Mike Burley Photography

Full wedding (ceremony and reception) pricing

Prices start at $2,600

Elopement pricing

Prices start at $2,600

Packages

Prices start at $2,600

About Mike Burley Photography

Mike Burley

Wedding Photojournalist

Mike is a wedding photojournalist with 20+ years of experience, based in NE Iowa. He’s passionate about storytelling, and clients love his ability to capture intimate, candid moments while remaining unobtrusive. This allows everyone to have fun without feeling self-conscious. Mike values authenticity, capturing the spectrum of emotion+beauty on your wedding day. He has a gift for recognizing beautiful light, using it to create spontaneous portraits, then returning you to your guests. He strikes a thoughtful balance between staying in the background to capture intimate candids and occasionally taking charge to create portraits when the light/setting allow. His approach helps couples feel at ease and enjoy the day with their guests.

While most "candid" photographers will tell you to "pretend to laugh" or "act like you're having fun", Mike Burley will use his 20+ years of documentary experience to capture the real moments as they happen. Mike's gift is the ability to anticipate, plan and be observant to be in the right place at the right time. Missing an event and asking you to fake it isn't Mike's style.

Services

Services

  • Bride-only session
  • Engagement session
  • Extra hours
  • Image editing
  • Printing rights
  • Second photographer

Photo formats

  • Digital

Deliverables

  • Digital files
  • Digital rights
  • Online gallery
  • Printed enlargements
  • Same/next-day sneak-peek images
  • Slideshow
  • Wedding album

Mike Burley Photography packages

6 Hour Package

6 hours

Peak pricing $2,600

Description

6 hours of documentary photography by Mike Burley, lifetime reprint rights, 250 individually toned images, wedding day couples portraits session with studio lighting (if needed), wedding day bridal portraits with studio lighting (if needed), formal portrait session with studio lighting (if needed), delivery of unwatermarked digital files via cloud link, private web gallery.

What’s included
  • 6 hours of documentary photography
  • 250 individually toned images
  • Lifetime reprint rights
  • Wedding day couples portraits session with studio lighting
  • Wedding day bridal portraits with studio lighting
  • Formal portrait session with studio lighting
  • Unwatermarked digital files via cloud link
  • Private web gallery

8 Hour Package

8 hours

Peak pricing $2,800

Description

8 hours of documentary photography by Mike Burley, 350 individually toned images, expedited delivery of images, and everything mentioned in the 6 hour package.

What’s included
  • 8 hours of documentary photography
  • 350 individually toned images
  • Expedited delivery of images
  • Lifetime reprint rights
  • Wedding day couples portraits session with studio lighting
  • Wedding day bridal portraits with studio lighting
  • Formal portrait session with studio lighting
  • Unwatermarked digital files via cloud link
  • Private web gallery

10 Hour Package

10 hours

Peak pricing $3,200

Description

10 hours of documentary photography by Mike Burley, 450 individually toned images, and everything mentioned in the 8 hour packages.

What’s included
  • 10 hours of documentary photography
  • 450 individually toned images
  • Expedited delivery of images
  • Lifetime reprint rights
  • Wedding day couples portraits session with studio lighting
  • Wedding day bridal portraits with studio lighting
  • Formal portrait session with studio lighting
  • Unwatermarked digital files via cloud link
  • Private web gallery

Reviews

Write a review
Rating: 5.0

5.0 out of 5

3 reviews

  • MB

    Morgan B.

    Rating: 5
    •Zola
    •12:18 am

    Great Work

    I am not typically a big fan of photos and can find them uncomfortable, but I did my engagement photos through Mike Burley and it was a blast. He made it super easy and enjoyable. He talked us through most of them so there was no pressure or awkward posing! They looked amazing and he had them back to us crazy fast. I would definitely recommend him to anyone looking for a chill, comfortable experience with great results!

  • C

    Caleb

    Rating: 5
    •Zola
    •Oct 21

    Beautiful work!

    Mike made wedding photography one less thing for us to worry about. He was easy to work with, arrived early, and captured all the important moments without drawing attention to himself. Our friends and family loved having him around. We’re so happy with the photos. They capture the excitement of the day as well as the quieter moments we might have missed. Mike checked in with us throughout the day, and we got our photos back sooner than expected. We’d happily recommend him to anyone looking for a relaxed, thoughtful wedding photographer who won’t miss anything, or ask you to “redo that for me” or “pretend like I said something funny”. Every shot was authentic!

  • J

    John

    Rating: 5
    •Zola
    •Oct 15

    Great Experience

    We have used Mike for multiple photography sessions and the results always turn out great. He is very responsive and clear in his messaging. His turnaround time is very quick as well especially for the amount of time he spends going through selecting photos and making the appropriate touch ups. We have recommended him to everyone we know who is in need of photos. We will definitely work with him time and time again.

Preferred vendors of Mike Burley Photography

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Four Mounds Inn
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The Celebration Farm
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Backpocket Dubuque - North Ballroom
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It's a collection of unposed moments that tell a story - a hands off approach to photography which leans towards truth and authenticity. Instead of being told to look like you're having fun, you just do the real thing. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the company of your wedding. What you're left with is a story book of your day with all of its highs and lows. Yes, I will shoot as many couples portraits and formal family portraits as you'd like.
Yes, I still pose formal, bridal, and wedding party portraits. Yes, I do enjoy them and will shoot as many as you'd like.
For additional hours, I charge a pro-rated hourly rate. Typically I have a 6 hour minimum, but it doesn't hurt to ask, especially off-season. I'm willing to work with you for off season dates, Friday/Sundays, and last minute bookings. If you're in doubt, just ask!
Yes! Always use a contract, it protects both the client and photographer, and leaves no grey area for misunderstandings. If your photographer doesn't use one, that's a huge red flag. Run!
Yes! After I deliver your hi-res files via cloud server (I never use watermarks), you can make prints at your leisure, at no extra cost. I retain the copyright, but you are granted lifetime printing rights so you can order enlargements, books, prints at the online or print shop of your choice, without any fees or restrictions from me. For all intents and purposes, these are your photos.
I only shoot with cameras which record onto 2 cards simultaneously, in real time. If a card fails, there's a backup. As soon as I get home, I download onto 3 hard drives so I always have a redundant archive. We've all heard horror stories from friends, that will not happen with me. My OCD shines when it comes to backing up files, so you and I both can sleep at night.
I shoot with two Sony A9 MKII mirror-less digital cameras providing big beautiful files that are completely silent. These are incredibly sensitive and allow me to shoot in low light without flash, once again making me invisible. My lenses are sharp Canon primes with as wide open aperture as I can find, allowing me to shoot in low light. My go-to is a Canon 50mm f1.2, mostly shooting wide open for that beautiful bokeh we all love. Canon 135mm f2.0 is great for portraits, and the Canon 16-25 f2.8 for the intimate movements. A Canon Tilt-Shift for that fun, Instagram look.

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