe (oldest daughter and sister), and Claire (youngest daughter and sister) seems to be quite the amazing bunch. Kenny is Sarah's step-brother, and he had a lot of truly heartfelt, incredible things to say about his sister and her family. Due to the personal nature of the Gilmer's story, I will not be posting it on the blog. However, I would like to share a little of what Kenny wrote about their family:

Read over the highlighted section - talk about a powerful couple of lines! After the Gilmer's situation was brought to our attention, I started thinking about how I would cope given similar circumstances. In all honesty, I'm not sure I'd be able to say with complete confidence that I'd be as strong as they have been. And that factor - remaining resilient and dedicated amid intense trials - is why Ben and I would be honored to offer a complimentary photography session (complete with all the goodies previously mentioned) to the Gilmer family.

We would be extremely remiss to exclude this info:

To all individuals who have written in nominations - we will personally contact each of you after Christmas. Thank you for influencing our lives through your love. We admire your compassion more than we could ever describe.

Have a wonderful Christmas! :)

Much love,

Ben and Amy

It just keeps getting better.

We just can't help ourselves. We love to share. We love to give. Giving is awesome. 

We're happy to announce our second (and even more exciting) holiday special offer. We'd love to take credit for this ingenious idea below, but we actually swiped it from Pennsylvania-based photographer, Kristen Kalp. Kristen is the founder of Giving is Awesome - a worldwide photography effort to "give back" to our communities. Like we said, ingenious. We feel so fortunate to have a career in photography - something that we are so passionate about. And now we feel equally fortunate to be able to take part in this opportunity to contribute to a truly worthy, charitable cause.

Here's the 411:

You know someone. You know someone who's experienced a tragedy, is struggling to stay afloat, is raising kids while holding down more than one job, or is volunteering selflessly despite extenuating personal circumstances. You know someone who can't afford custom photography, but who would cherish it this holiday season. You know someone who deserves captured memories. 

You know someone. We guarantee it.

We want to know who they are, and we want to give them the chance to experience complimentary custom photography -- $500 worth, to be exact. The recipient will receive their choice of one of our various photography sessions (Engagement, Just Because, Trash the Dress, or Spotlight), a $100 print credit, and a beautiful 11x14 canvas print. It's in your power to give them the opportunity that they deserve this holiday season.

Icing on the cake? The person who nominates the winner receives a Just Because session with us, and a $50 print credit. All you have to do is show some love. It's that simple.

The rules:

* You cannot nominate yourself, and the person nominated must sincerely be incapable of purchasing our services. (Being unable to make mortgage payments for a two-million-dollar-vacation-home in Paris does not qualify as sincere financial need :)).

* The nominee must reside in Florida. Tell us who you know, what they're experiencing, and why they deserve our services. Please include a way to contact both your nominee and yourself as well.

* You must e-mail us the full story. 

The winner will be announced on Christmas Eve -- so start nominating! We cannot wait to hear your stories, and we feel so humbled to be participating in this experience.

Open your heart to someone this holiday season -- and thanks for giving us the opportunity to open ours.

Lots of love,

Ben and Amy <3

You've been good this year!

As the holiday season rolls in, we are feeling especially generous and want to extend some special love to our clients - you guys are awesome! Check out the deal below* (complete with corny holiday humor) and e-mail us with any questions! Have yourself a very wonderful Christmas and fabulous new year! :)

*Offer only applies to standard prints; canvas prints and standouts are not included.

*Offer may be utilized with print credit

*Orders must be placed before December 31, 2008

"Happy Anniversary to Us" special offer!!

Ok, not to go crazy on our first night in blogging world or anything, but we did want to send an exciting bit of info your way...

Our 1 year anniversary is right around the corner, and we're feeling pretty thrilled about passing our first milestone of marriage together. Since we're in the celebrating mood, we decided it would be a good time to extend some of our "cheeriness" to our clients! 

 

Here's the 411: If you book with us for ANY event/session from July 21, 2008 (our anniversary date) to September 21, 2008, we will knock 21% off your total cost! (**Note: The event itself does not have to be within this timeframe) To make a sweet deal even sweeter, we'll throw in 1 8x10 of your choice from your selection of photos. 

Make sure you mention the phrase "happy anniversary" when you contact us in order to get the offer. Plus, you'll make us feel really special. :) 

Happy anniversary to us! Heck yeah.

(For the record, he really is happy about being married for a year. He's really not so happy about the "cutesy" heart he has to make with his hand. ;))