Blog

The official photo blog of J. David Buerk Photography.

Gravelly Point Fall Family Portraits

The expansive greenery and waterfront at Gravelly Point in Arlington, Virginia, provides a picturesque backdrop for portrait photography with its stunning views of the iconic Washington, D.C., skyline.  The proximity to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport adds a unique and dynamic element to the shots, capturing the energy and movement of planes taking off and landing against the cityscape.

Take a moment to enjoy some recent family portraits I captured this past fall for this family’s Christmas cards, and a small set of senior portraits for their graduating avgeek soon heading off to college.

Baby Amelia - Newborn Lifestyle Portraits

This past October, Mahsa and Peyman welcomed their baby girl Amelia into the world with much excitement!  You’ll remember seeing their late-Summer Maternity Photos last month at a nearby botanical garden.

Newborns, as you followers know, are not my most common photography focus, but I’ve been knowledgeable about the precious genre for quite some time, having assisted a friend in another market with her newborn business and aiding retouching many of her photos; baby Amelia marks my third newborn photography session of my own, and I’m feeling more confident expanding this area of family photography!

For newborns, you typically want to capture them in the first week or two, when they are still flexible from the womb and peacefully sleepy, which are both key for allowing many of the most desired poses.  Due to scheduling, we missed that early window, and captured Amelia at 25 days old - it’s impressive how quickly babies grow muscles!  Amelia is strong, and was managing to unwrap herself and could somewhat propel herself on our set by her feet if you gave her a hand to push against.

We started with a crocheted baby quilt made and gifted by a relative, and captured other variations, and some loving family care time next.  This was also the day after Mahsa’s birthday, so the family celebrated with cake and tea after Mahsa blew out her candles.

Can’t wait to see how quickly little Amelia grows!

Mahsa & Peyman - Maternity Portraits

It’s been a couple of years since we last saw Mahsa and Peyman - the chipper couple got married in early 2021 when we were still having small and social-distance-limited celebrations while the COVID puzzle was still being worked out.  A few quick years later and this beautiful couple is now expecting their first!  Baby Amelia is expected this October, and Mahsa wanted to mark the beginning of this new chapter with some early Fall maternity portraits!

With a flowy dress to show off her 9-month belly-bump, we managed to get plans set up just days before her due date, taking in the warm sun at a botanical garden in the first days of Fall.  Mahsa and Peyman exuded the same love and confidence I remembered from 3 years ago, this time not just with each other, but also looking forward to their growing family.

I can’t wait to see this next chapter of theirs unfold!

Abby's 1st Birthday Cake Smash

It’s been one year since we saw Abby here, and my has she grown so much!  A year ago she was a wiggly newborn and eager for a bottle between photos.  Today she is still wiggly, but on the verge of taking her first steps, and likes to clap and be silly at every chance.

For her First Birthday Cake Smash mom and dad (well, mostly mom) got Abby a butterfly decorated cake to celebrate.  After some time playing with (and popping) some balloons, it was time for cake.  Abby went straight for it!  Her side of the cake was in pieces and in her mouth in mere minutes, and with all the excitement, a few minutes later the whole cake toppled, but the sugar rush continued!

Happy Birthday to Abby, and can’t wait to see how much she’s grown in another year!

Washington, DC Cherry Blossoms

It’s almost that time of year again!  We’re days away from the famed Cherry Blossoms speckling the DC region to kick off Spring!

Peak bloom for 2024 is estimated to be around March 23rd, and the Tidal Basin will be bursting with color for the following 1-3 weeks to follow depending upon weather.

Cherry Blossoms attract massive crowds and attention, so scheduling portrait sessions well in advance to allow enough time for the high demand and permitting approval is vital - get in contact to get scheduled today!