Welcome to our Blog! We will post recent shoots, tips for photographers as well as personal ramblings. Over
the years, this blog has been such an excellent tool for keeping in contact. You are able to view our wedding and lifestyle portfolios by using the navigational menu above. Please stop by often and tell your friends too! Thanks for being here.
It has been too long since I posted some images, so I wanted to share a few of Rebecca and Jason. These two will be tying the knot next June! I finally got to meet them in person a few weeks ago and am very glad that I did! I was fortunate enough to meet Rebecca's mother this past summer, after just speaking with Rebecca on the phone. It was nice to put a face with the name :-) Also meeting Jason was my pleasure! He is hilarious!!! I am really looking forward to the wedding.
Brittany and Josiah are getting married this January! We met at Peters Lake (which is where Josiah proposed to Brittany) for an engagement session. These two smiled and laughed the whole time! They are so comfortable with each other. I always enjoy watching couples interact on an engagement shoot. It is a great indication of how they will be on their wedding day. I am really looking forward to this January wedding! I am positive that it will be a beautiful day and we will have a lot of fun. Stay tuned for some wedding images...
In the meantime here are a few from the engagement shoot:
Hi All, I have a new Portfolio site that I am excited to share with you. I had not updated my main website in such a long time, because it was so cumbersome to update. I finally found a great solution to host my portfolio and could not be happier! It is so easy to update, so I will update often! I promise!
The actual site is hosted at http://davidburkephotographers.com but is accessible from http://davidburkephoto.com by clicking on Portfolio. I want all of my sites to be accessible from my main domain of davidburkephoto.com. It is still a work in progress, but we are getting there!
This new Portfolio will showcase my Wedding and Engagement work only. I may launch another site in the near future to showcase my other work. Since Documentary Weddings are my primary focus, they need to be separate.
Since my goal as a Wedding Photographer is to be Real, Classic & Timeless, it was important that my site be clean and simple. I did not want anything too flashy. I also decided not to use music. I always find myself turning the music off when I visit websites. What do you do? I would love to know. If you like music on sites, please do tell ;-)
I am working a lot on my brand and have a lot of things coming down the pipe so that I can continue serving my clients with the best of me. I look forward to sharing!
Meet Jason and Elizabeth. We did their engagement session a few weeks ago and were blessed with gorgeous light. They are so comfortable with each other and ended up being pros in front of the camera! Side note: I love when couples say they are uncomfortable with the camera and don't photograph well, etc... I love the progression of being shy to being comfortable. By the end they are all super models.
They are getting married in a few weeks and we also have a gown fitting shoot (Jason will not be able to see the pictures until after the wedding!) scheduled for next week at Tomasina. Tomasina is an amazing bridal gown boutique next to our studio. If you are looking for the perfect gown, Tomasina is the place ;-).
Can't wait for the fitting and the wedding! Enjoy a few pics:
David Burke Wedding Photographer - Engagement Pictures Pittsburgh
Before we left for the beach I hung out with Holly and Garrett and had an engagement session. We had a blast, as we usually do when we are together. Holly is one of Bridget's closest friends, so we go way back. When I met Garrett, I knew he was "the One"! I could not be happier for them. We love you both! We cannot wait for your wedding next June! Maybe I can bring Bridget out of retirement and shoot a few images??? LOL! Talk to ya soon!
I have two recent engagement shoots that I wanted to post about.
The first is couple is Kerry and Gene: Kerry and Gene are getting married this September and could not be happier. This was my first opportunity to meet Gene and he is hilarious! We met in South Park and had a blast. South Park has so many different backdrops for pictures. Especially in the early evening when the light is delicious!
Secondly is Kimberly and Jim: This was also the first time I got to meet Jim (and I am so happy that I did). Kimberly and Jim are getting married this October. They also just bought their first home! So exciting!!! We met at our studio and shot around Mt. Lebanon. Mt. Lebanon is becoming my favorite place to shoot. There are so many options when shooting here! We also shot this session in the early evening and the lighting was fantastic!
Thank you all for having fun and I can't wait for the weddings!!
