aspen burke photography blog http://www.aspenburkephotography.com/blog Blog Mon, 10 Oct 2011 12:54:06 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 Baby Maeve http://www.aspenburkephotography.com/blog/?p=646 http://www.aspenburkephotography.com/blog/?p=646#comments Mon, 10 Oct 2011 12:54:06 +0000 Aspen http://www.aspenburkephotography.com/blog/?p=646 What a way to start my blog off again.  This sweet baby girl is so precious and calm.  She was content the whole time and just let me snap away.  She let us know when she’d had enough and was ready to eat though.  I really enjoyed photographing her and meeting her wonderful parents and new big brother Finn. :)

-A

]]> http://www.aspenburkephotography.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=646 0 A light in darkness… http://www.aspenburkephotography.com/blog/?p=639 http://www.aspenburkephotography.com/blog/?p=639#comments Mon, 25 Apr 2011 21:13:04 +0000 Aspen http://www.aspenburkephotography.com/blog/?p=639 How often have we all not felt adequate. Like what we’re doing is just not good enough, or maybe we feel really good about something and then we compare it to something somebody else has done and we feel inadequate and it steals the happiness that we had. Well I ran across this post on a great blog that I love to read called the Creative Mama.

“embracing the darkness

We all get lost in the darkness sometimes. Feeling unsure. Scared. Not good enough. The darkness for me shows up in the times when my life is not where I want it to be. When I make decisions that I am not happy with. When nothing seems to be going right. And I feel like a failure. That I did something wrong. That I’m just not good enough. I doubt everything. I beat myself up for not having all the right answers. For not making the right choices. For not being in the perfect place right now. For not having it all together today. I feel like a failure because I am not who I want to be in this moment. I’m not living in the the body I really want. I lose my temper with my kids. The house is not perfectly organized and spotless at all times. Business behind the scenes can be chaotic and scattered. Family photos don’t always get edited right away. Or sometimes not at all. And I don’t want anyone to see me this way. Filled with uncertainty. Doubt. Darkness.

When I look back at those moments when I felt like everything was going wrong. When I felt like a giant failure. I now know that they were all meant to happen. To teach me. To move me forward. These moments of darkness and uncertainty are exactly where I needed to be. And now I know that in each one of these moments when I feel like less. Broken. Or not good enough, I remind myself of this…

There are no failures. Only learnings.

{Read that again. And believe it.}

I have removed the word “failure” from my vocabulary. Because I don’t believe in failures. Not anymore. I believe in life lessons. I believe in learning and growing and moving forward. And being exactly where I am supposed to be. Building upon the things that I am experiencing. Even in the darkness. Taking the next step. Moving forward. And getting there because I learned something from what I am experiencing.

Each time I feel like less, feel like a failure, I know that I am actually being given more. More opportunities to learn. To see so clearly what I really do want in my life. Who I want to be. Who I don’t want to be. What I want from my business. What I don’t want my business to become. What kind of mom I so clearly do not want to be. And the mom I know I am. The way that I want to spend my days. And what I don’t want to waste my time doing anymore. These are all lessons I am learning from the darkness. So how could I ever see it as a failure when I learn so much about myself in these moments of darkness? Learnings that are building a better, happier and more authentic me.

I am learning to let go. To embrace the darkness. And all that it is teaching me. How will I ever continue to grow if I never make mistakes? If I never stumble and fall? Then I cannot pick myself back up, brush myself off and keep going forward with a stronger understanding of where I am headed. With more purpose and passion than I had before I stumbled. With a clearer vision. With bigger dreams and more determination than ever before.

Out of the darkness I know that I am growing, evolving, changing, living, learning, improving. every single day. I am okay right where I am. Embracing this moment. And all that I am learning from it.”

Let’s all learn from our darkness… and remember that EVERYONE has it! :)    God has a plan for us all and sometimes allowing us to go through the darkness and the valley’s is how he has to get our attention.

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in Me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart because I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

 

]]> http://www.aspenburkephotography.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=639 0 {Carter} – 6 months http://www.aspenburkephotography.com/blog/?p=618 http://www.aspenburkephotography.com/blog/?p=618#comments Mon, 25 Apr 2011 11:30:15 +0000 Aspen http://www.aspenburkephotography.com/blog/?p=618 Words cannot describe how cute this little man is. He is soooo smiley. He wasn’t to sure of my camera or me for that matter but he would light up at Mom & Dad, oh and Sophie the giraffe. :) My job really is pretty great. I get to take pictures of adorable babies. :) -A



]]> http://www.aspenburkephotography.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=618 1 {Kat} and family… http://www.aspenburkephotography.com/blog/?p=619 http://www.aspenburkephotography.com/blog/?p=619#comments Sat, 23 Apr 2011 00:48:55 +0000 Aspen http://www.aspenburkephotography.com/blog/?p=619 With my crazy schedule this past couple of weeks I feel like all I’ve been doing is shooting and editing, I’ve had NO time to post blogs.  Well I finally have a spare second since it rained this morning and my shoot was canceled.  I actually slept in and I’m enjoying a nice cup of tea.

