Arlington-Photographer.com & The Edge Photography

Bugler preparing to play Taps at Arlington National Cemetery last week.

2012-01-09T16:23:00.000-08:00

Although it's the first week of January there are still some areas of the cemetery where the Christmas wreaths are still providing color to the winter scene.

International Color Awards | 5th Annual Photography Masters Cup

2011-11-02T12:17:00.000-07:00

International Color Awards | 5th Annual Photography Masters Cup

Dear Don,
CONGRATULATIONS on being a Nominee at the 5th Annual Photography Masters Cup with:
Nominee in Photojournalism "Flag Ceremony At Arlington"
Nominee in Americana "Final Respects at Arlington"

11,321 entries were received from 83 countries and your work received a high percentage of votes overall. Certainly an achievement, well done!
The Awards Jury represents the industry's biggest names and tastemakers who reviewed the entries online before making the nominations shortlist and honoring 272 title awards in 18 categories. TheAwards could not have wished for a better group of professionals to work with.
We will be promoting your nomination through our international network and PR campaign.
Congratulations once again on being a Nominee and we wish you a most successful photography year.

Best regards,
Basil O'Brien
Creative Director

Watering the cassion team horses at Arlington National Cemetery

2011-07-27T07:59:00.000-07:00

Last Friday was hot here is DC with a new record, but despite the afternoon 105% the funerals at Arlington National Cemetery continued on schedule as always.

The honor guard wear their wool uniforms with the appearance of cool detachment.

This is more of a snapshot photo than I usually present, but as we waited for the arrival of

the family to the Old Administration bldg one of the stable hands made the trip from the barn with buckets of water to cool the horses. One of those things that's over and above what's expected of them but they are devoted to the well-being of the horses and their job honoring American veterans.

I spoke to the family members traveling back to Oklahoma Monday night and the widow told me she spent the night in the hospital afterwards from a combination of the stress of heat, humidity and grief.

This was the first burial I've done in section 1 which is one of the oldest parts of the cemetery between the Lee mansion and the Fort Myers Old Post Chapel. The family has gravesites there for 4 generations of family members that have served in the U.S. military.

Don Harper

Wonderful Beauty of Storms

2011-07-13T12:30:00.000-07:00

This was a fast moving storm that moved through Arlington on the July 4th weekend. A bit of destruction knocked out power but the storm created some beautiful moments as it moved down the Potomac River and across the Washington DC area from Virginia.

Presidential Wreath Laying at Tomb of the Unknowns First Ever 3D movie

2011-06-06T07:36:00.000-07:00

We are in the production phase of producing the first ever 3D movie of the Presidential Wreath laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day 2011. We have produced the first Indian Baraat 3D movie and now the first Arlington Memorial Service in 3D.
I'll be posting the link for the new 3D movie after we've completed the editing.
3D video production requires huge computer resources and is a bit time consuming but seeing the final results will be worth the wait.

3-D video of South Asian Wedding Baraat, requires 3D glasses to view.

2011-06-02T15:49:00.000-07:00

3D video on Vimeo, South Asian Indian Baraat Wedding Ceremony

Baraat is a Punjabi bridegroom's wedding procession. The custom of the groom traveling to the wedding venue on a white mare, accompanied by his family members has been adopted by many Indian families here in the U.S.
The baraat can become a large procession with entertainment, the dancing
of the groom's family and friends during a short trip to the ceremony location.

It's fun to watch a groom brandishing his sword for what is frequently the first time on a horse.

Easter Sunrise Service at Arlington National Cemetery

2011-04-24T08:10:00.000-07:00

We celebrated a wonderful Easter sunrise service at Arlington National Cemetery this morning with clear skies and warm tempertures. There is speculation that this may be the last service at the Tomb of the Unknowns auditorium as part of the effort to reduce military spending. We shall see what the future holds. Enjoy a few images from this morning.

Cherry Blossoms and rainy days at Arlington National Cemetery

2011-04-23T10:42:00.000-07:00

The last month has been a series of heavy rain type days with intermittant sunshine. It's made for some challenging photography and a need for raingear on my cameras. This is an image of McClellan Gate with the cherry blossoms intact on the trees taken earlier this week.
I have more photos this last week taken in the rain than I do sunshine.

Easter Sunrise Service at Arlington National Cemetery

2011-04-07T15:09:00.000-07:00

This image is the dove release at the Easter Sunrise service at the Tomb of The Unknowns, Arlington National Cemetery. Mark your calendar.

Arlington Picture of the Week from Frank Buckles Funeral

2011-03-31T10:15:00.000-07:00

I have received a couple of comments and emails about the Arlington Picture of the Week not being what I stated for content or my image.

I discovered that Arlington National Cemetery used my image not from them but a friendly alert from a watchful fan. I had no problem with the use of the image but did want a credit for it's use which is more than reasonable. It wasn't produced by the Arlington staff.
I sent ANC an email requesting credit which they said they would do and that it was an honest mistake.
Several days later instead of a credit they removed the photo. As we all know you can't remove anything from the internet, once it's out there it's there.

