Fall came a little late this year, but that just meant we got an extra blast of warm for a little longer. The Cumberbatch Family went out to enjoy the changing colors before all the leaves fall and Winter takes hold. After checking out the swingset and playing tag, the kids decided to grab bundles of leaves and make their own fall by the waterfront. Tons of Fall fun to last until next Autumn!
Blog
The official photo blog of J. David Buerk Photography.
Safebridge - Headshots and Branding
I recently captured some headshots and personal branding for Safebridge, a Certified Financial Planner based in Northern Virginia.
Jack, the owner of Safebridge, is in the process of rebranding his business, which includes updating their web presence and marketing strategy to better represent new avenues his evolving business model has lead and reflect ideals fundamental to Safebridge’s core values.
This kind of transitionary period is the perfect time to update headshots and on-brand portraits as part of a personal branding session; having a catalogue of high-quality photography is vital to a brand’s marketing strategy, which can be used in web design and carried over to social media campaigns, with a backlog of ready-to-publish images for future expansion of a brand’s web presence and prospective marketing campaigns.
To schedule you or your business’ headshots or personal branding portrait session, contact J. David Buerk - Photography today!
Rubin and Madonna: The Proposal
If you’ve ever met Rubin, you know he always has something funny to share. One of my earliest memories with Rubin is from while I was covering Ethiopian’s 787 Dreamliner being introduced into service at Washington Dulles International Airport; Rubin said, “I honestly don't know what David looks like. I think his face might look like a camera.” Some say he may not be wrong.
When Rubin told me he was planning to propose to Madonna at the Dulles airport gate where they first met, I of course was excited to help capture the moment. Rubin spent several weeks planning the proposal, coordinating with the airport and IT to make his idea of the gate display boards play clips of all the travels and memories they’ve compiled over the years of their relationship, culminating with a special flight information display for the next chapter of their relationship to take off.
To-date I’ve photographed three prior proposals, two of which were also airport proposals, but like everything in 2020, this proposal presented new challenges to solve - namely, for me, how do I blend in with a crowd that isn’t there? 2020’s coronavirus pandemic has heavily impacted the aviation industry, and during a planning walkthrough a week prior to the proposal, it became apparent my usual tactic of hiding in plain sight may prove more difficult given that gate A25 was completely abandoned. Fortunately, given the video Rubin assembled to play on the FIDS, I wouldn’t need to hide much for very long, as the jig would pretty much be up as soon as Madonna saw the video - a marked difference from other proposals I’ve captured, and I’m happy to say it worked out exactly as Rubin planned.
Funnily enough, the day-of, gate A25 wasn’t abandoned! It was populated with passengers social-distancing in groups before their flight departing from an adjacent gate, so my gambit to “look like a passenger” paid off, and happened to come in handy much earlier than I’d planned - as it would happen, Rubin and Madonna were on the same AeroTrain as me when heading over to the gate to set up, while Rubin took Madonna to his office to pretend file some paperwork in order to throw Madonna off his plans and give everyone at A25 time to get in position. When I got off the AeroTrain, I spotted the couple getting off two cars ahead of me and hopping on the escalator - I decided to stick to my plan, and follow suit with everyone else moving through the station, and I walked my rolling camera luggage and backpack onto the escalator adjacent and a few steps behind them - don’t mind me; I’m just a passenger! Later on, Rubin told me he’d spotted me, but played it cool-as-a-cucumber the same as me. I was even able to grab a few photos of them before I paid them no mind speed-walking past with my rolling bag on the way to my “flight.”
Once the time came, Rubin walked Madonna to gate A25, the gate they first met each other as airport employees, and Rubin’s video played on the FIDS with music filling the gate area. And Rubin’s plan worked, because Madonna was taken with emotion immediately. The pictures tell the rest of the story - when the “Will you marry me?” flight card showed at the end of the video, Rubin dropped to one knee to pop the question, and the rest is history!
Just being around Rubin and Madonna you can feel their energy, and seeing how happy they make each other it’s impossible not to feel happy yourself. After passengers and fellow employees and friends alike had congratulated the newly engaged couple, we took some photos to formally commemorate the occasion. As Rubin and Madonna are both longtime airport employees, and to further celebrate the place where they met, we captured portraits on the ramp with Dulles’ historic ATCT in the background as onlookers watched from passing mobile lounges and taxiing aircraft, before heading back to the Main Terminal to meet with friends and family who had gathered to congratulate the pair.
It’s 2020; you have to social-distance and wear your mask:
Also because it’s 2020, it must be said: masks were only off for photos, socially distanced from non-family members.
With the help of a mutual friend of Rubin and I, video of Rubin and Madonna’s engagement was captured from several angles, which I’ve combined to show exactly how it went down.
Dulles’ tagline is “Your Journey Begins with Us,” and for Rubin and Madonna it truly did at Gate A25.
Erik and Jennifer: Married June 27th, 2020
Many years ago, when I was a freshman in college, just as my interest in photography was taking off, and way before I knew I’d pursue it professionally, I switched positions at Washington Dulles International Airport from a customer service position to an office internship more closely aligned with the engineering major I was studying toward at the time. This is how I met and came to be friends with Erik.
