This week we wanted to embrace our word, story. We thought it would be fun to head to Park City, Utah and capture all different types of people walking main street. Talk to them, and get a small taste of their life stories. Everyone was so nice, approachable and loved talking about where they were from, why they were in Park City, and a little something about themselves.
We also wanted to push ourselves out of our own comfort zone with our photography. Street shooting is something neither of us get to do on a regular basis. We found it challenging and fun at the same time.
Enjoy the moments from our day…
What is your “story” with.in?
Tiffany’s view…
Often times I’m out and about and I wished I had my camera with me to capture the beauty of diversity, the interesting stories that we as people bring to the world. I’ve been wanting to do some street shooting, chat with strangers and take a quick peek inside their lives. While I thought it may be a bit of a challenge to approach strangers and also to shoot without them being prepared, it was actually a great experience. The thing I found most challenging was being quick enough to capture the right moment, the interesting smile, the in between times where the true personalities and hearts of people shine. I will say this, I am hooked on street shooting. I hope to travel a lot in my future, explore the big world, and shoot…capture a tiny bit of the world that I can keep as my own. I hope you enjoy my view of the wonderful people that I met one fine day in Park City, Utah.
My favorite image of the day…peace to you too…
Well Hey!!! Thanks for being pretty cool, cute couple!
These guys were great…both so fun…cute little pooches…that’s a good mix right there.
Beautiful, intense, eclectic, what’s their story?
Loved this guy, he was so excited to take a peek at his pics. Enjoy your pics and your ride…
So I’ve decided that this little nook is my new place for coffee and a chance to relax. Park City main street, coffee, chill vibe, interesting people…you’ll know where to find me.
Best friends, contagious laughter, adorable hat, this will be me and V someday..I’m certain.
A quick capture in the bustle of daily life.
Give me all of your chocolate and I won’t shoot…Thank you Mr. Candy man.
Photos by: TIffany Burke
Source: Nikon D700, 85mm 1.4, 50mm 1.4
Vanessa’s view…
I really loved getting on the street, watching people, and how they do things. I am an observer by nature, so for me it was fun to not only watch them, but stop and chat too. It was challenging in the sense that if I have a client, I direct them. Mold them to the look, emotion, and posing I am creating. Street shooting was so different. I had to be quick, change my settings fast, and let them just be them. Loved stepping outside of my box. Plus, so rewarding to listen to others and what makes up their story.
boutique girl. loved her sense of style, and care free personality…i need her coat!
mother and son from NY. she was so excited that I wanted to take a pictures of her. she keep saying, “me? you want to take a picture of me?”
sisters. they were so scared, but as soon I said all you need to do is laugh and have fun, they instantly looked at each other and giggled.
book store owner. one of my favorite places on Park City main. I watched her look at this paper, and wondered how many amazing books she has read.
a man with his dog. He was so happy I wanted to pet his dog. I couldn’t help myself…can we get this kind of dog?
wake boarder from nowhere. A drifter, doing what he loves…to ride anything with a board.
a woman in her 20′s. I saw her working from outside the window. she was so beautiful and in her own world of peace.
a man with age and wisdom. this is the man I wished I could have talked to for hours. to hear his whole life story, and listen to his words of wisdom.
a girl with to-die-for gloves. I saw her walking from a far and had to take her picture. Something about her quiet confidence struck me and of course loved her great accessories.
Carnval fun house mirrors?!?!?!?!?! …hey T…hey V. Or is the Jolly Green Giant and a Oompa Loompa? he he (thats right you are singing the songs now, aren’t you.)
A story is a way of giving you a beginning, a middle, and an end. Where does the story start? What are the chapters in between? And what will take your breath away as you close the last page to this story? All of our stories are different. They change, and have many rough drafts. But in a whole, the final chapter will define you. How will you own…your story?