In short, what I stated in by blog earlier this week was the factual truth and here is the screen capture before they made the change.

Actually, they removed my copyrighted photo as picture of the week. They attributed my original photo to their own staff. When I asked for a corrected photo credit they said they would fix it that it was an honest mistake.
Than last night instead of a credit correcting their error they removed the photo.

Arlington National Cemetery Photo of the Week

2011-03-26T16:59:00.000-07:00

Arlington National Cemetery has used one of our photographs as the picture of the week.
This is an image we took in the Tomb of the Unknowns for the Frank Buckles Funeral during his viewing. Frank was the last WWI veteran in the US to pass away at the age of 110.
Arlington-Photographer.com image of the week at Arlington National Cemetery

Frank Buckles, last surviving US soldier from WWI at Arlington National Cemetery

2011-03-15T18:21:00.000-07:00

Today the country paid honors at Arlington National Cemetery to Frank Buckles the last surviving soldier from WWI. Flags around the country flew at half-mast today to honor this veteran. Frank's casket laid in the Tomb of the Unknowns Chapel where the Buckles family was visited by both President Obama and Vice President Biden prior to his transfer by horse drawn caisson to section 34 where he was laid to rest near General "Black Jack" Pershing's gravesite.

Caisson team (The Grays) with Old Georgetown in the background on a snowy day

2011-02-02T18:23:00.001-08:00

Navy firing party preparing for gun salute at Arlington National Cemetery

2011-02-01T17:01:00.000-08:00

Old Guard marching through fall colors at Arlington National Cemetery

2011-01-31T18:46:00.001-08:00

Matthew Henson memorial covered in snow at Arlington National Cemetery, polar explorer

2011-01-30T20:20:00.000-08:00

Wet boulevard amidst fall colors at Arlington National Cemetery

2011-01-29T19:02:00.000-08:00

Firing Party in the snow at Arlington National Cemetery

2011-01-28T16:43:00.001-08:00

The Admiral Richard Byrd memorial at Arlington National Cemetery caked in snow.

2011-01-27T17:06:00.000-08:00

It's not often we see the Admiral Richard Byrd memorial caked in snow at Arlington National Cemetery. Seems appropriate for the polar explorer.

Queensland Australian Photographer speaks about the devastating floods in Queensland.

2011-01-26T19:06:00.000-08:00

I don't normally use my blog for anything but news about what Ines and I are working on; this is an exception.
I am passing on this appeal from a generous associate in our industry.
Photographer Marcus Bell is one of those true greats in our industry and simply a nice guy. He's working at raising money for his community that's been devastated by floods in Australia.
Please give consideration to his request below:

Photographic Fine Art Print Sale for charity:
You may have seen the news footage of the significant flooding that occurred throughout Queensland Australia during late December 2010 and January 2011. Many lost their lives, many more lost their homes. Three quarters of the state was declared a disaster zone. This is an area roughly the size of Texas.

A resident of Brisbane Queensland, award-winning photographer Marcus Bell is raising money to help flood victims, by placing ten of his own classic images up for sale. All proceeds from each sale will be going to the Queensland Governments Flood disaster relief fund. Each signed “Artist Proof” print is an original award winning photographic work. Each unframed 24 inch print for sale for $950 (plus postage) and is printed to the highest quality 300GSM Archival cotton paper. Many of these prints represents a saving of between 50 to 75% off the normal edition print price.

In addition 20% of ALL of Marcus Bell Photographer Resources Products sold during January and February will also be donated to the fund. This also includes the 5 new Instant Effect Presets products recently released after a year in development.

For more information in relation to the floods and how you can help please visit Marcus Bell Blog Marcus Bell Queensland Flood Appeal

Photographic Fine Art Print Sale

You may have seen the news footage of the significant flooding that occurred throughout Queensland Australia during late December 2010 and January 2011. Many lost their lives, many more lost their homes. Three quarters of the state was declared a disaster zone. This is an area roughly the size of Texas.

A resident of Brisbane Queensland, award-winning photographer Marcus Bell is raising money to help flood victims, by placing ten of his own classic images up for sale. All proceeds from each sale will be going to the Queensland Governments Flood disaster relief fund. Each signed “Artist Proof” print is an original award winning photographic work. Each unframed 24 inch print for sale for $950 (plus postage) and is printed to the highest quality 300GSM Archival cotton paper. Many of these prints represents a saving of between 50 to 75% off the normal edition print price.

In addition 20% of ALL of Marcus Bell Photographer Resources Products sold during January and February will also be donated to the fund. This also includes the 5 new Instant Effect Presets products recently released after a year in development.

For more information in relation to the floods and how you can help please visit Marcus Bell Blog http://www.studioimpressionsphotography.com/blog/2011/01/queensland-flood-relief-2/ where you will find links to both the Fine Art Gallery and the Resources site.

