Update from David

Hi Everyone!
I just wanted to drop a line and let you know that I am still alive! Just been extremely busy traveling and shooting. Lots to catch up on and blog about. We are working on a bunch of new things and look forward to sharing. First and foremost, our new portfolio site that I feel really works well with our style.

Last week I was in Atlanta for business and while there I also spent a few days with Denis Reggie and a great bunch of photographers. Denis had us to his home for his 'Conclave' which was just fantastic. In case you do not know him, he is the Godfather of wedding photojournalism. His ability to share, teach and connect is wonderful. I am so thankful that I had this opportunity. Thanks to Denis and his staff!

Hope you all are doing well and look forward to posting soon!

Michael and Anna Costa - Recap

Last night was wonderful here at the studio. Michael and Anna Costa were here and gave a presentation on Standing Out in the Industry. It was extremely inspiring and informative. We had a great group of photographers here, thank you all for coming. We also missed the few that could not make it. (You all missed out! ;-) )

Thank you to Michael and Anna (and Pictage for sponsoring the tour!) for coming here and sharing. You two were awesome and I look forward to seeing you again soon. Your inspiration and creativity is incredible. Thank you for helping us remember why we love photography in the first place!

Here is a snap of our group:

Pocket Wizard Plus II - A Testimonial

I was about to write a testimonial about Pocket Wizard PLUS II Transceivers but decided to post a quick video instead. Check it out!



I purchase my Pocket Wizards from B&H Photo/Video

David Burke Photographers - Pocket Wizard PLUS II Transceivers

Elizabeth and Donny

This past Saturday we were at the First Baptist Church of Pittsburgh and the Southpointe Hilton Garden Inn for the wedding of Elizabeth and Donny. We actually started the day right next to our studio at La Pomponnee where Elizabeth and the girls were getting makeup and hair done. La Pomponee is an outstanding Spa for women. They also have the Bec Barber Spa for men, so we can spoil ourselves too ;-)

Their wedding was filled with laughter, love and excitement! We captured so many great moments throughout the day, including a quick stroll to the University of Pittsburgh Panther in the pouring rain. It only added to the fun!

Thank you to Elizabeth and Donny's families and friends for making us feel at home. Enjoy Jamaica and we look forward to showing you all of the images.

Here are a few:
















Raco and The Grand Victorian provided the beautiful flowers
Bethel Bakery provided the gorgeous cake
Jeremy Ganss Productions and Doug provided the entertainment

Bryleigh and the iSight Camera

Couldn't help but post this little clip of Bryleigh from this afternoon. She is so into discovery these days and loves to chit chat. She will talk and talk and talk.. It is so priceless. She was chatting away so I interuppted her and showed her my laptop. She loves to see herself on the screen. She also loves to look at photographs. Definitely a future apprentice!

I haven't shared any family pics in a while so I am hoping this holds over for a bit ;-)

ProPhotoHub

My buddy Ray Santana (Miami-based Wedding Photographer) recently launced a new website for the Wedding Photographer Industry, called ProPhotoHUB. Do your self a favor and bookmark his new site, so you can save time surfing the web for all of the latest and greatest equipment and news in the industry! It is so easy to sit down and get caught up for hours searching sites and forums when wanting information. Ray is taking a lot of that work off of your plate!

He is also posting interviews with top name wedding photographers. It is always a joy to read and learn from successful people!

Alright, enough reading.. Go check out ProPhotoHUB and then get back to work!

David Burke - Documentary Wedding Photographer

Elizabeth and Jason - Engagement

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

Advent Conspiracy

Hard to believe that Christmas is just around the corner!

Lately all we seem to hear is "Change, Change, Change...." Eventually it all starts to sound like the teacher on Charlie Brown "mwua, mwua, mwua, mwua, mwua...." and our ears go numb. Change only occurs with action. Change also begins within ourselves.

Keeping this in mind, I came across this video yesterday and it really got me thinking. Regardless of your Religious beliefs, I think you should watch it. It is a two minute video that speaks volumes... Wouldn't it be something if we made a little change this Christmas season? Changing from within ourselves and teaming up with others would and could really make a difference!

I wanted to share this because I really want to make a difference in people's lives. I hope this touches you and anyone you share it with!