My story, the one I write for me now, truly began only over a year ago. My story started to take a life when I started living the life that was right for me. The life I dreamed of and the life that makes me feel alive everyday. The rough draft before, or my past, had many beautiful moments that I hold close to me in my new story. But for the pain, regret, and numbness of my past, they have became a mere learning tool in my life lessons. Always there, but never to define me again.
I live each day for me. I embrace that I need love. Self love. To listen to my inner soul, my inner child, and my inner strength. Taking the time I need to just breathe. Stopping to reevaluate my wants and desires. Take a hold of my own life. Being ok with new directions and new challenges. Accepting all my imperfections and mistakes. Allowing them to continually help me grow and learn. Embrace the beauty around me and hear the stillness. Basking in the calmness of knowing I took the hard step. The step away from a life that was not healthy, a step from self hatred, and the step into fear and uncertainty that froze me dead in my tracks. I did it. I stepped. And it didn’t shatter me. I was able to keep walking, slowly, but still moving. Moving towards the freedom to rejoice in just being me again. To lift all the worries and feel that peace. Breathe that life is good, it is mine, and I am happy. Everyday, I learn something about myself. And even though a short cut would be nice, I know that pushing myself to feel the pain, feel the joy, and try to accept things for what they are…I will continue on my new life journey. My life will get easier. Gaining the strength to stand on my own two feet. I am seeing the rewards.
Sometimes the hardest things in life are meant to be the most rewarding. They challenge us, shows us a better way of living, and bring us real happiness.
My life story holds a cup. And now I choose what will go in that cup. What will fill my heart, my soul, and my days. What I will take out of my cup to give to others. And how I will refill it for me. Somedays my cup is filled and over flowing. A drop for good health by pushing my body and mind to new measures. A drop for thought. Reflection of my surroundings, spirit, and mind. Several drops for my children. Loving them, teaching them, guiding them, and being the mother they so deserve. Continual drips for me. To embrace light, love, and beauty to come to me. Acceptance of self love, and self mistakes. Dripping drops for work and creativity. Drops for beautiful friends, family, and a love in my life.
On other days, I can barely get a single drop in. Like a faucet was turned on and my poor cup was drowned. Over flowing to quickly to ever catch up, more then I can handle. “Breathe,” I tell myself. Slowly I can pour out the excess, all the unnecessary demands of my life, and start again. With all the chaos, love, frustration, joy, peace, sacrifice, and pleasures in my life, I must stay true to me. Willing to take the risks needed to keep pushing and filling my next cup. Life is simple. If we just pour out the clutter that fills it, and savor the in fulfillment that renews us.
Embrace these moments, though at the times it can be hard. Look back and see what those hard times did for you. It is empowering. Liberating. To become the better self you have wanted and longed to become. It will be your reward for going through your own personal hell. All of my pain must be felt. All of my regrets, mistakes, and defeats must be felt. For not feeling them would be an even uglier alternative. I would be stuck. Stuck in a life I don’t want. Doing the same things, with the same influences that brought me nothing. Neither of which will get me to the place that I yearn to be.
As a small child, I would drive to California every summer with my grandparents. As we drove out of my small hometown of Vernal, my grandpa would say the same thing to me. “Oh my little Vanessa, there’s a big world out there. So many places to go and see. You can be whoever you want to be.” I remember hearing those words and watching out my window as the scenery changed. It made me curious. To think deeper than staying in my own box. Inspired to be apart of something bigger then just me. What adventures would I go on? What different kinds of people would I meet? Who would I be, when I grew up? I now think of that simple saying daily, “It’s a big world out there,” and try to live it with the same wonder.
To be comfortable living within the silence of life, instead of trying hard to fill it with nonsense to drown it. Find beauty in hearing what is around me. Listening and holding it close. Protecting the small gift of guidance God has given me. And fighting hard to make it real.
I am Special. I am Beautiful. I am Worthy. With my challenges…bring hope. And that is where I am.
I am Human and I am Alive.