Rainy Fall day at Arlington National Cemetery

2011-01-26T15:55:00.000-08:00

Graveside memorial ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery

2011-01-25T19:39:00.001-08:00

Firing Party at Arlington National Cemetery

2011-01-24T17:48:00.000-08:00

Preparing to present flag to family at Arlington National Cemetery

2011-01-22T15:46:00.001-08:00

Marching band procession past Coliseum at Arlington National Cemetery

2011-01-21T20:09:00.000-08:00

Boots and Hoofs, Caission at Arlington National Cemetery

2011-01-20T20:03:00.001-08:00

Flag detail with Old Guard at Arlington with McClellan Gate in background

2011-01-19T19:42:00.000-08:00

Moonset on Easter Sunday at Arlington National Cemetery

2011-01-18T20:38:00.001-08:00

Navy honor guard carries casket to gravesite at Arlington National Cemetery

2011-01-17T19:50:00.001-08:00

Marine Marching band at Arlington National Cemetery

2011-01-16T21:01:00.001-08:00

Military Ushers at Arlington National Cemetery during Easter Sunrise Service

2011-01-15T19:00:00.000-08:00

Marines folding flag for presentation to family at Arlington National Cemetery

2011-01-14T20:46:00.000-08:00

Sentinels at auditorium, Arlington National Cemetery Easter Sunrise service

2011-01-13T21:50:00.000-08:00

Arlington National Cemetery with Old Georgetown in background

2011-01-12T21:05:00.000-08:00

Old Guard Funeral Procession at Arlington National Cemetery.

2011-01-11T18:11:00.000-08:00

Old Guard Caisson with Gray's and U.S. Capital in the background at evening light.

2011-01-10T17:32:00.001-08:00

Marine firing party at Arlington National Cemetery with Washington Monument in background

2011-01-09T17:32:00.001-08:00

Old Post Chapel at Fort Myer, starting point for many Arlington National Cemetery Memorial Services

2011-01-08T20:54:00.000-08:00

Bagpipe Player at Arlington National Cemetery

2011-01-07T18:18:00.000-08:00

US ArmyTaps Player awaiting his moment seen between casket and flag.

2011-01-06T20:35:00.000-08:00

Flag ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery for Navy veteran

2011-01-05T17:57:00.000-08:00

Flag draped coffin on caisson at Arlington National Cemetery on winter day

2011-01-04T20:21:00.001-08:00

Honor Guard departing from flag ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery on a rainy day.

2011-01-03T20:18:00.000-08:00

Old Guard Caisson during spring rain. The Grays.

2011-01-02T18:47:00.000-08:00

Fall Colors at Arlington National Cemetery

2011-01-01T19:03:00.000-08:00

Old Guard Flag detail in front of McClellan Gate at Arlington National Cemetery

2010-12-31T16:12:00.000-08:00

Old Guard flag ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, love the tat's.

2010-12-30T17:14:00.000-08:00

Reflection of flag on casket at Arlington National Cemetery

2010-12-29T17:38:00.001-08:00

Rifle salute by Old Guard at Arlington National Cemetery

2010-12-28T17:35:00.000-08:00

The snow missed Arlington so far this year, but not last winter! The Caparisoned Horse

2010-12-27T18:50:00.000-08:00

Rain doesn't stop the honor guard band at Arlington National Cemetery

2010-12-26T14:49:00.000-08:00

Caisson Team at Arlington exiting through the McClellan Memorial Gate

2010-12-25T13:36:00.000-08:00

Navy memorial service at Arlington National Cemetery last month

2010-12-23T17:30:00.000-08:00

Air Force Bugler at Arlington National Cemetery following Taps

2010-12-22T16:18:00.000-08:00

Christmas Wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery

2010-12-21T18:17:00.000-08:00

Old Guard Caisson with Christmas wreaths in background

2010-12-20T16:59:00.001-08:00

Arlington National Cemetery Christmas wreaths before the snow.

2010-12-19T16:36:00.000-08:00

Marine honor guard in early morning light at Arlington National Cemetery

2010-12-18T06:10:00.000-08:00

DC Fashion Week and Juried Exhibition

2010-09-28T19:55:00.000-07:00

FashionWeek hit DC last week.

DC Fashion Week is growing with shows last week at 8 different embassies, hotels and other locations. As many will note, we're not New York, but DC Fashion Week is really growing and known for showing a lot of new designers creations from around the world.

In conjunction with DC fashion week a number of our photographs were exhibited at the Carriage House Studio last Friday night and extending through the weekend. The juried exhibit consists of work from The Edge Photography Studio and 13 other local photographers.

The Carriage House Studio is a Co-op of artists and is located just a couple of blocks from the DC convention Center.

Carriage House Studio is in the Logan Circle neighborhood.

1327 Naylor Court NW (entrance behind 918 O St. N.W.)

Washington DC

Thanks to those of you who joined Ines and I for opening night from 7PM to 10PM on Friday September 24th 2010.

... and remember we can create amazing images for designers that want the Edge.

Blair Underwood and The Event last night.

2010-09-21T19:19:00.000-07:00

The Event with Blair Underwood

We already experienced the Event with Blair Underwood earlier this summer.

