The official photo blog of J. David Buerk Photography.
9 months can fly by, and Madonna and Rubin are just a few weeks away from welcoming their daughter, [REDACTED].
Since Rubin and Donna share aviation deep in their roots, Donna decided it was appropriate to have her maternity portraits with the sound of jet engines roaring above. During a busy afternoon bank of DCA departures Donna glowed in the sunlight and with the DC skyline and active runways behind her.
See Madonna & Rubin’s Baby Announcement / Gender Reveal photos here.
I’m admittedly a bit behind in sharing updates on many of my recent projects, and the last session I shared was Madonna and Rubin’s Fall Portrait Session when the leaves were in peak color; I think it’s fitting that the next update (and first post of 2023) is also with Madonna and Rubin as Spring sets in.
Spring brings bright colors, so what better way to celebrate the announcement that Madonna and Rubin are now expecting a baby girl this Summer! We had a blast being artistic with colored smoke bombs, and the pairing cannot be more excited to welcome their new baby girl into the world. She even has a pair of baby Crocs awaiting her to go adventuring with her excited and loving parents!
This was everyone’s first time playing with smoke bombs, and I have to say, religiously checking the weather was key and instrumental in ensuring the pictures came out as great as they did. This day still had a bit more wind than I had wanted, but March is traditionally a rainy, windy month, so you do the best you can. The smoke bombs were cooperative for the most part, but they weren’t without a few bloopers.
You might remember Madonna and Rubin from their spectacular travel themed engagement at the Dulles Airport gate where they met, or more recently Donna’s graduation portraits from George Mason University (Go Patriots!). This Fall they took a stroll with me through Huntley Meadows Park in Alexandria, Virginia to take in the Autumn colors at their peak and occasionally cuddle up (or get in a leaf fight after carrying one another). The sun made for an unseasonably warm day, but it fit the feeling, because it’s clear just spending a few moments with Rubin and Donna that they both married their best friend.
As the sun set, and we were just a few short days from Halloween, Rubin got spoopy on the return hike.
It had been a relaxing day, and I’d once again lived up to Rubin’s famous quote about me: “I’m pretty sure David’s face just looks like a camera.”
If you know Natasha and Zach, you know how in love and excited to tie the knot they have been since getting engaged in 2019. Like so many couples in recent memory, their wedding plans became an exercise in hurry-up-and-wait for the World to regain some normalcy, but their patience was rewarded this April, joined by a gathering of friends and family able to converge upon the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts to join in celebrating their love surrounded by art from every continent.
The day began at one of Richmond’s historic rowhouses where the wedding party got ready and toasted with a special bottle of rum Natasha and Zach picked up in Cancún and were saving for a special occasion. Next were first looks; the emotion on Natasha’s father’s face as she came down the stairs in her dress, and later on Zach’s face as he saw her walking down the aisle.
I don’t think I’ve ever met a couple so pumped to be married - immediately following their ceremony, Zach and Natasha led the wedding party outside for pictures, across the VMFA’s public gardens packed with hundreds of people picnicking in the beautiful Spring weather; Zach yelled at the top of his lungs pointing to Natasha, “THAT’S MY WIFE!!!” to the cheers of the entire lawn, some people coming up to congratulate and take pictures with the newlyweds.
After dinner, while everyone else was dancing and partying, the three of us stole away to go explore the museum - Natasha and Zach danced and joked among exhibits, with just their infectious laughter echoing the secluded halls. As longtime Richmond residents, and lovers of the city’s thriving art scene, it was a fitting location to mark the occasion they’ve been looking forward to for years.
2022 marks George Mason University’s 50th Anniversary, and what a perfect year to revisit my alma mater.
This May, Madonna is part of George Mason University’s Class of 2022, graduating with a BS in Civil Engineering. To celebrate, Donna, Rubin, and I spent some time touring some of GMU’s most iconic and scenic spots; you might remember Rubin and Donna from their surprise airport proposal in 2020.
This was both fun and relaxing for me, revisiting some of my favorite spots around campus, and seeing how much of it has changed or stayed the same since I graduated in 2012. We started in the Engineering Building, which was a new building when I attended, and I got to see some of the completed construction that was just starting when I left - I’ve only been back on campus a few times since graduating. The most notable change is the introduction of the food delivery robots, which operate like mini-Teslas; they even tried to interfere / attack us during the shoot a few times. I, for one, welcome our new delivery robot overlords.
After the portrait session, I explored a bit more at dusk to see a bit more - walking around campus in shorts and a polo with a backpack and camera - that part hasn’t changed; the difference is my backpack in college wasn’t leather from Tumi, and I didn’t walk around with TWO cameras and a set of remote strobes on me between classes.