Erik and I have always shared the same love of photography; he even worked in a photo lab developing film for a time in college. So as my career path started to change course, Erik understood, and continued to mentor me, even as my imaging talents eventually took me away from the airport’s Maintenance Engineering Division I’d been a part of for the better part of my college career. Erik is also largely responsible for familiarizing me with Nikon cameras, which although certainly not my preference, has continually proven useful to this day.
At the time Erik and I met, he had just had his son, Noah, and I saw him grow through baby photos in his office and periodically bumping into Erik taking Noah to airport events or Star Wars screenings at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center’s IMAX. So while I know Noah is as old as I’ve known Erik, it was still a bit of a surprise when he’s now in his early-teens and taller than I am, talking about cars at Erik and Jennifer’s wedding. Time flies.
As you can see, Erik and I go way back. Jennifer and I, not so much, but it’s clear they are happy together, and Jennifer’s sense of humor compliments the dry and oft deadpan wit Erik bears. Erik and Jennifer were engaged last year, but like so many other couples right now, the COVID-19 pandemic changed their wedding plans. Venues are difficult to come by, and everyone is still adjusting how to do even basic tasks, like safely traveling and meeting. Erik and Jennifer’s ceremony was outdoors and shared with a small group of socially distanced close relatives in order to maintain everyone’s safety while gathering to celebrate.
Although their wedding was abridged due to the pandemic, I ensured their wedding portraits were not. Taking advantage of the clear, warm Summer weather, and the rural Virginia manor in the Shenandoah Valley where they said “I do,” I captured portraits of them in the gardens and fields of lavender at sunset; without a reception, this wedding portrait session had a refreshingly more relaxed vibe than some of my pre-pandemic weddings with extremely limited time constraints for the couples’ portraits. I enjoyed capturing them, and am happy Erik and Jennifer have them to enjoy for many years to come even in the face of the pandemic.
Behind the Scenes
Normally I wouldn’t post my bathroom mirror selfies on my website, but it’s 2020 and here we are. I think it’s important to take a minute to show what I look like at all my sessions in the age of COVID-19. Not only am I protecting my clients, but I’m protecting myself and loved ones I care for, and wear an N99 respirator during the entirety of my sessions, even in 96º Summer sunlight; it’s not a problem, and is just one of numerous strict precautions I take to protect my clients and myself. I only break out the bowtie for special occasions though ;-)
I’ve also been taking fun-photos with a Polaroid lately; I’ve been curious about them for years, but only started playing with one this Summer. I accidentally had the focus set to Portrait / Close-up for this one, but perfection-in-imperfection is the exact thing I find so enchanting about film photography.
Best of 2019
2019 was quite an odd year. Its unusual helter-skelter pace sometimes made me doubt my photographic skills, but the year continually provided new opportunities to refresh my creative energies, whether that meant braving sub-zero wind chills in unfamiliar cities, or trying new lighting and editing techniques while on commercial assignments. This annual year-in-review wrap-up helps to fuel my creative energies for 2020, and a new decade of capturing the world around me. I’m all set for the new year - let’s capture 2020 together.
As the Earth transits its Moon, a crescent shape is left illuminated prior to the total lunar eclipse during a “supermoon,” January 20th, 2019.
The newly released mirrorless full-frame Canon EOS R in the snow, with a Lubitel 2 75mm f/4.5 lens modified to EF mount.
2019’s first snowfall; a light dusting in the DC region.
Milwaukee River one week after a “polar vortex” brought record low temperatures of -21ºF with a windchill of -40º. The temperature at time of this picture was 13ºF with a wind chill of -7º. The extreme cold snap claimed 22 lives.
In downtown Milwaukee, a cheese mart offers rotating samples of hundreds of local cheeses.
The bottling and packaging equipment line at Lakefront Brewery, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Mew, the mythical 151st Pokémon, straps in for a flight in Economy Plus.
Above Chicago, icebergs on Lake Michigan are visible for miles one week after a “polar vortex” brought record low temperatures of -23ºF with a windchill of -52º to the city. A maximum temperature of -10ºF set a record for lowest daily high temperature. The extreme cold snap claimed 22 lives.
A nuclear power station vents steam and creates a shadow onto the eastern waters of Lake Michigan.
In stark contrast to the mid-west’s severe Winter, the DC region experiences unusually warm February weather. A woman walks by a Fredericksburg brewery’s mural in the premature Spring temperatures.
Details of a two-year-old orchid at the end of peak bloom.
Aerial view of Soldier Field at sunset.
“The Sky's The Limit“ by Michael Hayden, 1987; neon lights and colored panels choreographed to music by composer William Kraft adorn the pedestrian talkback tunnel connecting United Terminals B and C at Chicago’s O'Hare International Airport.
Between Terminals at O'Hare International Airport, globes illuminate the way for passengers at night.