Blair is the close friend of one of our brides.

He was a guest during her wedding at White Hall Manor in Bluemont Va.

So, if you get lost in the storyline, just drop us a note and we will tell you how our event turned out!

This wedding was lots of fun with a great couple and exciting location, plus Blair whose acting I really appreciate.

Of course Ines and I watched The Event last night on NBC. We'll see if it will keep us on the Edge of our seats.

Rest In Peace Boring Wedding Formals that run too long.

2010-09-19T18:17:00.000-07:00

These are some fun pictures from a recent wedding at Fauquier Springs Country Club with a great bridal party that put up with my insanity.

When Ines and I meet with couples we've discovered a frequent refrain is that the bride and groom have been in lots of bridal parties and hate the length of time that may be spent on formal pictures. Time that could be spent at the cocktail hour with friends, family, and a drink or two. The couple wants to know that we're not going to torture their bridal party, but still get great images. We promise to deliver, in fact even weddings that are running late are frequently back on track as we move quickly through formals that will still impress not just the bride and groom, but their parents as well.

Anyway, this is sort of my vision of what happens when the bridal party lapse into a coma from boring long slooow... formal sessions.

Let's have fun, remember that the wedding day is about your family and friends celebrating the day and still get those pictures unlike any you've ever seen.

Don & Ines Harper

The Edge Photography Studio

South Asian Weddings

2010-09-08T19:37:00.000-07:00

We have developed a reputation amongst Indian brides for great photography with reasonable pricing that blends the needs of a modern American bride and also the expectations of their parents for traditional posed pictures. We know not to miss any of the dozens of significant moments in the Hindu ceremonies and celebrations. Keep in mind that most of these events span three or more days.

This image is from a wedding last week at Rosehill Manor here in Leesburg for a New York couple.

We also had the opportunity to photograph their engagement session in Manhattan earlier this summer.

Maybe I should be known as Raj Don

Tennis anyone? match point fifteen love and tennis Regency Dominion Country Club

2010-09-01T18:17:00.000-07:00

This is an album collage from one of our spring weddings. Great couple and as you might guess really into tennis.

This was one of those torrential rain Saturday's with waves of rain and than short respites. We raced out during a lull in the rain to capture these quick images before rejoining the reception.

I'm never put off by rain on a wedding day as we always find some great elements that create distinctive images. We find episodes of wonderful light, reflections, saturated colors, colorful skies. In short, the same things that excite landscape photographers work with weddings. The most essential element are bridal couples that are flexible, fun-loving and trust us to deliver something different.

Let's go play in the rain!

Don & Ines Harper

Hemlocks, Windmills and the Purple Fiddle

2010-08-09T12:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was time for a trip to the West Virginia Highlands including Cathedral State Park on Highway 50 that features super trails through a virgin hemlock forest with an understory of mountain laurel, ferns and mossy downed trees and a small stream.Very easy and level trails make for a short interesting walk.

Ines and I than traveled south along the Cheat River and crossed over to Thomas passing these Windmills The windmills are now in fair numbers around the highlands both west and east of Thomas and the Mt. Storm Power Plant. In Thomas we stopped at the Purple Fiddle cafe for home made ice cream. The Purple Fiddle is eclectic with a splash of blue grass and hippie. They feature a diverse lot of live music groups, One of those places you need to visit and decide for yourself if it's a fit for you.
I think I could have a ball photographing the performers at the cafe with wonderful backgrounds and energy.

Don Harper
at The Edge Photography

Blueberries, Butterflies galore, wildfowers, and great vistas at Dolly Sods WV

2010-07-29T15:34:00.000-07:00

It's been a super busy month with Ines designing wedding albums for all of our June brides, creating slide shows and also dealing with our July Arlington Memorial Service albums, videos and slide shows. We finally reached the point where we could attend a concert at Wolf Trap last night (Steve Miller Band) and than turn off the computers today and jump in the Pathfinder for a totally extemporaneous trip.

It's something I've always done. Just get out and go and explore new roads. Today we ended up at Dolly Sods Wilderness area in West Virginia. When we left the house my only goal was altitude with cooler temps. I was thinking Skyline Drive but I was pulled to the west. Our route required navigating some gravel and rutted roads but we ended up at a bit over 4000 feet away from the DC heat with a nice breeze and wonderful vistas that would remind you of the western US.

Actually the area is compared to the ecology of Canada above tree line with rugged rock cairns and paths meandering through blueberry patches. I think Ines could have parked and just spent hours plucking and eating sweet blueberries free of chemicals and whatever.

The streams were quite dry climbing up and down from the high country but what amazed us on top were the huge numbers of butterflies of all types crowded next to each other on the thistle plants. I've been to butterfly habitats at places like Brookside Garden in Montgomery County and Meadowlark Garden in Reston and although they are a great place to photograph butterflies what we found at Dolly Sods was a huge step up in quality and quantity of these lovely creatures.

I would of course want to use a nice short telephoto with macro capability but what I had handy was the Nikon 70-200 f2.8 lens with VR function. This is an image from a quick series I did in just a couple of minutes.

