Jamie + Nathan

We had a wonderful weekend! If you keep up with the blog, you know that we welcomed our new nephew, Dylan to the family for one. Secondly we shot the wedding of Jamie and Nathan who are very special to us! Jamie's family has been a part of my life for many years and having the pleasure of shooting her wedding was an honor.

The day started off at the Renaissance Hotel across the river from PNC Park. First class, all the way! They had two rooms on the top floor, one of which included the balcony overlooking the city. It was such an ideal spot for getting ready! Jamie was so elegant and beautiful. Everything was detailed perfectly and she walked through the day with amazing grace. It was so much fun seeing the anticipation and emotions she went through. We were so glad to be there to get them all :-)

They were married at St. Anne's Church in Mt. Lebanon, PA. After the ceremony, we made a quick stop on Mt. Washington and then headed to The Priory, Pittsburgh's Grand Hall. What an amazing venue! Absolutely gorgeous. Jamie and Nathan also selected a few other 'top of the line' vendors. Videography by Gordon and Barbara Schu and the sounds were by DJ Spike Real. These people are so great to work with. So, if you ever need videography or DJ services, look no more. Be sure to tell them davidburke photo sent ya ;)

We just want to say 'Thanks' to Jamie and Nathan for trusting us to capture their day. Many blessings to both of you and enjoy your honeymoon!!

Be sure to check back soon for a slide show!

Here is what we saw:


















*That handsome boy with the top hat is my son Damon!*




This picture speaks volumes to me. Jamie dancing with her father, Ralph. This was a very touching dance because they selected a song as a dedication to Jamie's mother. Joyce, Ralph's love and Jamie's mother, passed away earlier this year. Being so close to the family, trying to shoot with dry eyes was more than a challenge. Seeing Jamie's smile and Ralph's tenderness is timeless.

Aunt and Uncle again!

Bridget's brother Darren and his wife, Erin, are proud to announce their new bundle of joy!!!

Dylan Darren Schumacher

was born Saturday September 16, 2006 @ 4:01PM. He weighed in at 8lbs 11oz and is 21.5 inches long. Mom, Dad and Dylan are all doing fine. We are so happy to have a new nephew in our lives!! Check out the head of hair he has... We love you guys! Congratulations and God Bless you all...

Slideshows

Our slideshows have been a huge hit for us! Our clients (present and future), family, friends, etc... have really enjoyed them. We are working on a few things to make them even better and more accessible. While we do this, please enjoy this one!

Click the pic to see the show!

Saturday Sept 9, I shot another great wedding with Heather Lahtinen. Be sure to check out her blog for details and some more fantastic images!

I linked to this image I took on her blog:


This weekend, Bridget and I are headed to Pittsburgh's Grand Ballroom for another fabulous wedding! Stay tuned.

September 11, 2006

Watching the 9-11 special on CBS last night took me right back to 9/11/2001. Seeing the horror unfold again, especially from the point of view of some camera men and firefighters, left me speechless. I can only imagine what it was like to actually be in the midst of it all. The bravery of those men is unparalleled.

It is hard to believe that it has been 5 years since the attacks. I don't think a day goes by where I don't remember and think about it. I remember being huddled around a 6-inch black and white TV with my co-workers trying to interpret everything that was happening that day. When we turned on the TV, the second plane was just about to hit. At that point we all knew that it was no accident. Somebody really wanted to kill innocent people. Unbelievable.

Watching those buildings fall was very surreal to me. I have only been to NYC once and that was April of 2001. It felt like I was just there on top of Tower 2, in awe of the structures and the amazing views from upon there, while they collapsed.

Today, I pray for the families of those taken and for the survivors that were among the attacks that day. I thank all of the heroes for being so selfless in doing what they do. God Bless.

Happy Times at the World Trade Center - This is how I like to remember NYC:

Me on top of Tower 2 in April of 2001

Photography

We have been bad bloggers lately. In a way, it's a good thing, because that means we have been very busy! Between Family and work we have been tapped for spare time!

Anyways, this post is about my favorite thing... Photography! I get a lot of questions from people about photography. The number 1 question is 'What is the best camera for X amount of money?' The second question is 'How can I make better pictures?'

In all honesty, you can take fantastic pictures with a disposable point and shoot. Most of the time it has very little to do with the camera. It is the person behind it that works the tool. :-) At any rate, here are my answers:

1. Best Camera: Buy the best camera you can afford. If you cannot afford an entry level Digital SLR such as the Nikon D50, D70s or the new D80, look for higher end Point and Shoot cameras. The Digital SLR is your best bet, because there is very little shutter lag (delay once you press the button to take a picture) and you can buy different lenses to suit your needs. Good lenses are very expensive as well. So if you cannot afford Nikon glass, look into Sigma or Tamron with Nikon Mounts. You want to buy at least a 2.8 aperture lense. These are considered fast, because they let more light in. One of the best bangs for the buck is the Nikon 50mm 1.8 Lense. This lense is about $100 and possibly could be the best $100 you spend on photography. I have this lense and use it often. It is a wonderful piece of glass.

