What is a geometrically intuitive yet reasonably general first introduction to the theory of Moduli spaces?
(Possibly introducing stacks also)?
I'm looking for something which really gets the pictures across and helps build my beginners intuition. However it should be something that is not a totally trivial read either *(i mean i'd like to be able to actually use the results in that paper/ short book also)*.


If it helps: the direction I'm looking into the subject will primarily be from the point of view of analytic varieties and secondarily from the point of view of (schemes, or generalizations thereof (provided there is an initial introductory portion on that generalization)). 



Soft question: beginners reference to moduli spaces
Here are some fairly recent and general references I like:


1. The Handbook of Moduli <http://intlpress.com/site/pub/pages/books/items/00000399/index.html>


The article on logarithmic geometry by Abramovich et al. is great! 


2. The Isaac Newton Institute had a wonderful school on moduli spaces. You can find the videos here:


<http://www.newton.ac.uk/event/mosw01> 


I highly recommend the series of lectures by Nitin Nitsure on deformation theory and Artin's criteria.


3. The book based on the lectures given at that school just came out:


<http://www.cambridge.org/US/academic/subjects/mathematics/geometry-and-topology/moduli-spaces>


It has a wonderful article on stacks by Kai Behrend, working out the enlightening "moduli space of triangles" example in detail (with colorful pictures in the print version!).