Decide what it is that you are wanting most in your life. Is it Love, Peace, and Balance? Letting others in. Finding and sharing love, while holding on to you? Organization, Sacrifice, and Humility? Take hold of your life. Giving up the bad habits and noticing your short comings. Freedom, Ownership, and Strength? Embracing the essence you have inside. To live in the simplicity of seeing and becoming your best self. What ever you choose, decide to start anew. It is in all of us to challenge ourselves to our new “aha moments” and life lessons.
Sit in your silence, listen to your heart, and encompass your world around you…in that calmness is where you can start writing your own mimi memoir of life.
peace.love.xoxo…~V
“Lend me your eyes I can change what you see
But your soul you must keep, totally free…
autumn reynolds -Girl you are amazing!! I am so proud to call you one of my best friends! I’m so impressed with all that you have overcome and accomplished so far and I look forward to all that is yet to come for you!! you are very talented and you’ve got the drive to make anything happen! If someone would have told us in Highschool that we would go through all the thing we have had to endure so far, we may have thrown our hands up and said “no thank you!!” but for me, and I’m sure for you as well, I am so grateful for all the challenges that I have been faced with so far because they have helped mold me into the person that I am today! And I think I’ve turned out ok lol I wouldn’t change any of the life changing experiences! You are an inspiration to woman everywhere! Keep It up girlie!! I luv ya!!
February 8, 2012 - 12:02 pm
Nicolette Holferty -This is so inspiring, genius genius genius!!! I can not wait to see the magnitude of this. So exciting and fun!!
February 8, 2012 - 9:08 pm
Heather-Wow!!! This is awesome Vanessa and Tiffany!!!! You two are beautiful ….inside and out!!
February 9, 2012 - 4:49 pm
Melissa -Love it, Vanessa! You are brilliant and beautiful and I wish you the best with all you are doing. Please give little I a squeeze for me and let her know that I MISS HER SO MUCH in my ballet classes. Love ya!
February 13, 2012 - 6:23 pm
Mickelle Marston-So Beautiful. I think this is an amazing project. So excited to start. I love the photos of you!
Change, change is my story. Change on all levels. All levels of pain, happiness, newness, chaos…beauty. Change has become my new normal and my daily expectation. What will break today? What will give? What part of myself will surrender to the newness that this life has to offer? What pain will be my growth? What lesson do I have to learn? What laughter will be my saving grace? What blessing will be my hope?
It’s the first thing I do in the morning, pour myself a cup of coffee, amidst the sweet chaos of my 2 beautiful little daughters. Within each sip, I allow myself a moment. I let the energy fill my veins and I wonder, what will be…today? Often the thought of the unknown floods my heart and my mind spins…Will my divorce define me? Does unconditional love exist? Will cancer take my mom? Can I be the daughter that she needs right now, am I strong enough for that? Am I a good sister, friend, mother? Will I show my girls I can make us a beautiful life through the changes? Can I show them a daily that life is still so beautiful? That they are purely beautiful? Some days the anxiety of the unknown wins, but that’s much, much less now. I am seeing and believing that my failures do not define me, they shape me. Acknowledging that my fears will not stop me, they will drive me. Embracing that the love I have fills me and the love I have to come will make my cup runneth over.
My story is hard some days, it is beautiful most, but it is mine and I am learning to love it. Through my trials I have been blessed with more love than I knew my heart could handle. I have been given the opportunity to feel again. To feel pain and pleasure…I am no longer numb. I am recognizing and learning from my mistakes. I have been reawaken to my life and I truly live it. I live it, learn from it, accept it and embrace the change.
I have been angry. I’m learning to forgive.
Change is acceptance.
I have times of selfishness. I’m finding more opportunities to give.
Change is necessary.
I have a hard time seeing my beauty. I am looking inside to define it and I’m strengthening the outside to polish it.
Change is my blessing.
My smile had become rusty. I now laugh until it hurts.
Change is happiness.
I did not like feeling out of control. I am learning to let go.
Change is freeing.
I had walls built up. I am slowly taking them down.
Change is….Love.