We were home by 6:30PM after a wonderful day of decompressing and now back to processing our July weddings and corporate work. We now have a goal to visit what for us is a new discovery Dolly Sods in the evening and different seasons plus stuffing more blueberries down our gullets. Dolly Sods is very different from lower Canaan Valley and the ski slopes although they do adjoin each other.

One note you may want to avoid this wilderness area if you don't have an SUV or car with good tires.
Don Harper

The Edge Photography Studio

Wes Skiles Adventurer, Photographer, Videographer and great guy is missed.

2010-07-23T20:06:00.000-07:00

Wes Skiles: The abrupt loss of a great person, explorer and photographer.

On Wednesday one of my heroes died. Wes Skiles was the consummate caver diver, adventurer, photographer and videographer. His death comes as National Geographic features one of his images on the cover of the August issue and a long feature inside about the wonderful blue holes in the Bahamas. Without checking I think he's been a photographer for at least 4 major articles in the Yellow covered magazine.

Wes survived many adventures against all odds and his favorite quote on facebook really sums up what he was about.

Actually a advertisement for Shackleton's expedition to Antarctica: "Men wanted for hazardous journey. Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete darkness. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in event of success". Pretty much reflects my real life...

A modest man that found public speaking a hurdle to deal with he always said to his friends. "Let me know I'm talking to my friends give me a big "Hey Now" when I get up to the podium."

I can't say his loss is unexpected, rather I'm surprised he made it as many years as he did.

I think Wes felt the same way, a sense of wonder that he was still here after some really amazing expeditions.

I spent a lot of time caving with the National Speleological Society and even more time diving as a PADI instructor and underwater photographer, but when I tried cave diving I found the avocation that just had odds stacked to badly out of my favor. It was one of the few crazy things I've done that made me say "No this isn't a good idea". Wes did this for decades and created wonderful images, added greatly to our knowledge regarding the underwater and subterranean world from Australia to his home in the Florida springs.

I see the luminescence from his fins lighting the dark sea as Wes strokes ahead of us leading the way through the darkness on the ocean at night. Wonders to see and new frontiers to explore. There are rare chances for someone to be the first person to see a place never before visited by man. Wes was one of the few of us to enjoy that thrill.

At Ginnie Springs on Wednesday his friends will gather to celebrate the life of Wes Skiles. I wish I could be there and shout out "Hey Now"

And Wes in turn I expect you to reply and let us know you reached the other side and shout out a big "HEY NOW".

RIP for Wes Skiles

Wes Skiles Memorial Service and Website

Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetery Columbarium

2010-05-29T20:36:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetery Columbarium.

Flags are placed prior to Memorial Day Weekend

Lieutenant General James Hollingsworth burial at Arlington National Cemetery

2010-05-23T14:12:00.000-07:00

Lieutenant General James Hollingsworth burial at Arlington National Cemetery on Thursday May 20th was attended by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.

Three Star general James Hollingsworth is the most highly decorated U.S. general after serving in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. His statue is located at Texas A&M University.

In WWII he was involved in the invasion of Northern Africa and his armored regiment under General George Patton was the first to enter Berlin at the end of the war. He was wounded in combat 5 times during WWII.
In Vietnam he received two Distinguished Service Cross.

In Korea General Hollingsworth commanded the largest number of U.S. troops of any commander (13 Divisions).

The Arlington Service was attended by many warriors both old and young paying their final respects.

This photo was taken moments before the guests took their places at the gravesite as Bob Gates observes the placment of the casket.

Lot's of happenings at The Edge

2010-04-13T12:07:00.000-07:00

We've had a lot of neat things happening this year going into spring. I need to catch up on blogging about a lot of events for us.
First we've had our images published in the last two issues of Professional Image Maker magazine. The images were gold award winners in the Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographer competitions.

We had a great Bridal Show at West Belmont in Leesburg where we offered free engagement pictures to brides. Harmon's Carriage gave us a great backdrop for the couples.

Two of our images won Silver Awards in the British Professional Photographers Assoc. March competition. I will post those images on here as well as add them to our facebook gallery.

Most unique, was our videography and photography at Arlington National Cemetery on Friday, April 9th. We documented the memorial service and funeral for 4 helicopter crewman recovered from Vietnam. They were lost in 1965 and after decades of active searching the crash site was finally located last winter.
I was contacted by Medal of Honor awardee Bruce Crandall. Bruce was a Vietnam era helicopter pilot whose exploits (actually just a few of many exploits) are documented in the movie "We Were Soldiers" and the book "We were Soldiers and Young". I understand that there are about 91 living receipients of the MOH and one passes away about every 6 weeks. Bruce was the commander for the Huey 808 crew and hired us to document the Arlington service for the families of the lost soldiers from the 1st Cavalry Division.
Well known Hollywood tenor Steve Amerson also flew in at Bruce's request to sing at the memorial service in the Old Post Chapel on Fort Myers.
During the funeral a formation of Huey helicopters flew in formation over the gravesite and up the Potomac River creating a wonderful scene that I know the families will remember forever.
It's well worth the time to look up on Wikipedia the information about Bruce, his comrades and the bravery shown in war for our country.
The Delta Company honor guard also wants images from the service and I'm reminded of our trip in March to Valley Forge where I learned that they were actually the personal guard for George Washington during the revolutionary war.
Friday was a great refresher for any history buff of a huge timeline of events that's tied to a small number of great people.