International arrivals queue through the line in O'Hare International Airport’s Terminal 5 before clearing customs. Disembarking passengers pass by ad space displaying a campaign for a Japanese courier logistics service. J. David Buerk - Photography documents marketing campaign activations in major markets across the United States.
In downtown Chicago, an Uber driver cuts through the city to avoid traffic on I-90.
Visitors to Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry view “The Great Train Story,” a 3,500 sq.ft. model train installation displaying 20 trains on 1,400 feet of track representing 2,200 miles of railway between Chicago and Seattle.
Aboard the German Submarine U-505, red alarm lights shine dimly while being depth charged. The submarine was captured by the US Navy in 1944 in efforts to capture an Enigma code machine used by Nazi forces during WWII. The U-505 is the only U-boat in North America.
A recently hatched baby chick photobombs its siblings in the Museum of Science and Industry’s Fast Forward & Genetics exhibit.
In Chicago’s Hyde Park, English Ivy is allowed to overgrow on a row house, blooming green in warm months, and exposing delightfully spooky vines on the brick facade in Winter.
Bandmembers of Tommy McCracken playing electric guitar at Buddy Guy’s Legends blues nightclub.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame blues legend Buddy Guy takes the stage at his Chicago nightclub to sing relationship advice to audience members.
Nellie Travis sings a soulful rendition of “Sweet Home Chicago” with audience participation at Buddy Guy’s Legends blues nightclub.
Promotional photo of Wolfgang’s Meatloaf at The Kitchen by Wolfgang Puck.
Promotional photo of Lamb Lollipops with Hummus and Flatbread at Bracket Room.
Margaret and Bayard kiss with champagne on the lawn of Belle Haven Country Club after their wedding ceremony.
Margaret and Bayard’s wedding rings on a bouquet of flowers.
Planespotters click away from Washington Dulles International Airport’s (IAD) T/L K as Alitalia touches down to begin non-stop service between Washington, DC and Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport (FCO).
After remarks at the gate, Fabio Lazzerini, Alitalia CBO, and Armando Varricchio, Italy’s ambassador to the United States cut cake to celebrate Alitalia’s non-stop service between Washington, DC and Rome.
Models showcase every uniform worn by Alitalia cabin crew since the airline’s inception in 1946 during a cocktail recaption at the Embassy of Italy in Washington, DC.
During Alitalia’s cocktail recaption at the Embassy of Italy in Washington, DC, the Cognac Jazz Band’s singer solos on the trumpet during a cover of the main title theme from “Game of Thrones.”
New 7000 Series trains cross the Washington Metro’s bridge between Arlington and Washington, DC, in front of the Jefferson Memorial and Washington Monument.
Bridesmaids button up the lacy back of Tiffany’s wedding dress in her Arlington hotel room.
David and Tiffany hold hands in front of a fountain in Arlington as the wind blows during a first-look.
David and Tiffany’s wedding rings in a pink rose at their wedding reception.
Lexus LC 500s await drivers to hot-lap them Lexus Experience Amazing Drive Event.
Crowds fill the streets and tour the shops in Old Town during the Taste Leesburg wine and food festival.
Storm clouds move in over St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church in Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia.
A moth lands on a hiker’s arm to feed on salt in the hiker’s sweat.
Atop the Maryland Heights Trail in Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia, Patrick poses for a contemplative portrait.
An image from August 24th, 2019, showing the section of the rail bridge that gave way following the derailment of empty CSX grain cars into the Potomac River at 4AM, December 21st, 2019. The Goodloe Byron Memorial Footbridge alongside the bridge's train line provided pedestrian access from Harper's Ferry to the locally-famous Maryland Heights Trail, and is part of the Appalachian Trail. Information about the incident, including indefinite closure of footbridge access, can be found on the NPS website.
Hina places “HOME” decorative blocks on the mantle immediately after closing on Imran and Hina’s first home.
Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, DC is closed and filled with attendees of the Snallygaster beer festival.
Lisa Marie’s 2017 “LOVE” mural in Blagden Alley’s DC Alley Museum.
Farewell text on the exit way doors inside Tiger Fork, a Michelin Guide ranked Chinese restaurant in Northwest, Washington, DC.
Exterior facade of Tiger Fork, a Michelin Guide ranked Chinese restaurant in Northwest, Washington, DC.
A mother and child view “Migrants’ Perilous Journey,” by Reuters Pulitzer Prize winning photographer Adrees Latif on the Newseum’s final weekend open to the public.
Crowds fill every floor of the Newseum on its final weekend open to the public before permanently closing December 31st, 2019. Outside, people wrapped around two corners of the building in the rain waiting to gain entry.
The end of an era. Opened on April 18th, 1997, the Newseum permanently closed on December 31st, 2019. The media and journalism museum was originally located in Rosslyn, Arlington, Virginia, and moved to its ultimate location on Pennsylvania Avenue NW on April 11th, 2008. In January, 2019, The Freedom Forum announced sale of the purpose-built Newseum building to The Johns Hopkins University for $372.5M, where it will house graduate programs. As of this writing, the Newseum is currently searching for a new location to house its exhibits.