I have had many people in the last year since my divorce, tell me to….breathe. I have heard that over and over again. From my family, my friends, from strangers, to just relax and breath. I hadn’t realized that the fast paced thoughts in my mind and the shallowness of my breathing was so apparent to everyone, to complete strangers.
I am learning to be still, to enjoy the silence, to simply, breathe.
So here I am an open book. That’s….(deep breath)….unnerving. Oh so difficult to let strangers in. But, my life isn’t perfect, neither is yours and I think we can learn from each other. I have fallen more times than I have stood. But even still, life is beautiful. I’m seeing that everyday it is beautiful. Living is beautiful. Breathing is beautiful. In those breaths I am holding tight to those things that help me to grow and recognizing and releasing those things that hold me down.
Embracing what is…my new normal.
Within is my way to slow down, to tell my story. For you to slow down and tell yours. A place for you to come and relate, to learn, to remember, to share. A place to see beauty through the written word, through pictures, music and lyric, through friendship, laughter and love. A place for the artist inside of my soul to grasp on to and define the creative life that grows within my heart daily. A place for me to combine my love for life and my love for creating art. A place where I can simply be me. Welcome to within. This is what it looks like for me to breathe deep…Take a minute to breathe along with me.
“in life it may seem dark
but the absense of light is a necessary part
just know that wherever you go
you can always get back home”
portrait photos by: Vanessa Rae
edited by: Tiffany Burke
source: Nikon D700, 85mm 1.4
Change photo by: Tiffany Burke
source: Nikon D700, 50mm 1.4
Coming tomorrow: : Vanessa says, an authors view of her “story” with.in.
Whitney Williams -Tiff this is beautiful. You have echoed a lot of my own feelings in rising above the muck and finding the beauty all around us. Life is beautiful and when you take the time to be still, that’s when you find your center!
Thanks for sharing!
February 7, 2012 - 9:44 am
Ricci Sorensen -I just want to say, that almost everyone feels exaclty like you do. We all go through different kinds of hard times but one sentence really saddened me. When you mentioned your “failures” it made me feel sad that maybe you are still holding blame on yourself for whatever those things may be. I am assuming one of those things would be your divorce. That is not your fault or your “failure”.(if I am wrong sorry I will stand corrected, don’t want to offend) Somethings don’t change because of some sort of a failure or fault on our parts. Sometimes change is just a change! Shit happens and life rolls on. Do not hold yourself accountable for that. That is what life is for everyone, constant change and then change again. Just when we think we know what to expect or settle in a comfort zone, change will come and slap us again! I think we as women are entirely too hard on ourselves. I read an article once on the “disease” of perfectionism. And it rings so true. Why are we so worried if people even see our house cluttered?? It’s so ridiculous! Behind the cloak of perfectionism women are suffering, they blame themselves if anything goes wrong, if they aren’t getting enough done, if their bodies aren’t perfect, if their husbands aren’t satisfied, and on and on! we all need to throw that claok in the f**king garbage and wave goodbye to the mirage of what life is “supposed” to be or what is “perfect” and embrace and love who we really are. There are no failures only lessons and if we pay attention we will grow into the most beautiful versions of ourselves! Love the passage about change, it is so true! So in a nutshell I think we all should start using the word lesson instead of mistake or failure because that’s what they really are! An opportunity to learn! Sorry if I went on a rant! Love your story and Love the site by the way!
February 7, 2012 - 1:48 pm
Pam-I love this post, your photo for story is perfect! Change is also within my year, but I think I have a better word to describe my life, I just need to figure out how to photograph it.
February 7, 2012 - 6:34 pm
Jen -Love! Love! Love! I’ve always been your biggest fan! (Well, besides your mum I’m sure!) What an awesome idea. Love the beautiful pictures of you two. All the best on your new adventure! Life is definitely a crazy, tearful, wonderful, joyful journey and certainly made better with friends. I think you are amazing!
