Toni Sparks: Viewing life through different lenses
By Kelly MacLeod / Photo by Toni Sparks
Toni Sparks knows a little something about changing lenses. Sparks is a local photographer — and owner of Short Story Studios — who has been using her camera to tell a person’s story for more than 20 years.
A Pensacola native who left home at 18 to attend the Savannah College of Art and Design, Sparks knew she was an artist. She was always a creative person who loved artistic expressions, including drawing and painting. What she didn’t yet know was how her focus would change.
“I knew I wanted to be an artist of some sort,” Sparks said. “I took photography as an elective, and I fell in love.”
After graduating from high school and earning a scholarship to SCAD, Sparks left Pensacola and didn’t look back — at least not right away. She moved from Savannah to Miami, Orlando, Myrtle Beach and Atlanta, building a career that blended artistry with adaptability.
Right out of college, she struck out on her own.
“It’s what I’ve always done,” Sparks said. “I worked as a photo assistant in Miami and was still doing my own stuff on the side. That’s kind of what I’ve always done.”
Even as she moved through different cities and creative roles, one thing remained constant: her curiosity. Sparks photographed architecture, landscapes and people before discovering what ultimately resonated most.
“It took me a little while to figure out that I really love photographing people,” she said.
That interest in people — their stories, motivations and emotions — now defines much of her work. Sparks especially enjoys doing branding photography for small business owners, a niche that allows her to combine technical skill with creativity.
“I love being able to get to know a small business owner and why they do what they do,” she said. “And I try to get that to come across through my camera.”
She is intentional about making each session distinct.
“Everybody’s look is different,” Sparks said. “I really try to curate the sessions based on what the client needs.”
That philosophy extends to her workspace. Since 2020, Sparks has operated out of her own studio in the old Sacred Heart Hospital building — a space she says fuels her creativity.
“There’s something about having your own space where you can just be creative,” she said. “To get there and automatically feel creative and want to create things.”
Creativity, for Sparks, is rarely confined to a single medium. Long before digital tools became industry standard, she was mixing charcoal, ink and other materials. Even now, she blends straight photography with digital manipulation.
“I like to play with different mediums no matter what I’m doing,” she said. “It’s fun to kind of mix and match.”
When digital photography first emerged, Sparks adapted to the new technology, again taking a look through a new lens. A self-described “technology geek,” Sparks embraced the left-brain demands of modern creative work, from software to marketing.
“It’s allowed me to stay in the industry,” she said.
That balance between structure and creativity also shapes how she approaches life. Once rigid in her planning, Sparks now prioritizes flexibility — a shift she credits with opening unexpected doors.
“I used to be very rigid in my plans,” she said. “And I’ve learned along the way to be open, because you miss really big opportunities if you’re not open to change.”
That openness is especially meaningful for someone who describes herself as introverted.
“I’m still very introverted,” Sparks said. “But the camera definitely helps me speak to people … it’s like a tool for me.”
The camera has also served as a way to process emotion. One recent mixed-media photo series, pieces of which now hang in local homes, emerged as a way to process her feelings.
“It was a series reflecting some emotions that I had going on about things happening in the world,” Sparks said. “It was very cathartic. I feel like being creative in any way is super cathartic.”
Looking to the year ahead, Sparks has plans to travel within the U.S. to photograph brands for business owners she has met through conferences — work that blends relationship-building with storytelling.
For Sparks, photography is not just about capturing what’s in front of her. It’s about perspective — understanding that clarity often comes not from perfect focus, but from the willingness to adjust and see the world anew.