Check it out HERE.

Liz and Tim - The Wedding!

Liz and Tim's Wedding finally arrived on 9/6/08! We decided to work together over a year and a half ago, so needless to say we were really excited for this day to come! We did their engagement at the end of Summer '07. Fortunately we got together a few times in between there to keep in touch. That is always fun!

Everything took place down in Oakland, near the University of Pittsburgh Campus. They were married at St. Paul Cathedral and held their reception at Carnegie Music Hall. We started at the Holiday Inn where the wedding party was getting ready and then headed right over to St. Paul's. St. Paul's is Gorgeous! The lighting is great compared to most churches in the area. I was excited that I did not need to use flash for the processional, thanks to my Nikon D3. (*Techie Geek Speak ISO 3200 Color images are INSANELY gorgeous)

It was beautiful when Liz's parents walked her down the aisle and gave her away to Tim. I love these types of moments!

After the ceremony they had a parade, complete with a Saxophone Player, walking from St. Paul's to the Carnegie Museum. It was priceless. We captured so many great images at this time.

Once the reception was kicking it was an all out party all night, thanks to Jeremy Ganss. If you ever need a DJ, Jeremy seriously rocks! I asked him if I could hire him just to come to my studio and mix all day. LOL!

Thank you Liz, Tim and Family! You guys are awesome and I can't wait to see you again! Enjoy Italy!

Here are a few pics:
Shoes


Tim


Liz






Ken and Jeanie giving Liz to Tim.


The Parade




First Dance (Thanks Kristen!)


Reception Fun!




Vendor Info:
Cake - Cakes By Tammy
Flowers - The Blooming Dahlia
Entertainment - Jeremy Ganss

David Burke Wedding Photographer - Carnegie Music Hall Wedding - St. Paul's Cathedral Wedding - David Burke Documentary Wedding Photographer

Email Down.

If you have emailed us in the last 48 hours, we have not received. We are still moving hosting companies and things are taking longer than expected. If you need to reach us in the meantime, please send mail to davidburkephoto@gmail.com. We hope to be back up and running soon. Thank you for your patience.

David

Michael and Anna Costa in the Studio! (Shoot n Learn too)

Hi all!

I am excited to be hosting Michael and Anna Costa on their Pictage PUG: "Standing Out in the Photography Industry" tour this month! My good friend, Joanne Bartone, is our local PUG leader and asked if we could gather at our studio. Of course! In light of having Michael and Anna here, we are going to combine the September Shoot n Learn with the PUG. Cool?

This will be a very informative gathering on how to stand out in this business. Be sure to check out their Portfolio and Blog. I have not personally met them, but can tell they are very great people! I look forward to meeting them and seeing you all again.

Please drop me an email if you will be attending. We need to prepare ;-)

See you on the 18th!

Our Blog's New Home!

The past few months have been very trying when it comes to blogging, updating our site, emailing, etc... We have recently switched website hosting companies and are confident that the problems will be solved. We are currently still transferring things so please be patient with us during this transition. We are hoping to not lose any emails during this process. We will keep you posted once the move is complete.

In the mean time please update your feeds and bookmarks to http://davidburkeblog.com.

Holly and Garrett Engagement

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!

Photo Tip - Lenses

I often get asked "What Camera Should I Buy?". A better question is about "What Lenses?". The big issue here is budget. Buy the best you can afford. What if you only have $300? What if you have $5,000 to spend?

I put together a quick video to help shed some light for you.


A few things I want to make note of. If you own the Nikon D40(x) or D60 be careful on purchasing lenses. They must be Nikon AF-S lenses because the Nikon D40(x) or D60 lack a focus motor. This means that if you buy the Nikon 50 1.4 AF lens and put it on your Nikon D60, you will only be able to focus in Manual Mode. The D50, D70, D80, D90, D100, D200, D300, D700, etc... can use any lens. The good news is that you can pick up a used Nikon D70 on Ebay for around $250 - $300! Just because it is older does not mean it makes bad photos.

Also Prime lenses range from $100 to Thousands of $$. Obviously the more you spend, the better the lense. However, YOU can create great images with them all!

B&H Link to some options

Good Luck!