36
Well, it's a little late in the day, but I made good on my promise. The new site is officially up and ready for business!!!!! (*I usually hate over-punctuation, but this is one of the rare times that it's actually appropriate)
I have the urge to go outside and shout the word "finished!" in different languages ("Fini! Acabados! Eindproduct! Finito! Ferdig!" - um, thank you Google.) But instead, I think I'll celebrate with sleep. Ah, sleep. How I've missed you.
So here's the spiel:
Go HERE. Enjoy the splash page, peruse the galleries, listen to the tunes in the background, check out the section that details Ben and I (because we're just SO interesting ;)). Hey - even send us an e-mail if you want! Enjoy the new site smell. We are proud parents. :)
(*As a side note: you will notice that our domain name (i.e. the website address) is different than normal. For now, it is www.starksphotography.com/site. It will actually be www.starksphotography.com (our normal domain) by next week - permanently. We had a little bit of an issue getting it switched over, and I didn't want to postpone the launch any longer, so we're using the temporary name for a few days. If you just read that and saw blah, blah, blah, please disregard. :))
Ok. After you've checked out the coolness, come back here. Enter the awesome contest, which is detailed below. :)
So as Ben and I were brainstorming this part of the launch party, a thought came to my head.
Picture this: you're in 4th grade. It's late October, and your elementary school is throwing one of those Halloween Festivals. You're decked out in your Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle costume - complete with green face paint (seriously, how old am I?!). You scan the scene, and your eyes lock in on one specific area - musical chairs. You rock at musical chairs. So you run over and join the game. 12 classmates shoved aside, you claim your title as champion. The teacher lets you walk over to the prize table to choose your reward. Feeling a little wild and dangerous after your victory, you boldly grab the "mystery bag." As you open up the stapled brown paper, you excitedly peer inside. Your heart sinks. Two pieces of bubble gum, grape flavored. A rubber bouncy ball. And a miniature paper book about multiplication. Mystery bag, you sulk. Why don't they just call it lame bag?
We've all been there, right? Why aren't grab bags ever cool? It's like all the leftover junk gets tossed into a sack of paper and someone labels it as mysterious to give it an edge.
Well we're making a change. We have a grab bag of prizes, but there's no room for lameness here - only items that we would actually want to win. iTunes, Tijuana Flats, Starbucks, Just Friends DVD, a free mini photo session, and an iPod Shuffle. This is like the grown up grab bag of fabulousness.
We will be giving away these SEVEN prizes to SEVEN different winners. Here's how to be in the running:
-As we mentioned previously, go to our site and check it out.
-Come back here, and leave a comment on this post that includes the following: one thing you like about our new site, and the worst prize you've ever received in a mystery grab bag (*if you've never picked from a grab bag, consider yourself lucky, and make one up. :))
-Be sure to leave a valid name and e-mail address. We will contact you at the end of the contest. We cannot contact someone named Mr. Anonymous. :)
-To get an EXTRA entry: Post a Facebook status or Twitter update about our contest (with a link back to our blog). Be sure to leave your info in the comment (i.e. a link to your profile or page). :)
The contest will run from Friday, May 22, 2009 to Friday, May 29, 2009 (at 11:59p.m.). The winners will be chosen at random (we'll use a fancy-schmancy computer-generated selection process). Winners will be announced on Saturday, May 30, 2009 in the afternoon-ish.
I think that covers it. Thank you all so much for your love and support. Ben and I really love being able to do what we do, and we can't even begin to tell you how much your encouragement means to us. :)
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34
"So, when are you guys having kids?"
If I had a dollar for every time I've been asked this question since Ben and I got married in July of '07, I wouldn't be writing this blog right now - I'd be in Barbados or Australia, vacationing in one of my 5 homes across the world. ;)
It's true, right? Those kinds of questions come with the territory, I guess. Your fiance of 2.5 seconds has just brushed off his knee from popping the question, and someone is already asking when the wedding date is. You barely get through your first dance at the reception before someone is tapping an imaginary watch and teasing you about the "clock ticking" for reproduction.
I always have every intention of concocting some awkward response ("We were actually planning on adopting a 32-year-old - we figured there would be less responsibility"), but in the moment, I simply smile and repeat for the 107th time, "Not yet!"
