About Robert & Team

I have 15 years in the photography industry, and am deeply passionate about wedding photography. I’ve photographed over 200 weddings.

My name is Robert, and I live in Charlotte, NC.

I am the owner of Robert Burns II Photography & Videography.

I’m also the founder and Editor-in-Chief of BRIDE Magazine, a brand-new annual wedding publication that I created to help my brides more effectively plan stress-free wedding days. (If you’re interested, you can read it here.)

I am a husband, dog owner and lifelong musician. I happen to be passionate about photography.

Who am I as a photographer? I enjoy working with people, capturing authentic wedding day moments, and creating art for my couples.

I grew up in Philadelphia, graduated from UGA (“Go Dawgs”!), and have lived in Charlotte since 2011. When I’m not photographing, I spend my time writing, singing, traveling, and occasionally nerding out on science documentaries.

As a photographer, my main two areas of specialty are weddings and editorial fashion, both of which work in perfect harmony to capture different aspects of your day.

Over ten years, I’ve helped hundreds of people, learning exactly what is pleasing to the eye. I know exactly how to bring a smile to a clients’ face through not only the images I create, but through the entire experience of working with me.

Learn more below.

charlotte photographer. premier choice for brides who love vibrant color & real moments.

WORKING WITH ME ON YOUR WEDDING DAY IS AS NATURAL AS BREATHING

I love a good real-life love story — I genuinely find people and their lives fascinating, and this helps me to relate to them, ultimately getting them to relax during a shoot.

You’d think that my biggest strengths as a photographer are fancy camera techniques — and while I do have a few, I prize my people skills more than anything else.

I’ve also refined the language I use when talking to you during a shoot, which easily communicates what I’d like you to do, as far as posing.

Usually, that’s just a few small, subtle changes that will have a major impact on the photo, such as a slight, gentle turn of the head, a relaxation of the fingertips. These are the nuances that make a polished, elegant editorial-quality image.

…..Which is what we want, right?

In getting my start years ago, I worked alongside many other photographers, but I rarely saw most of them do this. Ultimately, I could easily see that their inattentiveness-to-detail negatively affected the photos, failing to wow their clientele — so I vowed to do things differently.

Are you reading this wondering, “So what makes him different than everybody else?”

This: how I talk with people rather than at them; how I don’t miss the little details… these are the things that make me different.

Knowing how to talk to people and relate is always a photographer’s greatest asset, and I’m proud that it’s mine.

charlotte photographer Robert BUrns is an internationally-PublisheD Wedding, FASHION, and boudoir photographer, with 15 years dedicated to the craft.

Now, I’m also technically-proficient, and I do geek out on gear occasionally. Over the years, I’ve developed close ties with many industry peers, and networked with many influential photographers countrywide. I’ve been published internationally, and even entered a few photography contests.

Published Photographer

My work’s been published in these internationally-published bridal, fashion and lifestyle publications:

• Southpark Magazine

• North Carolina Bridal Magazine

• Carolina Bride

• Elegant Magazine

• Fedora Magazine

• Mora Modeling Magazine

• FTP Magazine

• Carmel Living Magazine

• and of course BRIDE Magazine

My images have been published in print more times than I can count, which is an accomplishment I proudly share with potential clients, for a number of reasons:

Yes, it’s nice to see your images (and name beside them) in print, but shooting editorially has actually drastically impacted the way I take pictures.

After years of shooting for magazines, I even see light differently now.

Magazine publications have influenced how I edit — fashion changes so quickly.

I’ve learned a ton through the editorial process.

I don’t take my accomplishments lightly, but I don’t take them too seriously either.

Bridal Magazine Founder/Writer/Publisher

In 2024, I created a magazine for you, brides. I saw a void in the weddings space, and decided to create my own magazine to better help you plan your weddings, and be inspired. Learn more about in the video here on the right.

AWARD-WINNING PHOTOGRAPHER

Now personally, I don’t care a lot about contests, but I have won awards on Viewbug, an international photographers’ paradise of a website where work from various categories can get votes. It’s an honor and accomplishment to me because the main judges are extremely technical photographers.

My photos have also scored in Shoot & Share, a national photo competition that draws over 300,000 submissions annually. It’s an incredible honor as not only do so many people compete (photographers can only enter 50 photos each!), but also because it’s a grueling 3-month process, with many rounds of cuts (11, in fact!).