Kenny Kim and David Burke - Philadelphia Engagement Shoot
6.13.2008
I have the pleasure of being in Philadelphia this weekend to shoot a wedding with my buddy, Kenny Kim. Today we met Daisy and Devon and had an engagement shoot. We had an absolute blast. D & D were so great to work with and very great in front of the cameras! We shot sooo many images. It was very hot and sunny, but we really didn't even notice. I whipped up a video/slideshow of our "Good Times" (I hope Kenny permits me to use his phrase on my blog. LOL!!!)
Engagement Session in Schenley Park - Jill and Joe
5.12.2008
We have been shooting a lot of engagements as of lately. Each one is unique and lots of fun. This one was special because it rained the whole time. I love when it rains, because then you are forced to think differently and embrace the conditions. Jill and Joe did just that... Embraced the rain! These two had me laughing the entire time and I just adored watching the two of them interact.
Once again, I had a great time and know these two better than before. My new friends :-)!!! Thank you Jill and Joe. Enjoy this sneak peek. The whole gallery will be online shortly!
Thank you!
Schenley Park Engagement Photos - Pittsburgh Wedding Photographer - David Burke Photographers
Engagement Session - Char and Ted in the Strip District!
5.06.2008
Still catching up on my blogging. I had an amazing engagement shoot with Char and Ted a few Saturdays ago, down in the ole Strip District of Pittsburgh. The Strip lends so many great backdrops for an urban photo shoot. Better than the backdrops though are the subjects. Char and Ted are complete naturals in front of the camera and they are just plain cool. We had so many great conversations and truly enjoyed each other.
As I have said before, I love shooting engagement sessions so that I get a chance to know my clients. It is so much better becoming friends instead of being 'the hired help' :-). I just want to thank Char and Ted for a great day and great images! Thank you for your patience on my blog sabbatical. Looking forward to you seeing more images!
Enjoy these for starters:
Pittsburgh Strip District Engagement Session - Engagement Photos Strip District
This past weekend I traveled to the DC area to for an engagement session. As a bonus, I got to visit my Mother and spend the night at her home. It was a lovely trip all around.
Saturday I traveled to Meadowlark Botanical Gardens to meet Shannon and Peter for the first time. We immediately hit it off and had the morning blocked off for some shooting and fun. What a wonderful, beautiful couple! They picked the perfect spot for their engagement session.
While we were shooting I got to learn so much about how they met, how Peter proposed and the plans for the upcoming August Wedding. I love learning about all of the details. The wedding is going to be fabulous!!! If you want to learn more, stop back in August after the wedding :-)
As an added bonus, my friend and photographer,Peter Bang got to come and shoot with us. It was so great seeing Peter again and getting to shoot together. Peter will be shooting the wedding with me as well.
Here are a few images from the day. We captured so many great shots! Thanks for doing your thing and allowing us to observe and capture! See you soon Shannon and Peter!
Meadowlark Botanical Gardens Engagement Pictures - Washington, DC Wedding Photographer
Last week we had a great shoot with Adrienne and Chris who will be getting married this June! The evening light was incredibly gorgeous and having a beautiful couple only enhanced it that much more. Adrienne and Chris are complete naturals in front of the camera.
Baby Mason was with us for a bit as well. He is such a cutie!
Enjoy these images, from observing a couple just enjoying life. I love my job!
David Burke Photographers - Pittsburgh Engagement Pictures - South Park Engagment Pictures - David Burke Engagement Photographer
We had beautiful weather on Saturday, in Pittsburgh! I met with Anne and Sean for the first time and shot some engagement photos. We had a great time and I can't wait to get to know them better!! Thanks guys and see ya in May!!!
*Photographers* - These images are straight out of camera and were processed using the new Aperture 2.0 from Apple. I am really working with this software and have to tell you that it is fantastic. I will never say a bad word about Adobe Lightroom, but this version of Aperture is a HUGE upgrade. Blazing Speed, very intuitive, plug-ins that make sense to me and of course Aperture's stellar file management. I may actually change my flow... We shall see :-) I will write a full review when my 30 day trial is up. You may want to try it yourself
Tonight, Jen and I got to hang out with Elizabeth and Donny on the Campus of CMU and Schenley Park. It rained here in Pittsburgh for the majority of the day, but we did not get wet while shooting (which was a bonus!). We had a great couple to work with and a great evening. Elizabeth and Donny will be married on 9/13/08.