I posted a picture of the adorable Kat on here before, but here are some images from the rest of the shoot.  I LOVE THIS LITTLE GIRL,  She is the sweetest baby!   This family is so dear to me.  Not only do they look like they came out of a GAP add, they are some of the nicest and most genuine people I’ve EVER met.  I feel blessed to have them as friends . -A

]]> http://www.aspenburkephotography.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=619 1 {Family} -Rogers http://www.aspenburkephotography.com/blog/?p=612 http://www.aspenburkephotography.com/blog/?p=612#comments Sun, 17 Apr 2011 23:24:43 +0000 Aspen http://www.aspenburkephotography.com/blog/?p=612 I am so behind in blogging.  I’ve had 6 shoots in the last week and yesterdays was only canceled because of rain.  So I’m attempting to catch up!

Meet the Rogers,  a super sweet family that I had a blast with on the beach and even got to go enjoy some yummy pizza after the shoot with.  It’s so fun to shoot little boys, they are high energy and always RUNNING looking at new stuff.  Little Jake definitely gave me a workout and we had a close call with a crab (well, I did. I just don’t like them. They are like creepy little sand spiders)  but, we had a great time and the pictures show what a fun family they are.  Thanks for making it a great time and for inviting me for pizza! ;)

 

 

 

 

]]> http://www.aspenburkephotography.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=612 0 Government… http://www.aspenburkephotography.com/blog/?p=603 http://www.aspenburkephotography.com/blog/?p=603#comments Fri, 08 Apr 2011 01:42:15 +0000 Aspen http://www.aspenburkephotography.com/blog/?p=603 Let me start by saying I always try to stay away from heated topics, as I want this site to remain a fun, happy place about pretty pictures.  I prefer to live in my own little world  with unicorns, sunshine, rainbows and lots of sparkly stuff… oh and red vines. ;) As a Military Wife I think it’s important I not live by the News. It’s far too stressful when your Husband’s job is the news and he’s deployed.  I stay informed, but cannot subject myself to the 24 hour news channels and the stress they tend to induce. While I have firm political beliefs, I think they’re best kept private. I will say this, regardless of the details involved with the potential government shutdown, it’s an absolute embarrassment that our representatives in Washington have let things get so out of control that our Military going without pay is even a possibility.  The military community goes through so much already without having to worry about pay. I pray that this all gets sorted out… SOON!

 

 

]]> http://www.aspenburkephotography.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=603 0 {Kat- 7months} http://www.aspenburkephotography.com/blog/?p=579 http://www.aspenburkephotography.com/blog/?p=579#comments Sat, 02 Apr 2011 03:23:37 +0000 Aspen http://www.aspenburkephotography.com/blog/?p=579 One quick sneak peak before I’m off to another shoot. Just for you Kristen!
I LOVE the crinkle face& the fact that her ruffles go with the rolls in her arms!  Kat is such a wonderful baby girl. She has the sweetest little personality! I totally love her. -A

]]> http://www.aspenburkephotography.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=579 1 Birthday treat… http://www.aspenburkephotography.com/blog/?p=594 http://www.aspenburkephotography.com/blog/?p=594#comments Tue, 29 Mar 2011 04:20:09 +0000 Aspen http://www.aspenburkephotography.com/blog/?p=594 Being a military wife has it’s downfalls of course… but how blessed am I that my AWESOME hubby made the effort to Skype me on my birthday, and because I’m a military wife I know what a great gift and blessing it is just to see him.  Other than holding him in my arms, this is the BEST!!

]]> http://www.aspenburkephotography.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=594 0 Family love… http://www.aspenburkephotography.com/blog/?p=585 http://www.aspenburkephotography.com/blog/?p=585#comments Mon, 28 Mar 2011 00:11:13 +0000 Aspen http://www.aspenburkephotography.com/blog/?p=585 After a little “adventure” around Oki we finally got to our location to shoot.  The family did awesome, especially  after being cooped up in the car for almost 2 hours. ;)   There were lots of laughs, tears, tickling and “honking”… Leesa!   We had a great time and made some treasured family photos for them before the head off to their new home in Georgia.   Good luck guys… we’ll miss you! :(   – A

]]> http://www.aspenburkephotography.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=585 2 Roller Dolls… http://www.aspenburkephotography.com/blog/?p=572 http://www.aspenburkephotography.com/blog/?p=572#comments Fri, 25 Mar 2011 09:11:29 +0000 Aspen http://www.aspenburkephotography.com/blog/?p=572 I’m sure if you’ve driven around Oki at all  over the past several months you’ve noticed a sticker or two sporting the awesome Kokeshi Roller Dolls logo. Many of you like me may have thought derby was a thing of the past until last year when I saw the Drew Barrymore movie, Whip It. Well let me tell you, it is alive and thriving , even right here on our little island of Okinawa. Thanks to the hard work of some very motivated and dedicated derby gals there is a full on league with 3 full teams and it’s still growing. There are  70 some girls participating in it and it just keeps getting bigger. This coming April will be the first actual exhibition and then this fall will be the start of all of the bouts at Comprehensive Park. It’s going to be very cool. Many of you may think it’s all just hard core chicks that have anger problems but what you wouldn’t guess is that they’re normal everyday moms, wives and down to earth commissary shopping gals. I happen to be lucky enough to be one of them. So this fall when it comes time … come on out cheer on the derby gals & show us some derby love! :)   You can check us out at https://www.facebook.com/kokeshirollerdolls or http://www.kokeshirollerdolls.com/

]]> http://www.aspenburkephotography.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=572 0