The New Nikon D90 and Chase Jarvis

As you all know I am a loyal Nikonian and am always excited when Nikon brings out new products. Whether the product is Professional or Amateur, Large or Small, I honestly believe in and support Nikon. My Nikon products have served me very well over the years and I have no plans to ever leave them ;-)

That being said, Nikon just released the Nikon D90 which is geared towards the Advanced Amateur. This camera looks to be incredible! One stand out feature is that it does Video too! This camera may very well make its way into our arsenal and be my go to camera for all of our family and personal shooting. It sure is a lighter load than my Nikon D3! So if you are in the market for a killer Digital SLR for a reasonable price, look no further.

This brings me to Chase Jarvis. Chase Jarvis is a Commercial Advertising photographer that is just incredible. I have yet to meet him, but look forward to it someday. His work is so out of the box and extraordinary. He is highly regarded in the commercial industry and among photographers alike. I am an admitted blog stalker of his. His work is so inspiring as well as his personality and willingness to share.

Low and Behold Chase is a Nikon Shooter. He is big time. Nikon gave Chase and his crew pre release versions of the Nikon D90 so they could put them through the ringer. That they did and what they came up with is extraordinary. I encourage you to watch the Behind the Scenes video and then view the image gallery. After doing so you will be headed to B&H Photo to make your purchase. You can thank me later!

Enjoy!

My New Friend - Riz

This morning I had the pleasure meeting Riz Crescini. Riz found me on Facebook, via our common connection to Kenny Kim. How cool is that? Riz has been living in Japan for the last 9 years with his wife and 2 daughters, educating students in the English Language. He also has a ministry and is looking to incorporate Photography into it.

I always love meeting new friends and especially when we have common interests ;-) We talked shop quite a bit and learned about each other. It is neat to discover how many things we had in common. I hope that I shed some useful light for him! Riz promised to keep in touch and let me know of his progress.

Riz it was awesome meeting you. Maybe someday we will get together with Kenny Kim too! God Bless Bro.

Here he is in his Cubs Glory (Cubs are in town beating the Pirates):

Look at Miss Avenue

I had the recent pleasure of shooting this lovely young lady (Miss Avenue ;-) ) in an effort to create some headshots and full body shots. We did both studio and location work. I am so happy with these images and thought you all would enjoy too.

Check her out!

Silhouette on White Seamless

I had an assignment to create a Silhouette at High Noon on a Sunny Day... I thought things through and decided to go for it in studio instead. We were Very Excited with the results! Here is the shot we chose. What do you think?



I used to think that I would not like Studio Photography. I feared being boxed in and forcing images into a cookie cutter shape. I am finding more and more, how wrong I was. I am loving the options I have. Actually shooting more studio images lately, has been a blessing for me. I am starting to see things entirely differently. This can only help my vision going forward, on all of my assignments. I am having too much fun!

Jill and Joe - The Wedding!

OK, so right before we left for vacation, we had one more wedding to shoot! Jill and Joe's day finally arrived August 16 and it was totally worth the wait! God smiled down with his sunshine and puffy clouds. They were surrounded by their loving families and friends as well. Jill put sooo much thought and planning into this day. There were so many great details to capture!

Earlier this year, Jill and Joe had a great engagement session @ Schenley Park.

I knew the wedding would be amazing. I could not wait to be there for them. It was a very colorful day that went off perfectly! They are now enjoying two weeks in Hawaii! I begged to be the honeymoon photographer, but they wanted to be alone... Imagine that! LOL.

Here are a few images and the reception slideshow we ran. See you two soon! Enjoy.

This is one of my favorite bridal portraits ever! Jill was so happy to be marrying Joe!


The Dashingly Handsome Groom


Jill snagging a kiss from her neice


The Processional


A moment by the fountain on Duquesne University Campus


First Dance


Joe Cuttin it up


Reception Slideshow (Click on it to play)


Jennifer Palermo - Makeup Artist
Duquesne University Chapel - Ceremony
Pittsburgh Marriott North - Reception
Carrie Powell - Flowers
All Pro USA - Entertainment
Oakmont Bakery - Cake
David Burke Photographers Duquesne University Chapel Wedding - Pittsburgh Marriott North Wedding

Out of the Office :-)

Just a quick FYI. I will be out of the office until Monday August 25. I have very limited email and phone access as well. I will return calls/emails as soon as I can. Thank you!

David

Shoot N Learn #3 Recap

What a great time we had last night! I think we had 16 people here, which was awesome! We had a very productive evening discussing off camera lighting.