Engagement sessions are always fun for me because I get to see how couples interact with each other and they get to see me work. It really makes it great when I show up for the wedding, because they feel more comfortable around me. I also really look forward to seeing my couples throughout the year.
You guys did great! Here are a few sneak peaks. Thanks for meeting us tonight and talk to you soon!
Another engagement shoot and another awesome couple. Meet Liz and Tim... They are getting married September 6, 2008. They were my first 2008 booking :-) They are so sweet together. I knew when I met them that we would become good friends. They recently just took the bar exam, but they won't get the results until October. (I know they passed!)
When we met yesterday, Liz gave me a little bag with a 'treat' inside. They stopped at Enrique Biscotti, in Mt. Lebanon and brought along this incredibly chocolaty tasty treat. I forget the actual name, but let me tell you..... Bliss. It was soooo yummy! I saved a bunch for Bridget too. Of course this made her extremely happy! Thanks guys!
Without further adieu check out these images (btw - we had amazing light last night. so warm):
Angela and TJ are getting married next July 12, 2008. They are a great couple! We had an engagment shoot on Saturday evening, down on the campus of W&J University. This is where they went to college. I knew when I met them, that we would have a lot of fun together, and we did! The images speak for themselves about their love for one another. Thank you both for having me along to capture the fun! I had a blast and can't wait for the wedding.
I love meeting new couples and gaining new friends. This is the best job in the world!
Laura and Mark are getting married on November 3, 2007. We met this past weekend for an engagement shoot. We were blessed with beautiful evening light. Their connection with each other really made the shoot a success. I just told them where to go for the sweet lighting and they did the rest. No direction necessary :-) That is always a treat. They are such a great couple and they are totally in love! I am really looking forward to the November wedding. In fact it is our last wedding for the year, so it will be special. It will be like icing on the cake for a fabulous 2007 of weddings!!!
Thanks Laura and Mark for hanging out with me. I look forward to seeing you again soon!
Meet Heather and Mike! They are getting married August 3, 2007 here in Pittsburgh. I had a blast with these two, while shooting their engagement pics. They are so much fun to be around!! We started in a small patch of woods for some nature type shots, because they enjoy hiking and being in the woods. Then we started to have fun at various locations, including Heinz Field and PNC Park. They recreated the Jose Canseco/Mark McGwire pose with wiffle ball bats :)
Thanks guys, I had fun and look forward to the wedding in August!
This past weekend, Shelly, Chris and I hung out and had a great E session! We started at their home, took out Chris' Harley and then ended up in the Mt. Lebanon Shopping District. The day was gorgeous, but the couple was smokin :-) We had a blast. The blue skies, Bike and background really lend to the images. They are getting married this October and we could not be more excited to be a part of the day! Thanks guys, enjoy the pics!
On my birthday morning, I had the gift of hanging out with Becky and Ryan. They are getting married this October. They were in for the weekend, from Kentucky. We met in the AM to take advantage of the great lighting. We have been so blessed here in Pittsburgh with Lots and Lots of sunshine!! It is such a breath of fresh air :-)
These two have no trouble showing affection for one another and they interact so naturally. They are a pleasure to know and I am happy to call them my friends. I had so much fun with them and look forward to seeing them again soon!
Hanging out with Jamie and Doug was a blast! They are getting married this September. We decided to meet in South Park and start at the Children's playground. We could have stayed there the whole time. We did not stop laughing very often. What fun! I am really looking forward to the wedding.
We had mostly overcast skies the whole shoot, but the sun peaked out literally for about 10 seconds and then 20 seconds at the end. We were able to take advantage, quickly!
Saturday afternoon I headed down to Phipps Conservatory and Schenley Park to hang out with Karen and Ray. Karen and Ray are getting married September 22 (Bridget's Birthday!). Their reception is at a beautiful new reception hall, Bella Sera, which happens to be minutes from our home. This helps not having to drive very far after a long day of shooting and fun!
We had a great time on Saturday. We walked around the inside of Phipps and found some great locations for some shots and eventually moved outside to create some more. Towards the end of the day, I was in search of some beautiful backlighting and we did score! Karen and Ray are a great couple! We laughed so much and captured many great moments. I can't wait for the wedding. It will be a wonderful celebration! Thank you Karen and Ray for including us in your lives!!! Here are a few shots from the day.