I also encourage you to check out Steve Amerson's website for great music.

http://www.steveamerson.com/

Now back to processing images for everyone, that's obviously my medium for expression.

Don Harper

SWPP competition results for February

2010-03-27T16:10:00.000-07:00

We entered a number of photographs in the February Photography Competition sponsored by the Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers. This picture is one of the gold award winners and will be printed in Image Maker magazine later this spring.

The photo are two irishmen (father and son) at a Historic Long Branch wedding reception.

We have 8 other prints that received bronze awards in different catagories.

Enjoy.

Save the Date for the Bridal & Event Show at West Belmont Place in Leesburg

2010-02-22T17:18:00.000-08:00

Hunt Country Celebrations an event networking group in the Virginia Piedmont is holding their annual bridal and event expo on April 10th at West Belmont Place in Leesburg Virginia. We will be offering free pictures for bridal couples around the premises and in a horse drawn carriage.

Register for some of the great prizes, see some great vendors and get great ideas for your event.

More details will follow as the expo date approaches, and don't forget to visit our photography website:
The Edge Photography Studio, northern Virginia's largest and highest rated by brides on the Knot and Wedding Wire We are holding our winter open house this Wednesday evening from 6PM-9PM.

Love of Family, Love of Country Asuka Books USA album of the week

2010-02-18T11:17:00.000-08:00

We are honored to have one of our book publishers "Asuka Books, USA" select one of our memorial albums to showcase Love of Family, Love of Country.
This is a memorial book from our work at Arlington National Cemetery for one family. This is of course shown with the family's permission.

Asuka Book of the week "Love of Family, Love of Country"

There is also a link below the book cover that will take you to a flip-page view of the entire memorial book.

A memorial service at Arlington is of course a time for mourning the loss of a family member or friend but also a chance to celebrate their love of life and country.

More of our work at Arlington can be seen at:

Arlington-Photographer.com Website

The great snowstorm of 2010, at least we hope it won't be superceded.

2010-02-07T07:15:00.000-08:00

These are a couple of images from Leesburg, Va on our street taken Saturday evening after the snowfall stopped and the sun was setting in a clear blue sky.

Wedding Wire Bride's Choice Awards 2010

2010-01-25T15:40:00.000-08:00

Ines and I are excited to announce that The Edge Photography Studio has been chosen to receive the WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2010. This award recognizes the top 5 percent of local wedding professionals from the WeddingWire Network who demonstrate excellence in quality, service and professionalism.

The Bride’s Choice Awards™ are determined exclusively by recent newlyweds (brides and grooms) through extensive surveys and reviews, which means our past clients have spoken on our behalf and selected us to receive this honor.

Last year we were selected one of the top 7 photographers in the Washington DC area by Knot Bride's.

I think one of the keys to our success is not only great photography but also our emphasis on Value.

Couples and their parents are watching every dollar they spend and finding ways to have a unique and exciting wedding without overspending. We are part of that solution.

We want to provide great service, great images and the best albums at the very best price without compromise.

We also want people to say WOW! when they look at the images we create for our clients.

Give us a call to find out why bride's are stepping over to the Edge.

View from our cabin outside Smoky Mountain National Park

2010-01-23T17:42:00.000-08:00

Ines and I had the chance to escape for a few days to a wonderful log cabin looking out towards the Smoky Mountains. This photo is a vertical panorama (vertical stitching) composed from 5 different images taken with a 400mm f3.5 lens on the Nikon D300s which with the crop factor made an effective focal length of 600mm. ISO was 2000 and exposure was 1/160 second at f4.

The cabins were new and real luxury with a hot tub hanging out over the 20 foot drop to the scree slope below us. Hi-speed internet, large jucuzzi tub and just a great place to watch the weather and fog move in and out of the valleys and mountains to the east. A great place to veg and read a book which in this case was "Priceless" by William Poundstone. A very entertaining book pertient to anyone running a business.

Time now to prepare for the bridal shows and process some images for competitions.

Free Tickets Washington Bridal Showcase January 31st

2010-01-09T06:32:00.000-08:00

Free tickets for the Washington Bridal Showcase!
The Washington Bridal Showcase happens at the Dulles Expo Center on January 31st. This is the largest bridal show in the Washington Metro area each year.
We will be there of course in the Hunt Country Celebrations area. Stop by to talk with Don and Ines Harper to find out why The Edge Photography Studio is voted one of the best for your wedding photography. Quality and Value are a couple of words that we hear from brides on a consistent basis.
Give us a call to pickup free tickets for the show. The tickets are available at our studio in Leesburg but you must call first. 703.669.1000
See you soon.

