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

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!!

Here are some shots:

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

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!

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

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)

Quick Mirror Check

Brooke signaling to late arriving guests…

Michael presented with his bride

One of the mariachi bandmates

The centerpieces were incredible. The bowls are filled with hot peppers!!

Ceremony

Yea!!

My Beautiful Wife, Bridget

Mother of the Bride and Mother of the Groom

A casual portrait

After the bustle, time to party.

This morning, we had our first of a few shoots scheduled for this weekend. We had a family session with Brian, Jodi and Henry. We had so much fun photographing this new family. Henry is just shy of a year old and was more than willing to be cooperative today! We were able to capture some beautiful images today. I am sure I have said this before, but we LOVE family shoots! It is so much fun to spend some time with a family, find some good light and shoot. There is nothing I would rather be doing Here are a few images from today. We are headed to a pig roast this evening! Yummy!! Southern Cookin’ cannot be beat. Stay tuned…