My inspiration for wanting to touch on this subject comes from none other than Zack Arias founder of OneLightWorkshop. Zack is an incredible human being that happens to be an incredible (and giving) photographer. I took his workshop in Atlanta last year and it blew me away. The best investment I have made in my career, as far as fundamental/practical knowledge. If you have not taken his workshop, DO IT. You will not be sorry. Incidentally, he also has released a DVD of his workshop! I am eagerly awaiting my copy. Thank you for the inspiration Zack!

So last night, I had the opportunity to share a few tidbits just to get people thinking differently and not fearing their flash so much. It was so much fun setting up the shots and seeing people say 'Ahh, that is sweet!'. I am hoping that everyone shares some images that they grabbed of Kristen, Beth and me.

Thank you to all that came out to have fun and learn! Hope to see you at the next one!
Here are a few of my own shots. (All shot using Nikon D3, Nikon SB-800 off camera, Pocket Wizards, 60" or 45" umbrella adjustments made in Lightroom Only and then sharpened for web)

Shannon and Peter - The Wedding!

I traveled down to the Washington DC area this past weekend. I documented the wedding of Shannon and Peter! I traveled earlier this year for their engagement. When I met them, it was very obvious how important they are to each other. Their wedding was no different! They were both overjoyed to be marrying each other. It was so awesome ;-)

I had two of my friend and fellow photographers from the area assist and shoot with me. Peter Bang and Armin Defiesta are two fantastic people and photographers as well. I can't thank them enough for helping me out.

Coordinator: Breathe Events
Location: Whitehall Manor
Florist: Growing Wild Floral Company
Entertainment: Kirkabee DeeJays


Shannon, Peter and Family. Thank you so much for having us there and your hospitality! We cannot wait to show you all of the amazing images we captured throughout the day. Enjoy your honeymoon!

Here are a few quick picks:
Ceremony


A little moment on the swing


First Dance


Look at the cake pieces falling! Peter was into it. You should have seen the next image!


Shannon and her father


The sendoff complete with sparklers


Click here or push play (below) for the slideshow we ran at the reception.


David Burke Wedding Photographer - Whitehall Manor Wedding

Shoot and Learn #3 - Off Camera Lighting

**Update - THIS SHOOT N LEARN IS FULL - Please check back for the next one**We are having our 3rd Shoot and Learn Next Tuesday August 12, 2008 @ 6:00 PM here at our studio. The topic of discussion will be:

"Off Camera Lighting" - You have more options!

I will do a mini-presentation covering the concepts followed by us moving to the alleyway for some shooting. All you need to bring is your beautiful self and a camera! I will have the light setup and Pocket Wizards for you all to share. Please email me and let me know if you will be attending with "Shoot N Learn" in the subject line.

I am really looking forward to this one and hope to see you all here!

Here is an example of Available Light vs. On Camera Flash vs. Off Camera Flash. Thanks to Beth for modeling ;-)

Fun Times with Lil J

I have had the privilege of watching Lil J grow up for the past three years. It is always fun to be around him. We met last week and did a shoot for his 3rd year. He even brought his own camera to shoot me! God Love Him!!

Here he is with his big blue beautiful eyes!




Him shooting Me

Fast Track Photographer - Dane Sanders

My friend Dane Sanders is a photographer/entrepreneur based out of Orange County, CA. He is a wonderful soul, husband and father of 4. Recently he released his first book entitled "Fast Track Photographer" that is aimed towards the budding photographer eager to take the leap into the profession of wedding photography. I can recommend this book to Pros as well. I have only gotten through Chapter 3 so far and can tell you that it is LOADED with nuggets that make you think (yes actually use your brain) about where you are and where you want to go. Dane talks about discovering who YOU are as a photographer. It is so easy to get caught up in the commodity we sell (prints, books, files) instead of the experience and being the best YOU possible.

Dane also has the Fast Track Photographer Founder Membership that comes with all kinds of perks. I am a member and have been blessed with many friendships through this experience. If you are looking to get the ball rolling I suggest jumping on board to jump start your success.

I can't say enough good things about Dane Sanders and what he stands for. He started Simple Photo Minute, which morfed into CutFrameTV.com. CFTV is an online video community, much like YouTube, but specifically for photographers. Individuals share tips, stories, fun clips, etc.. Check it out!

I love what I do and cannot imagine doing anything else. The relationships that I have made and continue to make are absolutely incredible. I have never been in an industry quite like it. We are all in it together, so lets continue to make it a wonderful place to be!

PS - We can only accomodate 3 more people for Next Weeks Shoot N Learn, so please let me know if you want to come ASAP. :-)