Even though Ben and I aren't quite ready to have any of our own, I do love babies. So fortunately, some of my friends have reached that stage in the game. It's nice practice to be able to hang out with your friend's kids (and give them back when they start screaming ;)). One of those friends is Cami, and her precious, full-of-life daughter, Callie.
You may remember this adorable little face from a recent Sneak Peek. While visiting Cami and Clinton (her husband) at their house in South Carolina, I had an ongoing impromptu shoot with Callie. It was nice to have the flexibility to be able to grab shots of her throughout the weekend, documenting different days, and different things that she did while I was there.
I'm excited to be able to provide a timeline for Callie's life (as I'm sure there will be many more photo ops in the future), but I've made Cami promise me that I won't be labeled as the crazy-camera-lady-who-always-has-a-lens-pointed-in-Callie's-face. Because really - who wants to be that person?! ;)
I also hope that Callie doesn't grow up to resent me for a couple of these shots below (namely, the bare butt moment). I've already decided that once she reaches the age of embarrassment, I will blame the entire set-up on her mother. ;)
Callie Lou:
Thanks for the love Auntie Amy! & don't worry about posting my bare bum on the internet, I think my Daddy won't mind for at least a few more years! I love you!
(05.21.09)
Beth:
you did awesome!! i love the last one on the left, she seems to be done with pics and having people in her face!!
(05.21.09)
Yanelys Benito:
I LOVE THEM!!! BTW... this was so weird... I see your blog date is 05-21-2009, that is our baby Kaylee's birthday and then her name is Callie??? WOW!! :) can't wait to see Kaylee's pics!!
(06.04.09)
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baby callie : just because
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33
The finish line is in sight.
Cami:
Hooray! Congrats on figuring it all out Ames!
(05.20.09)
Callie:
Yaaaay! Sooo exciting!
(05.20.09)
Nana:
Congratulations -- I can't wait to see it!
Love you
mom/tina:
Woohoo! Can't wait! :) Love you both.
(05.21.09)
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official.
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32
Our desk chair has acquired a noticeable "dip" in the center over the last couple of weeks from my body being parked in it for oh, say, 467 hours. There's also this spot - round and red - right between my eyes, a little above my brows. It's the mark of frustration from banging my head against our desk (and possibly nodding off a few times by accident).
I'm dramatic, yes. But the launch of our new website has become my Everest.
I'd consider myself to be fairly tech-savvy. I'm no member of the Geek Squad, but I did teach myself how to use Photoshop, learned the ins and outs of the blog-world, and (this is the biggie) made the hurdle from PC to Mac.
But I have met my match in our website.
While learning something new can certainly be daunting, I'm usually down for a good challenge. Well, this is me waving my white flag Mr. Site - you win. I'm officially grabbing what's left of my dignity and humbly surrendering.
Throughout this process, my biggest struggles have come from the details; the decision making about each aspect, the aesthetics, the time management. Right when I feel like I'm gaining speed, I trip on my shoelace and end up a few feet behind again.
I'm going to be so excited to get this thing off the ground. My excitement is twofold - a new website means another launch party (with prizes! Yay for prizes!), and it also means that I can function normally again. Mr. Site will no longer be breathing down my neck, making my days stuffy and anxiety-filled.
Yes, it has taken some time, and yes, I am resenting the delay, but truly, the new site is going to be fabulous. The launch will be grand, exciting, spectacular (again, prizes!) - and really, I can't wait for you all to see it. :) But for now, I am going to peel myself away from my leather chair of responsibility and spend time with the lovable ball of fur who keeps bumping himself into my leg, hoping to get some attention:
Bri:
We look forward to seeing it...and make sure you go snuggle that cute love and take some time for yourself :)
(05.18.09)
Mom:
I.....love.....this.... pup! Look how kissable his little face is! (Yes, I do kiss puppies - and I'm proud of it. :)
(05.19.09)
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red spot.
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31
I have heard the phrase "he/she will go far in life" used many, many times to describe someone who is motivated, driven, or passionate.
When I was little, I used to take that saying pretty literally - Where is that person going? How do you know how far they'll go? Now, are we talking across the state, or across the world??
I also got confused about the phrase "we're in it for the long haul," but that's another story for another day...
