It’s no surprise Amelia Jo Photo is growing. Last year was my busiest yet with 14 weddings packed into 4 months and 45+ couples, family, maternity, newborn, and senior sessions (see past sessions here), I knew going into 2022, I needed to add an assistant or intern to my team. My husband, Grant, delightfully declined to be my assistant (I seriously did ask and he seriously laughed) leading me to realize I wanted more than an assistant, I wanted to provide an internship.

Elizabeth had reached out to me in early 2021 about shadowing to learn more about photography and gain experience but between coming off of maternity leave and diving right into full blown wedding season, I knew it wasn’t an option. But after the 2021 season came to a close in November, exhausted yet grateful for the AMAZING clients who booked with me, I was ready to give my full heart into developing a mentorship/ internship program to not only help aspiring photographers, but to help me better serve my clients as well. And, I knew exactly who I was going to connect with first…. Elizabeth.

From our first meeting to discuss if this program was a mutual fit, I knew she was PERFECT for the Amelia Jo Photo Team! She not only impressed me with her willingness to learn but her personality was infectious! Her bubbly and calm demeanor is exactly what I was looking for.

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A Note from Elizabeth

My name is Elizabeth Stark, and I am originally from Grand Forks, North Dakota. I moved to Bemidji in the spring of 2020 to pursue more of my English degree at Bemidji, State University. I have always loved creative projects, and bringing creativity to the world. With photographyI do that plus more. I have always loved photography, but I never knew how to go about starting a business out of it, or where to begin with any certain type of equipment. In 2017 I had an unfortunate experience when two people who I had known had passed away not even a year apart from each other. I did not show any motivation for what I truly loved to do. In that time my parents turned that around and went to a pawn store in Grand Forks and bought me my very first camera. That is the same camera I use today for my creative photography endeavors.

I have always had a different way of thinking when it comes to the world. When others see a shadow, I see an opportunity to turn that shadow into a creative photo. Photography has taught me many things about myself. One of them being my resilience, with what has happened in my life it has taught me to focus on the beauty of the world through photos. I don’t know where I would be if I had received that camera as a gift from my parents almost five years ago. I certainly would not be here in Bemidji interning with an amazing photographer like Amelia. Photography is not just an outlet, but a lifestyle. I can’t go anywhere without my camera, simply because there is so much beauty that has yet to be discovered.

You can find Elizabeth on Instagram @easterlilyphotography or on Facebook at Easter Lily Photography