2. Better Pictures: There are three KEY ingredients that make an image, from the camera point of view. Shutter speed, Aperture and ISO. I won't go into all of the details, but that is how a camera captures an image. There are many non camera ingredients, two that stand out are Light and Timing. Good Light is essential. My favorite ingredient for making better pictures though is Timing. Timing can make or break an image. Always be aware and be ready!
(although it can be done with a disposable point and shoot, it is much easer having a fast camera and lense! hahaha)

Here is one of my favorite images of lately where Timing was KEY:


Had I been a second earlier or a second (heck maybe even a 1/16 second) later, I would have missed this shot. I love this shot! His expression says it all.

I wouldn't spend too much time on things like, 'What is the best camera or What is the best lense...' Be decisive. Think about what is important and go for it. When I was first starting out, I used to search every forum possible, hoping that someone would tell me what the best tool was. There are many. Buckle down, pick one and get shooting! Have fun!!

Bray's Walkin!

After 14.5 months on this earth our Bray Bray is finally walking (and walking well) !! Check him out in this little clip:

Sami and Jason

We spent Saturday with a great couple, Sami and Jason. We did an e-session with them back in April, so it was great to be together again. We started the day at Sami's house while she was preparing. Jason and his guys eventually met with us there and we headed down to Heinz Field for some formals and fun shots. They were married at the Church of Jesus Christ in McKees Rocks and the Reception was held at Trio's in Moon Township. We had a lot of fun throughout the day and met a lot of great people. We wish many blessings on Sami, Jason and their families! Thank you for letting us be part of your day.

Here are some shots:

New Website (Finally!)

Hey all! Be sure to stop over at our new website davidburkephoto.com!! We finally got er up and running. We will be constantly updating the site with new images and information. We still have a few tweaks to do, but it is ready to show.

Our domain has changed, so if you currently have dbphotodesign.com in your favorites, please update your bookmark to davidburkephoto.com.

Wedding in Ohio

This past Saturday, I had the pleasure to shoot a wedding with my friend and mentor, Heather Lahtinen. As usual, we had a great time! We went to Youngstown, Ohio for the event.

This wedding was very different from most of the weddings we have done in the sense that the ceremony was at 1:30 and the reception did not begin until 6PM. It was an ultra-fast ceremony to boot! (Big Thumbs up :-) ) . Needless to say we had a lot of time to shoot at a few different locations. The really cool thing was the reception. We arrived (with the bridal party) at 6PM before the guests. At this time Heather and I were invited to eat at the Parent's table, which we gladly accepted. Once we were finished eating, the Bride, Groom and families lined up for a receiving line and the guests were invited in to eat. Awesome!

I would like to thank Heather for having me shoot with her. Heather has been a great mentor to Bridget and I and we are blessed to have her in our lives. (Even though she makes me cheat on my Nikon cameras and shoot Canon!!!) haha...

Since I used Canons to capture all of the images this past weekend, I can only post one, so my Nikon boys do not get their feelings hurt... Be sure to check out Heather's Blog for more images!

Brooke and Michael Encore!

Because of family (and friends), I have had several requests to see more of Brooke and Michael's Wedding. So this evening I took some time out and grabbed a few more favorites to post.

Looking back at all of these pictures from all of the weddings and other shoots I have done this year have really made me realize how blessed I am. Meeting new people, connecting, sharing and feeling all of the love and emotion surrounding me on these shoots is amazing! I thank God everyday for providing me with the gift of photography to share with people. It truly is an honor and I am forever grateful.

Enjoy the pics!

Here comes the bride:


I love this shot!


The Bride


The Groom




We did it!


Great Surprise!


Moochin in the Thunderbird


Husband


Check out the Bouquet!


First Dance

Home again...

We made it back home this evening! What a weekend. We were so busy between the wedding, rehearsal and all of the other details that come along with an event, as well as a few family shoots. I think we may start dipping our toes into the Atlanta market! I had so much fun down there this past weekend. My cameras are exhausted! But I am ready to go again :)

Sunday morning I had the opportunity to shoot another beautiful family. I have been on a roll with these family shoots! I met Rob and Laurie at Stephani and Jayson's wedding this past June (Laurie is Stephani's sister). I had mentioned that I would love to photograph their family and that we would be in the Atlanta area in August. Fortunately, our schedules synced up and we were able to meet. We went to Marietta Square for the shoot. Thanks to Rob, Laurie and My Mother-in-law for the suggestion! What a Gorgeous backdrop. If you have never been there, it has so much character. There is a gazebo, countless benches, a train, water fountain and plenty of flowers and trees. There were opportunities everywhere so we capitalized on as much as we could. The kids were great and full of energy! You can see it in the images.

Well, we are glad to be home but are looking forward to our next trip to Atlanta. Hopefully our next trip will be just as fun and successful!

Here are a few of my favorites:

The Family


Dancin


Checkin the Train


Catchin the Train (I had to capture the motion of these two!)


Love


Sitting for a second (This is my favorite)