Mr. Quicksilver says Merry Christmas from The Edge

2009-12-20T06:29:00.000-08:00

This is a 5 exposure HDR image of our Christmas Tree with Mr. Quicksilver surveying the scene.

Washington DC in August and Arlington National Cemetery

2009-08-19T17:52:00.000-07:00

We've been spoiled this summer with mild weather, but now Washington DC is living up to it's reputation as the place to escape during August.
I had the chance to photograph a Arlington National Cemetery Memorial Service today, but it was warm with not a hint of a breeze. As I drove past the Women's Memorial Bldg I noticed the empty fountain and thought wistfully of this image taken earlier this year.

A fun 4th of July Wedding in Washington DC

2009-07-15T13:03:00.000-07:00

Here is an image from our wedding on the 4th.

Capital in the background on Pennsylvania Ave.

Flags at gravesites Memorial Day Arlington Cemetery

2009-06-02T20:22:00.000-07:00

This is another image from Memorial Day 2009 at Arlington National Cemetery.

Flags are placed at each headstone by the Old Guard troops.

President Obama at Tomb of The Unknown Soldier Memorial Day

2009-05-26T10:28:00.000-07:00

We had the opportunity to photograph the President at Arlington National Cemetery yesterday.

Here are a few images from the day.

This was the president's chance to salute the U.S. military and also avoid the controversy about having a wreath also delivered to the confederate memorial in the cemetery.

Our position was on scaffolding next to the staircase leading up to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier which gave us a chance to have the Amphitheater and the guests as a backdrop.

Normally this isn't a perspective you can obtain when photographing at the tomb but our White House Press Pool pass gave us access next to the CNN and CBS cameras.

I have some other ideas for interesting locations at future Arlington services.

Rain or Shine, Arlington Memorial Services

2009-04-28T19:39:00.001-07:00

A Rainy Day at Arlington, not everyday is sunshine

2009-04-28T19:33:00.000-07:00

There is a beauty to be found in all kinds of weather. This was at Arlington last Monday in pouring rain.

The Knot Best of Weddings 2008/2009 Pick

2009-04-22T07:09:00.000-07:00

We don’t advertise our wedding photography and instead rely on referrals, and to tell the truth have never paid much attention to The Knot.
Yesterday, we received an award plaque from The Knot informing us we were voted one of the best photography studios in the DC area. We picked up their magazine “The Knot Best of Weddings 2009” and found that we received their highest rating from our brides and were one of only seven photographers in the DC area to achieve that rating. Not to shabby, and thanks to the Edge brides. Love you ladies!

Here is The Knot’s verbiage to be polically correct.

"We are proud to announce that The Edge Photography Studio has been rated by local brides and voted The Knot Best of Weddings 2008/2009 Pick. Please pick up a copy of The Knot Best of Weddings 2009 magazine and check out our listing."

Arlington National Cemetery Easter Sunrise Service

2009-04-15T06:32:00.001-07:00

A few more images from the Sunday service including pre-dawn, moonset, and sunbeams starting to illuminate the soldiers, sailors and marines between the marble columns.

Dove Release concludes Easter Sunrise Service at Arlington National Cemetery

2009-04-14T20:00:00.000-07:00

Following a three day Indian wedding and returning home at 12:30 on Sunday morning I got up at 3AM to photograph the Easter Sunrise Service at Arlington National Cemetery.

Here is the dove release that concluded the service.

I owe David Kay a big thanks for giving me the motivation to get up in the middle of the wee hours.

QuickSilver Return Engagement

2009-03-12T14:43:00.000-07:00

One Handsome Persian

Results of BPPA Photo Competition Announced

2009-03-12T14:29:00.000-07:00

We had a chance to review the results of our entries in the International Photo Competition for the British Professional Photographers Assoc and did fairly well.

Attached are some of the images including:

Quicksilver in the Pet Catagory - Gold Award

Bride and Groom in the Contemporary Wedding - Silver Award

and four bronzes for entries in Children's photography, Press and PR, Events and Bridal Portrait.

Take a look and think about letting us create that special image for you and your family.

A number of these images will appear in the spring edition of Image Maker Magazine, the premier photography magazine in the UK.

First Spring Snow and now flowers blooming at Arlington National Cemetery

2009-03-09T16:20:00.000-07:00

Last Monday I was photographing snow scenes at Arlington National Cemetery and today David Kay and I were photographing a carpet of flowers at the cemetery following a memorial service.

Here are a few of the images.

Memories at Arlington

2009-03-07T18:42:00.001-08:00

Arlington National Cemetery Spring Snow cont

2009-03-06T07:45:00.000-08:00

A few more images from Arlington

Additional Pictures from Arlington National Cemetery

2009-03-06T07:25:00.000-08:00

Here are a few favorites from Arlington on Monday after the snow.

Spring Snow at Arlington National Cemetery

2009-03-06T07:20:00.000-08:00

We had our first scenic snow of the winter for the Washington DC area on Monday.
These are some photos from my work at Arlington National Cemetery that day including the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Enjoy.

