The break-up.

Today will mark the end of this blog.

I'm no good with farewells, so we'll just keep it simple.

Dear blog,

You and I have had a fantastic relationship. Though there were minor moments of html frustration, and one day in particular when I called you that not-very-nice name because you "accidentally" deleted my massive post, we've experienced some good times together. I appreciate your loyalty, and your ability to showcase my ramblings to the internet world.

But blog-sy, sometimes, you have to let a good thing go. And that's where I am in my life. It's not you, it's me....well, and this other blog that I've been seeing recently. I don't want to hurt you, but it's best that you hear it from me - I'm posting elsewhere. I feel terrible, but what can I do? I have to be honest with myself, and my feelings. I hope we can still be pals.

Hugs,

Amy

***

That's right, friends! Starks Photography is stoked to announce the launch of our brand-spanking-new blog! 

I'm getting all antsy (and a little uncomfortable since I'm hanging around my ex-blog right now), so let's head over there and continue our excitement!

(*This blog will stick around for a little while for the purpose of referencing old posts, and because he's kind of clingy.)

Diane & Derek : Sneak Peek!

I'm behind. I'm trying to get ahead, but I'm behind. I've got photos to edit, a house to clean, a dog to bathe, and laundry to wash. Sometimes I think that I can just sit on my couch with an open bag of Reese's Easter candy and squint really hard at everything I have to get done in hopes that it will just do itself. 

I'm progressing. Tonight's post will be highlighting Diane and Derek's gorgeous beach wedding which was held on Anna Maria Island. Tomorrow, I plan on making another post. And the next day. And the next. Until I'm totally caught up. And then maybe just one more for kicks. (*P.s. The big announcement has not been forgotten - it's still in the works and it's going to be ultra fabulous! :))

On to the awesomeness that is Diane and Derek:

Double the cuteness.

The groomsmen filing in.

I love this shot of the bridesmaids watching Diane walk up.

:).

Beautiful bride.

Stay tuned for many more photos from this incredible day!

What You've Been Waiting for...

I have written, deleted, rewritten, deleted again, and scowled at this post for the last 15 minutes. 

It's not easy to make a big announcement.

That's right - today is the day! Well, today is actually just one of the days - there will be several of these spectacular moments of excitement over the next week or two!

I think I'm having a bit of writer's block because I didn't actually know that today was going to be "the day." 

I feel a little like I did back in college when I woke up at 7:42 for my 8:00 class - and I lived off campus. Scrambling, I would attempt to throw on a sweatshirt and jeans (my I'm-ridiculously-late go-to outfit), get my books packed, wash my face, and brush my teeth - at the same time. Unprepared, scattered, and let's not even talk about my hair. I was a mess.

That's a little like today. 

I woke up to Ben working on part of our big announcement number one. Slowly, it began to register through my foggy, I-just-woke-up thought process. Immediately, my feelings were a mixture of excitement and "oh crap." I'm unprepared, scattered, and let's not even talk about my hair. I'm a mess.

Since that initial shock factor earlier, I have had a little time to pull myself together. I found a brush, and my feelings have shifted into total, full-blown enthusiasm. 

Even though I know you all just love my random ramblings, let's digress. 

The big announcement. Ok. I'm back to square one with this. Should I use a witty metaphor? Build it up with tons of exclamatory sentences? Type in all caps?<--(this last one drives me absolutely insane)

You know what? I'm just going to keep it simple. Let's let the announcement speak for itself.

Here are your instructions:

-Open a new window or tab.

-Type www.starksphotography.com.

-Get really stoked.

-Click "Blog"

-Hey, you're back here!

Ok, so that's not much, but it's a start, right? We're hoping to have our new site launched over the next couple of days, so be sure to stay tuned! 

To highlight just how excited we really are, Ben and I are working up a fabulous contest today, complete with several prizes that will up for grabs for some of our loyal followers (or just a random person who happened to stop by at the right time). Tell your friends! Tell your family! Tell your neighbors! Tell your co-workers! (Here we go with the exclamatory sentences...I should have some sort of screen that pops up to warn me when I'm reaching the point of excessiveness).

We're pumped about the future, and we're so glad that we get to share our journey with you guys - thanks for being such an awesome support system! 

Amy & Chad : Sneak Peek!

Let me tell you a little something about vacation. It's a lot like ice cream. You allow yourself to indulge - nothing too crazy, just a little scoop or two - and it's heaven. You are suddenly taken to a place where nothing else matters but brownie fudge chunks and swirls of caramel.

And then it hits.

That after-effect of your dessert satisfaction (ok, so maybe it was more like 3 or 4 scoops) where you start to contemplate exactly how many calories of creamy goodness are currently finding their way to your thighs.

Don't you hate that reality check? It's like, why can't I just be back in naive Ben and Jerry's bliss for a few more minutes?

So, vacation is a lot like ice cream. You partake, you indulge, you enjoy, and then your regular life punishes you for taking a break by offering responsibility and an inbox full of 78 e-mails upon your arrival home. Return the carton to the freezer and hop on the treadmill - hey, it was good while it lasted.

I didn't write this post to simply detail a silly metaphor - purpose is well on it's way.

We had the privilege of photographing not one, but two beautiful weddings this past weekend (and had the opportunity to bask in the aforementioned  vacation time). 

The first was Amy and Chad's wedding. 

Amy and Chad were married at the The Tavern in the Gardens in Port Orange, FL. (Note to future brides - this place is fabulous!) The day was absolutely gorgeous, and Ben and I truly enjoyed every minute we were there. Since this is a sneak peek, I won't let myself get too wordy - check out these five that we pulled from the bunch. More to come soon! 

The girl knows how to work the camera. Seriously.

Walking her down the aisle. One of my favorite moments at a wedding.

During the ceremony. This moment was so intimate and sweet.

Congrats you guys! Hope you are enjoying your honeymoon! :)

Freshen Up!

Today was a grey sweatpants day for me.

Do you ever have days when, as soon as you get up, you know exactly what item of clothing you're reaching for in your closet? In college, I had a pair of blue sweatpants that I referred to as my "paper-writing pants." Whenever I came out of my room wearing the blue pants, Ben knew I was going to be hunched over my laptop, chewing my nails, trying to figure out how to stretch my margins in a way that would look inconspicuous to my professor, but lengthen my assignment by half a page.

My grey sweatpants are saved for days when I know I'm going to be in over my head with photography-related tasks.

Ironically, my grey sweatpants and my blue sweatpants are both accompanied by my no-makeup face, glasses-covered eyes, and messy-bun hair. Interesting.

So, in hopes of fulfilling their purpose, my grey sweatpants instilled some motivation in me to be business-focused.

You may have noticed my absence around here recently (or maybe not. Meanie.), and there's good reason for that. Other than having a life outside blogging-world (Gasp! Whaaaaat??!), Ben and I have been busy configuring new plans for our photog biz. There's going to be a whole lotta freshness around these parts pretty soon, so make sure you stay tuned for all the fabulousness to ensue! 

  And since we're super thrilled about the future announcements, we may just have to throw in a cool prize, deal or contest to emphasize our excitement! So if my intriguing, elusive info above didn't hook you, the chance to score free stuff should! 

Here's a little peek at one of the recently developed changes....

Brand-spanking-new logo!

One may ask, what was wrong with your old logo? Well, in short, nothing. We loved our logo. It served us well over the last year. However, since we're heading in a new direction (there's that word again!), we wanted something funky-fresh. We think it's really important to define our style in all aspects of our business, and we feel that this new logo screams "us." It's modern, a little edgy, chic, and brings an element of contrast - and we'd like to believe that our photography style embodies all of these things!