Blog

The official photo blog of J. David Buerk Photography.

Kaiser Permanente • We Don’t Have Time: Connecting Climate Change and Health

On June 7th, 2023, Kaiser Permanente, partnered with We Don’t Have Time, launched the Connecting Climate Change and Health series.  The event aimed to spotlight crucial themes like air quality, extreme weather, and their effects on individual and community health, including health equity.  Special guests from prominent organizations participated, discussing the integration of health and health equity into climate action planning for national business leaders across various industries.

Speakers included Candace Vahlsing, Climate, White House Office of Management and Budget, Greg A. Adams, Chair and Chief Executive Officer, Kaiser Permanente, Regina Benjamin, MD, MBA, 18th U.S. Surgeon General, 2009-2013, Rhea Goswami, Founder and Executive Director, Environmental Justice Coalition, Adrienne Hollis, PhD, JD, Vice President, Environmental Justice, Public Health, and Community Revitalization, National Wildlife Federation, Ivor Braden Horn, MD, MPH, Director of Health Equity and Product Inclusion, Google, Andrew Moose, MBA, Head of Health and Wellness, World Economic Forum, Denise Naguib, Global Vice President, Sustainability and Supplier Diversity, Marriott International, Kevin Rabinovitch, Global Vice President, Sustainability and Chief Climate Officer, Mars, and Samantha Ahdoot, MD, Climate Change and Children’s Health, American College of Pediatrics.

Kaiser Permanente: Building Support for Public Health

On March 29th, 2023, Kaiser Permanente underscored the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and emphasizes the need to address gaps in the U.S. public health infrastructure. It introduced three multi-sector initiatives to improve public health.

1. Health Care Industry Coalition: Leading healthcare organizations, including AHIP, Alliance of Community Health Plans, American Hospital Association, American Medical Association, and Kaiser Permanente, are forming a coalition to enhance connectivity between public health agencies and the healthcare system. The focus includes building connectivity, ensuring emergency preparedness, establishing interoperable public health standards, and modernizing public health data systems.

2. Partnerships Between Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) and Public Health Agencies: The CDC Foundation, along with Kaiser Permanente and various CBOs, aims to optimize relationships between public health agencies and CBOs. This involves developing recommendations and roadmaps to strengthen partnerships, especially during public health emergencies.

3. Public Health Services Research Agenda: AcademyHealth, with support from Kaiser Permanente, will engage stakeholders to set a research agenda. The goal is to create a robust evidence base informing interventions, models, and partnerships to improve the public health system.

The overall goal is to reimagine and strengthen the public health system, involving various sectors in addressing urgent challenges identified during the pandemic.

Speakers included Ashish Jha, MD, MPH, White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator, Rochelle P. Walensky, MD, MPH Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Rick Pollack, President & CEO, American Hospital Association (AHA), Judy Monroe, President & CEO, CDC Foundation, among others.

Kaiser Permanente • HAVI: Reducing Gun Violence in America

The Role of Health Care Sector and Community-Based Solutions

On January 26th, 2023, Kaiser Permanente announced its is intensifying its efforts to combat the escalating issue of gun violence in America with a $25 million investment in its Center for Gun Violence Research and Education.  In response to firearms recently surpassing motor vehicle accidents as the leading cause of injury and death among young Americans, Kaiser Permanente aims to address this public health crisis through care innovation, research, education, and partnerships.  The organization will collaborate with the Health Alliance for Violence Intervention (HAVI) to focus on hospital-based violence intervention programs and community collaborations.  The five-year commitment will fund prevention research, education initiatives, and community projects to mitigate the devastating mental and physical health impacts of gun violence, with a particular emphasis on addressing underlying risk factors and promoting racial equity.

Executive Headshot Portraiture - 2023

In today's digitally driven professional landscape, the significance of maintaining a curated collection of high-quality, publication-ready headshot photographs cannot be overstated for the modern Corporate Executive.

Professional Headshot Portraiture serves as the visual representation of an individual's personal brand, and plays a pivotal role in making a positive first impression across various platforms, including professional publications, websites, and social media platforms like LinkedIn. A selection of well-crafted headshots not only conveys competence and approachability, but also enhances one's professional credibility.

Investing in the skill and experience of a professional photographer is essential to ensure that these portraits effectively capture the individual's unique personality and convey a polished, authentic image. Professionals who leverage the quality of a professional photographer’s work are more likely to present themselves with confidence and professionalism, ultimately contributing to their success in networking, career advancement, and overall professional image.

When planning a headshot portrait session, it’s important to remember one single photo can’t cover all your bases, even as an individual first joining the workplace. While scheduling your portrait session, I consult with you to learn your branding needs, prospective uses, existing portraits and how new ones will compliment or replace them, and discuss with you ways to get the most out of your portrait session.  Based on your needs, I capture and deliver portraits that fit your current requirements, as well as additional crops and variations to fit additional uses, graphic design flexibility, and future-proofing for unforeseen display scenarios.

A comprehensive photoshoot with me will create, or add to your existing, catalogue of variations to select from for different use-case scenarios. A well-rounded portrait library includes multiple options of formal & informal poses, wardrobes, and expressions, and studio-backdropped & environmental locations; consulting with me can cover all of these bases in a single booking.

In 2023 I saw a great uptick in people getting their headshots updated, their portraiture libraries expanded, as well as first-timers capturing their first professional headshots - everyone can tell when you have an iPhone photo, even in “Portrait Mode;” you need the real thing to be taken seriously.

I’m looking forward to capturing and seeing more of you in 2024; click here to start planning and scheduling today.

2023 Commercial Marketing Photography Highlights

In 2023, a large portion of my photography remained on delivering businesses top-tier commercial marketing and advertising photography, meticulously tailored to meet their campaign objectives.  In this blog post, I am excited to showcase some of my recent projects, specifically highlighting the vibrant aviation concessions programs at Washington Dulles International Airport, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, and Orlando International Airport.

High-quality photography stands as a vital cornerstone in the realm of any marketing program.  Maintaining a comprehensive and stylistically cohesive catalogue of compelling marketing assets is indispensable for swiftly and effortlessly assembling impactful campaigns.  My program-wide marketing libraries are meticulously curated to include a diverse mix of storefront & interior images catering to directory needs, alongside detail shots capturing product & menu highlights for retailer features or seasonal promotions.  Additionally, my marketing portfolios encompass staged talent action photography ideal for print, web, and social advertising campaigns, as well as event coverage with rapid turnaround for press releases, and versatile stock images for general use.

With over a decade of experience creating compelling photography in the commercial aviation marketing / PR industry, my specialized skillset empowers me to consistently provide my clients with high-quality and compelling deliverables that resonate with target audiences.

DCA

#FlyWashington Magazine - Summer, 2023 Edition.

#FlyWashington Magazine - Autumn, 2023 Edition.

#FlyWashington Magazine - Autumn, 2023 Edition.

IAD

MCO

In May, 2023, I travelled to Orlando to capture a marketing package of concessions in MCO's new Terminal C.  The comprehensive photoset, captured on a single shooting day, featured local flavors and encompassed images ranging from baseline storefront & interiors, to menu highlights, and acting talent on-site.

More work from this project can be viewed here.