5.0
Praised by couples for:
Photographer
Seasoned with weddings
Capturing memories
Mike Burley Photography
Wedding Photojournalism ~ documentary photography
Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois.
Travels up to 250 miles See details
If you are the type of couple that instantly freezes up or feels awkward in front of a camera, do yourself a favor and hire Mike! We are officially the worst at posing couple on the planet, but he made us look like absolute pros.
From the very beginning, he made the whole process completely stress free and kept us totally at ease.
We really wanted a photographer who focused on authentic, candid moments and Mike delivered beyond our expectations.
He captured the pure, raw joy of our day perfectly. He is professional, affordable, and incredibly talented. We cannot stop looking through our photos and honestly cannot thank him enough!
We LOVE Mike!!!!
If you’re wondering if you should go with Mike, if the documentary-style photography is really worth it, the answer is YES and DEFINITELY. He was super flexible and traveled a while out of his way (and out of cell phone service) to do our engagement shoot, and those photos turned out great; the photos from the wedding are out of this world, though! Posed photos are good – he does a good job with them, you won’t be disappointed – but the candids and sort of impromptu photo moments he manages to capture are the absolute best. And, by focusing on capturing the event itself (not capturing photos AT the event, as many photographers do), we got to focus on having fun and actually experiencing our wedding. He’s fast and really does blend into the background – we didn’t feel surveilled all night, but he got amazing pictures for the entire 8 hours he was here.
About this vendor
Mike Burley
OWNER
Typically responds within 24h
Mike Burley Photography has been a wedding photojournalist for over 20 years, operating out of Dubuque, IA. Mike Burley has a passion for storytelling, and clients love his ability to capture intimate candid photos while being invisible, allowing everyone to have fun without being self-conscious. Mike focuses on authenticity, and your left with a collection that captures the spectrum of emotion and beauty of the day. Mike has a gift for recognizing incredible lighting to stage quick, impromptu portraits throughout the day, quickly returning you back to your guests so you don't spend the day away from your party. Mike Burley strikes a perfect balance between being unobtrusive to get those intimate candids, while also occasionally taking command of the scene to set up portraits when the lighting and background catch his eye. This approach allows couples to be at ease throughout the day, and allows them to enjoy their guests and party.
Mike has spent over 20 years as a photographer and photojournalist. His work has appeared in publications such as The LA Times, The Washington Post, and The New York Times, and various magazines where he specialized in studio portraiture in addition to documentary.
Meet the team
Mike Burley
Owner
Mike Burley has spent more than 20 years capturing the daily life of his community as a photojournalist and wedding photographer. His photojournalism experience taught him to connect quickly with his subjects and earn the trust of people who welcome him into their lives—whether for long-term documentary projects or on one of a couple’s most important days. Working in situations where there are no second chances, Mike values preparation and strives to create personal, intimate images while remaining as unobtrusive as possible.
Mike is a father of two high school boys, a baseball coach, and the Ski Patrol Director at Sundown Mountain. In his downtime, he snowboards, restores vintage audio equipment, and unwinds with a good Peter Green or Ramsey Lewis record. For Mike, music is therapy.
In 2005, Mike earned a B.A. in visual journalism from Brooks Institute of Photography in Ventura, California. During that time, he worked as an assistant for Sports Illustrated and served as UCLA football’s contract sideline photographer.
For more than 20 years, Mike has worked in photojournalism, wedding, and advertising photography, traveling throughout the country. He has worked for the Chicago Tribune, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Dubuque Telegraph-Herald, and the Pulitzer Prize-winning Topeka Capital-Journal, specializing in portraiture and documentary photography. His work has appeared in Time, The New York Times, The Washington Post, GEO, and many regional publications. For seven years, Mike was the cover photographer for Her Magazine and Him Magazine.
Mike now photographs weddings and advertising and marketing campaigns across the country. His local clients include Mercy Hospital, Clarke University, the University of Dubuque, Dupaco Credit Union, the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium, the Dubuque County Historical Society, AllTogether, the Iowa Credit Union League, Henkels & Baker, O’Connor & Thomas, and Kane Family Dentistry.
Service area & Contact info
Travels up to 250 miles
Additional charges may apply
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Mike Burley Photography
Mike Burley
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Owner
Typically responds within 24h
Wedding vendors in Dubuque
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