Leah Starkey Photography

Leah Starkey Photography Storytelling — surrounded in artful energy. Documenting the beauty of love + family 🫶🏼 Hey friends! I want to capture it for YOU!

I love adventure, nature, and people and I think it is absolutely beautiful to bring those elements together. Email me for more details about a photography session with me, Lee!

He’s choosin’ forever, I can tell. Venue Royal Fox Golf Band Back Country Roads Photographer Leah Starkey | Chicago US E...
06/18/2026

He’s choosin’ forever, I can tell.

Venue Royal Fox Golf
Band Back Country Roads
Photographer Leah Starkey | Chicago US Europe Photographer
Videographer
Bride Abby Hanisch
Groom

Country lovers, Country Wedding, Choosin Texas, Country Club, Chicago suburbs, classic wedding details, modern luxury weddings, bride and groom, Chicago weddings, live country band, st Charles, raw emotion, bespoke weddings, documentary style weddings Leah Starkey photography, royal, golf course, indoor weddings, mindful photography, editorial

And then, she had a son.
05/22/2026

And then, she had a son.

Just the ceremony. Just me on lead for the day. And every emotion felt. The way they all looked back at her equal parts ...
05/06/2026

Just the ceremony. Just me on lead for the day. And every emotion felt.

The way they all looked back at her equal parts awe, excitement, and everything in between.

The kind of moments you can only witness.

Nicole + Matt, July at ——

Sun on the water, vows in the open air, surrounded by the people who know them best. Cheers, tears, color, and so much love as they promised to forever.

Florals
Venue

Branding for was nothing short of spectacular.
05/04/2026

Branding for was nothing short of spectacular.

12 years with him. This September we’ll be 4 years married.I’ve been deep in the archives lately—our wedding photos, old...
05/04/2026

12 years with him.
This September we’ll be 4 years married.

I’ve been deep in the archives lately—our wedding photos, old videos, the life we’ve built, looking at our daughters features a little longer.

Sharing a few from our day 🤍 Film + digital by , video by .collective.

Love is a quiet, steady unfolding. It softens you, stretches you, changes everything in the most ordinary, sacred ways.

Opening a small handful of 2027 weddings—more intentional, less volume. If you feel connected to this kind of storytelling, I’d love to see your name in my inbox.

I’m so back BABY!!!!!!🤰🏼I was welcomed back with an effortlessly romantic maternity studio session with Alexis & Matthew...
04/30/2026

I’m so back BABY!!!!!!🤰🏼

I was welcomed back with an effortlessly romantic maternity studio session with Alexis & Matthew. It felt like a perfect full-circle moment, being fresh off my leave with my 4-month-old baby girl on my lap as I edit.

I can feel a new wave of inspiration building inside me, and I’m so eager to continue creating in a way that honors both your vision and mine.

I’ve talked about my faceless family photography before—and I’m going to keep talking about it.I want you to know this i...
04/20/2026

I’ve talked about my faceless family photography before—and I’m going to keep talking about it.

I want you to know this is a quiet movement. There’s absolutely no pressure or judgment if it’s not something you’re ready for yet. If you think about it, so many of us grew up with our parents sharing our faces online from a young age. At the time, it felt normal and wholesome—and honestly, it still comes from that place. I truly believe that when parents share their children, it comes from a place of deep love and good intention.

I was actually one of the very few kids whose parents didn’t have social media growing up, so I wasn’t shown anywhere online that I didn’t personally approve of. And the more I’ve thought about that, the more I’ve realized it’s something I want to practice.

For me, this shift is about something else too. It’s about enhancing my photography skills, narrowing down my image selection (because let’s be real…….I’m a mama of two now and making a post is a journey in itself lol), and finding more creative freedom. When I focus on in-between moments, close-ups, and storytelling without faces, it actually opens up my galleries in a whole new way. There are so many images I love that don’t rely on a face to be felt.

This approach gives me the freedom to showcase the full range of a session—the quiet, the movement, the emotion without needing every image to center on expression of the kids.

I hope this inspires you, and maybe even gives you something to save for later. Moving forward, you’ll be seeing intentional, no-face of kids storytelling in my work. It might feel like a challenge at first, but it’s such a beautiful way to capture a family’s story.

If this is something you’ve been curious about or wanting to explore, consider this your reference point.

I’d genuinely love to hear your thoughts 🤍

It’s full of romance that old place.
04/11/2026

It’s full of romance that old place.

No faces, no longer —Stepping back from social media has allowed me to make these choices with clarity, without the infl...
04/07/2026

No faces, no longer —

Stepping back from social media has allowed me to make these choices with clarity, without the influence of others.

I’ve loved not being as active online during my maternity leave and also forming my own opinion again without all the noise in this space. Taking photos of my own kids and sharing favorites with family and friends over text without thinking about posting the photos for all to see has been so…easy.

That got me thinking.

Family photography should never be about exposing children, but protecting family life. It’s so sacred.

My time away from Instagram has shifted how I want to show up, both on my photography account and within the Feels like Family community. I’ve made the decision to no longer share my clients’ children’s faces (or my own) on Instagram, and only very minimally on my website.

I think it challenges me as a photographer promoting my business to be even more creative with posts/photo work. Obviously giving families the full gallery with their children’s faces shown, but only sharing on socials those in-between/close up/back of head shots.

If WE lean into showing those pieces, I think in the end it echos what parenting really is — a blink in time.

This decision feels right!

As for what this means for Feels Like Family…I’m still figuring that out. There will be some changes, and I’ll be taking a bit more time away here to thoughtfully shape what that next direction looks like.

It’s better this way.

Oh how I’ve loved being a part of the past few years. The hush of the church, the weight of tradition, the sacred beaut...
02/11/2026

Oh how I’ve loved being a part of the past few years. The hush of the church, the weight of tradition, the sacred beauty woven into every moment!

Love these ceremony stills from Ashley and Vince. ⛪️

Address

Grand Rapids, MI

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 6pm
Tuesday 10am - 6pm
Wednesday 10am - 6pm
Thursday 10am - 6pm

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Leah Starkey Photography posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Leah Starkey Photography:

Shortcuts

Share

Category