Carolann will go far in life. Maybe not in my 6-year-old reasoning of physical distance, but in her goals, her accomplishments, and her successes, she will go far. As her older (but obviously not necessarily wiser ;)) cousin, I'm extremely proud of her. Ben and I had a blast photographing her senior session, and we can wait to see how her future will pan out. :)
And a little extra from the day....
I played paparazzi while Ben was in his zone. :)
tina:
Beautiful pics! Carolann is so photogenic - and her sweetness shows in the pictures. :)
(05.17.09)
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I really love the Ben & Amy section. Most of the blogs I follow don't have a lot of information about the photographers themselves and since I have only met you guys I think once or twice, it lets me know a little more about you both as a couple.
The worst prize I've ever won in a grab bag was in 5th grade. I felt a little sack but couldn't tell what was in it. I assumed it was something awesome and it was a bag of rocks, the kind you pick out at museums that are a bunch of different colors. As a 5th grader, what use would you have for that?
(05.23.09)I love the whole website, but specifically, I'm all about the music selection! As for my grab bag story, it's kind of sad...and disgusting. During homecoming week in high school I was selected for the grab bag 'game' (who thinks this is fun?) This game required that you eat whatever you pulled out of the grab bag...and unfortunately I selected a small bag containing pickled pigs feet. I don't play grab bag games anymore.
(05.23.09)yay! amy and ben- so proud of where you guys have come and are clearly going with all of this! i love the music, it's one of the few photography websites that i didn't just mute it to look through so a+ there! also, this might be some weird little thing all websites can do and i never noticed, but noticed on yours- i love how i could make it fullscreen so i didnt have to scroll to get the whole effect of the pictures! you guys are just wonderful, and i am so excited to see God blessing this business because you have kept Him center in your marriage and how you treat people/your clients!
(05.23.09)I love the site, especially the general easy to access layout! no confusion there :) and I love your style! I've never had a terrible "grab-bag" experience, but I would have to say...a variety pack of potted meat. yep that would be disgusting.
link to my facebook page!
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=23072290451#/pages/Clearwater-FL/Jennifer-Martin-Photography/81908924757?ref=ts
jenn
(05.23.09)Wow! I like so many things about your new website. It's very easy to move through and everything is right up front - no searching. I really like how versatile your shots are too. Everyone looks like they are really comfortable and having fun - it seems like their personalities are in every pic. The worst prize I have ever received in a mystery grab bag was at a birthday party when I was in 7th grade...it was some sort of fortune cookie - and inside the cookie it said something like... that I was going to win big very soon. So being the pre-teen that I was - I sort of waited...but yea - I went home with the same candy as the others. :) As I reflect back on that now - I realize how ironic my "prize" was - since someone else actually got the real prize bag that day! haha Love you both. Mom
(05.23.09)My favorite part about your site is the opening slideshow, I thought it was pretty cool! My grab bag story does not end in me winning a prize however it does involve a 'mystery bag' & disappointment... in my 4th grade Sunday School class, we played a 'guess what's in the brown paper bag' game. When it got to my turn, I enthusiastically shoved my hand into the bag & forcefully grabbed the contents only to find rotten, mushy banana squishing between my fingers. Yuck!
(05.23.09)I am an appreciator of the small things, i.e. the music doesn't stop & blip while switching sections. But mostly I just love the style of your photos! I could look at them all day! Also, I'm not exactly sure what your beef with 'grab bags' is! I've always had super awesome luck in that game! This one time at a Halloween party, I won a bag of grape flavored game, a multicolored bouncy ball & this super helpful book of math tips! It was probably my most favorite childhood memory!
(p.s. I'm showing love on my facebook for Starks Photography so give me that extra goodness you talked about! http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/profile.php?id=619442742&ref=profile)
(05.23.09)I love it all! My favorite thing by far is your "about us" section. I think its imoportant for future clients to get to know you a little bit so that they are more comfortable with you when you do their shoot! You can tell that your clients are comfortable with you. I dont have a grab bag story because when I was growing up my mom never let me get one because she thought they were a waste of money. Im sure she was right! Good job Amy!
(05.23.09)i forgot to include a grab story...in my senior year of HS my yearbook committee did a christmas grab bag and i got a "really cool" inflatable palm tree, but after carrying it all day it popped. it started out well, but ended pretty sad for me. i had big dreams for that palm tree. i was 17 though, so this story cannot truly reflect the mature adult i am. except i still think it was a pretty cool gift.