Wedding season is well underway here at David Burke Photographers! This also means that Engagement sessions are in full swing. Each session I do makes me enjoy what I do, more and more. What a blessing this has been for me, to be able to do something that I truly love! Amen to that...
Tuesday, I spent the early evening with Laura and Nick. Their wedding is right around the corner on June 9th. We headed down to a special location in South Park, where they were engaged. Again, we had perfect light for the shoot. There were many locations that we were able to use for portraits. The location of the sun really helped for my favorite kind of lighting... Back Lighting. I love the way it throws a glow around my subjects. Tasty!!
I am looking forward to June 9 for the wedding! It will be an awesome day. These two are very much in love and lots of fun to be around! Thank you Laura and Nick for having me along! Check out a few of my favorite images, below.
Monday evening, I got to hang out with Erin and Sean on the Northside of Pittsburgh and Mt. Washington. It was a great night for light! The Northside has so much character for photography! I love the urban settings. My favorite was the Graffiti wall down at the Swap Meet. Sweet! Anyways, these two are getting married June 30 and their wedding is going to be awesome. A small intimate gathering at an incredible location on the Northside. I cannot wait! We had a marvelous time and laughed the whole time we were shooting. These guys are hilarious and in love. What more can you ask for? See for yourselves, below. Thanks Erin and Sean, I am looking forward to your big day!
I had the opportunity to do an engagement session this past weekend, down in Washington D.C. Brooke and Michael were engaged at Jefferson Memorial, so they thought it would be fun to have our session there. I totally agreed! We originally had it scheduled for last month, but a last minute snowstorm came through and we had to reschedule. Of course we scheduled on the weekend of this Fabulous Noreaster Storm!!! It was crazy! It rained non-stop the entire session. The wind was blowing, the rain was coming down, sideways and every way. We were determined not to let it hamper our time. We had lots of fun and challenges!!
I brought my Dad along with me and I am so happy that I did. He was my right hand man, trying to keep me as dry as possible while I was shooting. He said he felt like, 'Michael Jackson's umbrella holder guy'. I wish I had a picture of us together! Thanks Dad :-) Also, I have to give a shout out to Nikon!! My equipment is weather sealed for minor conditions... Well, I REALLY put it to the test yesterday. It got SOAKED! I was nervous, but it kept on working flawlessly. As soon as we got to the car, I was able to get it dried off properly and let it air out. I hooked it up today and it works like a charm! Thanks NIKON!
I really want to thank Brooke and Michael for having us down to DC for this fun! It was so great to work with them and I am really looking forward to the July wedding. It is NOT allowed to rain! It rained enough yesterday for the rest of the year.
Megan and Gary were referred to us from our friends Susan and Michael. We are so fortunate to know them! We hit it off immediately and are looking forward to growing our friendships! They are getting married this September. We met at Megan's parents' home on Mt. Washington to start the shoot. The home is out of this world! The view, the embelishments, everything. Both of their parents were there and they made us feel very welcome. Megan and Gary are so in love and so much fun! We are really looking forward to the wedding. We started off with a few formal family shots and then went out on our own for some fun shots. It started to rain for a little while, but we had no worries. We covered a lot of ground in a short period of time too! They were so much fun to work with and easy to shoot. See you guys soon!
Sunday I met with Stephanie and Jeremy for an engagement session. They are getting married on March 31! Just around the corner. This is also a special time, because Stephanie's brother serves in the military and just got home from Afghanistan. They planned the wedding around his leave, so that he could attend. I think that is so wonderful!
We met at their apartment to capture a few casual shots of how they relax at home. We then decided to go to Peter's Lake, which is where they got engaged. It was brutally cold and the lake was completely frozen! We did get a few snow flurries, but we were wishing for more. It was a great shoot and I can't wait for the wedding! See you soon!
Saturday I headed down to Schenley Park to meet Donna and John for an engagement session. They are getting married this May! We had the standard overcast skies, which lend to beautiful soft lighting. We did get some sunshine for about 30 seconds and I was able to capture a few beautifully backlit images. Flat light is perfect for pictures, but I love different lighting that creates some shadows. It was snowing occassionally as well, which added some texture :-).
Donna and John are a great couple that is very much in love. We are looking forward to the wedding! Here are a few shots from the shoot.