February 8, 2012 - 10:21 am
Raquel Acevedo -Tiffany is was so great to see you the other night. Thank you for sharing your new project with me and for sharing your story. You are strong and beautiful and inspiring.
xoxo R
February 8, 2012 - 9:14 pm
ouija board-i love your blog, i have it in my rss reader and always like new things coming up from it.
Celebrating Vanessa’s birthday together, with great conversation over dinner, lots of laughter and a few tears. A moment, hit us both. That through our own trials, and as friends we have grown. Not only have our trials changed us but they have given us something so much more. Friendship, knowledge, support and a new zest for life.
Then began a thought. Everybody has a story. Everybody experiences life changing events. In these moments there can be pain, difficulty, beauty, chaos, strength, joy, challenges with.in. Change is a huge part of growth. And when others reach out to share their own life experiences, there’s a beauty that follows. A true full circle moment that leaves you inspired. We realized how lucky we were to have been given so much support from people who reached out to us during our difficult times. A feeling came to both of of us that we wanted to give back. We sat at the table for a while, thoughts flooded our minds, goosebumps and ideas began to form.
With.in was born…
We envisioned with.in as a movement. People gathering with us, to learn and share in a personal journey. A passion for life, creativity and photography. A place of friendship, and strength. To be with.in the silence, to focus on you. To think, to create, and share with us your own weekly memoir. Every week a new word. A word that will challenge the mind and ignite your soul.
How do you create the world around you? What pushes your skill to new heights? What captures your heart?
Join us in being a part of with.in.
This invitation is extended not only to photographers but to anyone who would like to be involved.
Personally, we invite you to define your own life experiences.
We will announce a word every Monday for your inspiration in creating your own weekly memoir.
Each week we challenge you to create your own memoir, by using or combining pictures, written words, projects, art, music etc. What will your interpretation of the weekly word be? How will you create your own memoir around that one word?
Document your weekly challenge on your own personal or business blogs, facebook, flickr, instagram (#withinthestory), or youtube.
Somewhere in your personal memoir post please make sure to say that you are a part of the with.in movement and provide our website address www.withinthestory.com so that others can share in the journey of with.in.
Then, on the following Monday (which allows you one week to complete your memoir) we invite you to post the URL link for your weekly submission in that Mondays’ blog post comment section. Allowing us to all share in this experience together.
We pose to you a simple question. Why should you be involved? We would like for you to answer that question on your own and decide for yourself what you can gain from this experience. We hope that you will be a part of our vision, and encourage others to do the same.
Join the movement with.in, start today, and spread the word. We all have a story with.in, a life that’s worth sharing. What beauty will your life memoir tell?
We are excited to see your journey….and we hope that you enjoy ours.
(we would also like to welcome comments from our readers on our blog posts.
The comment section is at the bottom of each post)
This weeks word…
1. A narrative, either true or fiction in prose or verse, designed to interest, amuse, or instruct
“For this dance we move with each other
There ain’t no other step
Than one foot
Right in front of the other…we’re Marchin On”
Coming this week on with.in volume 1: story
Tuesday, 02.06.2012: Tiffany says, an authors view of her “story” with.in.
Wednesday, 02.07.2012 : Vanessa says, an authors view of her “story” with.in.
Thursday, 02.08.2012: In the know, a photography view on the “story” of within.
Friday, 02.09.2012: Casual Friday, random funnies.
Monday, 02.13.2012: Our word your memoir, link your URL submission for “story” and announcement on new weekly word.
Pam-I LOVE this!
I was just saying to my hubby that I wanted to put more time into MY photography for MY family etc. This is excellent and similar to what our camera club is doing. Consider me following!
My favorite image of the day…peace to you too…
Well Hey!!! Thanks for being pretty cool, cute couple!
These guys were great…both so fun…cute little pooches…that’s a good mix right there.
Beautiful, intense, eclectic, what’s their story?
lol I wouldn’t change any of the life changing experiences! You are an inspiration to woman everywhere! Keep It up girlie!! I luv ya!!
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Kristin Wilkerson - Loving these. Especially LOVE the one of the dude reading the paper by the window. Fabulous and artistic.