(05.24.09)Amy - This is amazing! I have looked at 3 or 4 times now and I always seem to find a little more that I like; the music just takes you in a little deeper!One word: AMAZING!!! The worst grab bag prize: a coffee mug which might not be bad for some but I am not a coffee drinker. I think I sold in a garage sell! Anyway, Congratulations.
(05.24.09)I am so proud of you guys!! the website looks amazing. you have done a great job and your business is growing so fast...sorry im getting off track...favorite part of the new site?? hmm...music is perfect (of course) but i also really love the way one scrolls through pictures now...your "about me section" is a favorite as well...but i think what won me...was in the FAQ your answer to "how old are you guys?" ...made me laugh out loud..."48.combined." haha i love it. ok so grab bag?? i feel like ive never fully experienced this.unless maybe it was so horrifying ive blocked it from my memory...although my dentist when i was a kid he had a treasure box full of crappy things to choose from...i think i always chose the bead necklaces. cause i probably thought they were awesome. anyways love you guys!!
(05.24.09)I'm so happy for you Amy and Ben! The website is amazing!!! I have a tough time just picking ONE thing that I like the most about the site. So I've chosen two things. 1) I LOVE the option to make the site a full screen. It allows for you to get a look at everything at one time without having to scroll through. Such a great idea! 2) I LOVE the scroll bar at the bottom of the screen as you flip through the galleries. By far a very user friendly site to navigate. Congrats guys!!!
(05.24.09)As far as my grab bag experience... I wouldn't say that it was a fond experience, but it was a scary experience for a first grader. I remember back at Spook Hill during Halloween, Mrs. Weiss peeled grapes and made us stick our hand in this bag with these peeled grapes. She told us that they were human eyeballs. Needless to say, I was one TRAUMTIZED first grader and my mother couldn't get me to eat grapes for years!!!
Oh and since I LOVE free stuff too, I've given you a shot out on my twitter http://twitter.com/DST_Diva
The new site is amazing! It looks great. My favorite part is the about me section. I love the 12 facts! Well I haven't had a lot of grab bags.. but I guess that my worst grab bag prize was a pack of bright colored erasers. It wouldn't have been bad except they didn't erase anything. All the would do it smear a bright color all over the paper.
(05.24.09)Hmm, i already commented i think, but it didn't show. I love how easy the new site is to navigate. and I also told a story in the last unsent comment about the fact that I one time got to grab from a grab bag, and came up with a paper saying i didn't win a bicycle. that sucked.
(05.25.09)I love how orderly the website is. It's easy to find the answer to questions, but it isnt "boring orderly". It keeps your attention with the little tidbits of of fun information (like the list under the Ben and Amy page) and beautiful pictures to the side.
This prize isnt one that I recieved but I definatly think it was the worst I've ever seen recieved. It was at a white elephant sort of party, and the person got in their bag a jar of someone else's baby teeth that they had saved. YUCK.
(05.25.09)Yaaaaay for the amazing new website! I love everything about it so much! The music is definitely insanely perfect, but so is your super fun about us section...but I think my favorite part is the witty answers to the FAQ. I actually wanted to read them all! Ha..oh, and the pictures are pretty cool too. :)
(05.25.09)Okay, as far as the grab bag thing...probably the lamest thing I ever grabbed was one of those dumb maze games where you roll the ball and try to get it in the hole...you know, the things we always get in our Easter baskets. Good times. Aaand I am about to put your link on facebook right now. We're friends. Find me. :)
Congrats Ben and Amy on the new site! It is lovely :-) My favorite was the FAQ section. As I was looking at each section questions came to mind and I was happy to see that most were already answered once I clicked on FAQ. The pictures, as always, are so creative! Love, Love, Love it! The first thing I ever won in a grab-bag was a small plastic frog that was lime green. If you pushed on the back of him it "hopped" forward.....it was awful! Keep up the great work! It's so rewarding to get to do what you love for a living!
(05.25.09)Hey enter me! Love your site... welcome home.
(05.26.09)Chantel - here's your comment - officially on the blog! Sorry that it wouldn't post before! :) Thank you for your encouragement!