Still, my work has fared well in the Shoot & Share Contest, scoring in the Top 10% consistently across categories.

And yeah, all of these credentials and awards are wonderful, but the real question you might have is “how does this affect us?”

So let me tell you about my approach as a wedding photographer: it’s all about you.

My approach to Weddings

I don’t believe in ‘cookie-cutter’ wedding photography.

Instead, I believe that every bride is unique, and that each couple has a beautifully-unique love story that should be told and celebrated. I truly believe that.

I love individuality, and bring a piece of my [big] personality to every wedding — please know that I’m not a wallflower, or the quiet photographer that blends in.

My dad was a natural extrovert that could make anyone smile without trying.

I took after him in many ways (though I didn’t inherit has amazing cooking skills).

My approach to wedding photography is quite simple: I enjoy getting to know you two as human beings.

Over many months, from the engagement session, to your wedding day, I take really nice photos that leave my couples with tears in their eyes (the good kind!).

my style as a wedding photographer leans toward…

• Real Smiles and real posing, as opposed to the old-fashioned “Cheese!” and fussy, contrived body placements

• Soft, even directional lighting, in contrast to hard, poorly-placed and unflattering light

• Simple and realistic editing, preferred over heavy-handed Photoshop abuse and compositing

• An even mix of natural light and flash, so I’m prepared for any lighting situation

• Use of rich color; I love a good black-and-white every now and then — but we as humans see in color, and I prefer it

• Clean backgrounds/foregrounds, which gives that ‘bridal editorial’ feel to the images

• Versatility, with a light & airy vibe truly embracing light in most images, as well as the dark & moody side that gets you in the feels, for a select few

REal, versatile and authentic.

When I studied photography at UGA’s Grady College of Journalism ten years ago, I took classes in photojournalism, which gave me a strong foundation in how to operate a camera, but more importantly, journalism ethics and the beauty in authenticity of candid moments.

Years later, in the fashion world, I would learn how to create what I wanted out of the resources accessible to me, but I am a journalist first and foremost.

My work is Fashion-tinged and creative, yet simultaneously journalistic/documentary.

I comfortably straddle the line, bringing in the best of both worlds.

With every wedding, I strive for these three things:

1) Realism, 2) Versatility, and finally, most importantly: 3) Authenticity.

I capture things exactly as I see them, stay true to my own style (rather than chase trends), and realize that you can’t and shouldn’t ‘stage’ every moment. I capture the real.

Next, meet my Team…

Just because I can do photography and videography at the time by myself, doesn’t mean I should.

The reality is, it takes a whole team to do what we do, bringing together the photography, videography, drone together for your day.

And I’m very proud to have built this team, just as I built this business over the last 13 years… brick-by-brick. By involving and leveraging multiple team members that I have built chemistry and trust with over dozens of weddings, we are able to flawlessly move throughout your wedding as one cohesive unit.

I touch every piece of the final product, and edit all photos and videos.

A bit on our collective experience:

• Robert, with 15 years of photography industry experience, and began specializing in weddings eight years ago, losing count at more than 200 weddings.

• Jordan also has photographed more than 200 weddings over the last five years, and has shot 100+ weddings with me. He is my best friend, and right-hand man.

• Alan, has filmed 75+ weddings with the team, and was promoted to Associate Videographer in 2022!

• Gurbir, who Robert has shot with since 2015, officially joined the team in 2023, and joins Robert for dozens of large wedding and corporate assignments throughout the year. Gurbir is a seasoned industry vet with 15+ years of experience.

• Day’ton is a talented and versatile media man who was recently promoted to Associate Photographer & Videographer with our company. He has shot more than 20 weddings with us, and more than 50 on his own.

• Elle is our unbelievably-gifted Floridian, who covers Second Shooter and Associate when I travel to the area for destination weddings.

• In short: Our team brings a collective 40 years of photography industry expertise, and are extremely experienced with the flow of a wedding.

Their specialties:

We’re Probably a GREAT fit if…

now, Let’s get better acquainted

I’d love for this to be a 2-way conversation, where I learn more about you too.

take a quick minute to contact me right now.

I’ll get right back to you, and we can meet.