The Washington Post Express and WEPSA

2009-01-28T20:34:00.000-08:00

The Washington Post Express and WEPSA

Today, the Washington Post Express printed an article about ethnic weddings, and in particular South Asia wedding events. The Express interviewed a number of members from one on my networking groups “Wedding, Event Professionals South Asia” or WEPSA. WEPSA is a small group of event and wedding professionals focused on creating a tight network of companies focused on providing quality and integrity to the South Asia and Indian community. Common sense basics such as liability insurance, business licenses, tax ID’s are required, but more importantly respect from peers in the event industry. WEPSA members know the vendors that provide quality services with a proven track record and also those that skate by on the lack of knowledge of clients. Brides are making one of the larger investments of their lives when they marry, but have little experience in planning an event of this magnitude and the questions to ask, or how to judge vendors. One of the goals of WEPSA is to educate customers and establish a referral base of quality vendors for those brides.
Don’t think of these vendors as just a resource for South Asian events, they can also deliver outstanding results for any bride or corporate event. After all, once you’ve mastered an elaborate multi-day Indian event, anything else is easy.

Here is a link to the Washington Post Express article dated January 28th:

http://www.expressnightout.com/printedition/ on page 39

Here is a link to the WEPSA website:

http://dcwepsa.com/

The Edge Photography Studio is proud to be a founding member of WEPSA.

Fox News Brit Hume Retirement Party

2009-01-18T18:34:00.000-08:00

We had the good fortune to photograph the Brit Hume retirement party last Thursday at Café Milano in old Georgetown. Thanks Stewart Davis.
I’ll see about sharing a few of the images we shot for Fox. Two of my favorites were done with the ambient light, one of Brian Williams and the other of Bo Derek by candlelight.

The hot spot Café Milano was packed tight with politicians, leaders from the George Bush administration, media people from the various networks and even a Hollywood legend.

It was really funny to see my name on the guest list sandwiched between congresswoman Jane Harman and others H's.

Below is a partial list of attendees who toasted Brit as he enters semi-retirement or perhaps simply a restructuring of his career to allow a new balancing of the priorities in life.

Brit and wife Kim Hume
Former Senator Bob Dole and Senator Elizabeth Dole
V.P. Dick Cheney and his daughter Liz
Chief of the Joint Chiefs Admiral Leahy with his personal photographer
Donald Rumsfeld
Paul Wolfowitz
Alan Greenspan and his wife Andrea Mitchell
Bo Derek Actress
NBC News Anchor Brian Williams
Previous Director of Home Land Security Tom Ridge
Former Senator and Law and Order actor Fred Thompson
Senator and presidential candidate Joe Lieberman
Commentator George Will
Bill O”Reilly
Fox News chief Roger Ailes
Fox News anchor in New York Megyn Kelly
Journalist Greta Van Susteren
Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell
Labor Secretary Elaine Chao
ABC News Anchor Charles Gibson
Rita Braver with CBS News
CBS News White House correspondent Bill Plante
Geraldo Rivera
Fox News Brian Wilson
Carl Cameron Fox News
Jim Angle Fox News
Shepard Smith Fox News
Bill Hemmer Fox News
New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd
Wolf Blitzer from CNN

Washington Bridal Showcase Free Tickets February 1st

2009-01-07T07:39:00.000-08:00

Washington Bridal Showcase Free Tickets February 1st

We will once again be anchoring the fabulous Hunt Country Celebrations display area at the Washington Bridal Showcase. Come and see why so many other vendors consider The Edge Photography their first choice for referrals. Quality, Personality, Style, Class and Always Happy Brides.
Ines & I have a limited number of free tickets for the Bridal Showcase at the Dulles Expo Center.

Give us a call to arrange a time for pickup at our studio in Leesburg Virginia.
703.669.1000

White's Ferry Stranding on Friday December 12th Part 4

2008-12-12T16:05:00.001-08:00

The final group of photos.

White's Ferry Stranding on Friday December 12th Part 3

2008-12-12T16:01:00.000-08:00

They are of course better than what you will see on the network news stations this evening.

White's Ferry Stranding on Friday December 12th Part 2

2008-12-12T15:57:00.000-08:00

Here are a few more images.

White's Ferry Stranding on Friday December 12th

2008-12-12T15:45:00.000-08:00

We had an exciting morning commute to our photo-shoot this morning. We got stranded for several hours on Whites Ferry across the Potomac River from Leesburg to Poolsville.
With the first heavy rains last night we had a large amount of debris in the river including large trees. One of these became caught under the ferry and than other trees started snagging the ferry cable, which was lifted off the bottom of the river by the ferry's midstream position.
River rescue teams from Maryland and the fire department from Virginia soon joined us.
Next a news helicopter and than the media from the various networks joined the scene while we evacuated the ferry via the zodiacs with the help of the rescue squads.
Following several hours of delays the ferry crew was able to remove the large tree wedged under the ferry with a tractor and bring our cars to shore.
No one hurt or stressed, just very late for arrival at our various destinations.