**Chantel's comment: I just wanted to let you know that your blog comments aren't posting. I tried to enter your awesome (is that the opposite of lame?) contest, but it wouldn't work for me. Here's what the error message said: "close Invalid request: corrupt character data for character set UTF-8 " Also, here's my entry: Ok, true story: I've been creeping on your blog for a little while because I think your photographs are absolutely GORGEOUS, but I've never spread the word about you two. Before I even read about this contest, I checked out your new site and I fell in love with the very first picture (the two handprints in the sand wearing the rings) because I've never seen anything like it. I immediately opened my email account, copied & pasted your URL and sent a glowing email to my engaged best friend about your work. Since that picture is what motivated me to do so, I have to say that it's my favorite thing about your new site. Ok, now that I've written a novel, I'll keep the rest brief. My "worst gift ever" was a pocket mirror that had obviously been used. It had some sort of sticky substance on it. Yuck. Congratulations on the new site. I hope I have the opportunity to work with you someday. I love your photos. I'm going to Tweet it to the world (well%u2026all 300something people who follow me) now. (twitter.com/chantelnicole)
(05.27.09)I really like your site's originality. I can tell you worked hard to make it your own. It simply tells a story of your special relationship and unique talent. When I was a lot younger I was so excited that I could spend my own money at the dollar store. I wanted a grab bag, but my mom warned me that it may not be something I wanted. But, since it was my money, I bought it anyway. I was disappointed to open it up and find New Kids on the Block stickers. I had no idea who they were and therefore hated that I had just wasted my hard earned money! I guess I should have listened to dear old mom...
(05.27.09)Congratulations on the new site! It is wonderful-- love the music, and everything else about it. Keep up the good work!
(05.27.09)Love you
Okay, I first had to enter your contest 'cause you guys are awesome. Second, because I'm lame and have never tried Starbucks (ever) or owned an Ipod of any sort. You can totally laugh at me here, but hey, what have I got to lose for trying ;) So, I checked out your site and love the 'Ben and Amy' section. I think it's awesome that you've opened yourselves up to share with the world (and p.s. we're Mac's too!) I also dig the 8th photo over on the 'just because' section - love it. Great work you two :)
(05.28.09)Can't find you on twitter, but I linked your contest - @BriannaPhelan - hope you get some kick back :)
(05.28.09)I like your site's variety. It is obvious you love what you do, and it shows in your photos. I don't remember ever choosing a gift from a mystery grab bag, but I have given mystery gifts before. The best one I ever gave was a bag of cow poo. And ironically, Jessica happened to choose the gift!!!
(05.28.09)Love the "about the starks" section. You two are just too cute! A great way to get to "know" you :)
Grab bag...hmm...two words..."plastic poo"...yeah that's what I have always wanted in my grab bag. How about you? : )
(05.28.09)Hey guys! Well, all of the headaches, all of the stress, the late nights, the stressing out and the falling asleep at the desk were well worth it! Your website is fabulous! I like everything about it, I like the stuff about you both, I like the music and the pictures, but my favorite thing is how easy it is to navigate and that your information is clear and concise. If I were booking you today I would feel confident knowing that all we need to do is set up a time and a date, all the rest of the info is there. Alright, my grab bag story. I once got a grab bag with some rabbit window clings, bouncy balls and dumdums. Rabbit window clings are only really appropriate for Easter. When you get lollipops, you are disappointed about a dumdum when instead you really want a blow pop. And I looved bouncy balls, but I pretty much got them confiscated immediatelybafter receiving them (imagine me as a child with bouncy balls, can you blame my parents:).
(05.28.09)ok, well besides your amazing photographs, awesome music and easy navigation, i LOVE the ben and amy section. It gives me an idea of who you two really are! i love that. most photographers don't i also really like your FAQ section because i can get your sense of humor and personality just from reading that. LOVE it! oh..and my husband and i are also fans of jim gaffigan! as for my horrific grab bag story, it was during my home economics/living class my senior year of highschool. my class was her only all girl class and the teacher did a grab bag party at the end of the year. most of them were totally cool, all of my friends got bags full of awesome stuff for college life, but i was the lucky one who ended up with a box of tampons, in my grab bag. oh yes... tampons.
(05.28.09)Hey guys! Love the galleries selections, Ben and Amy section, and the background music! It makes is so much more interesting being able to listen to some tunes while looking through all of your amazing photos. I'm so glad the two of you are doing so well with your business! Hope to see you in the photography world one day!
(05.29.09)