It's right around the corner! Adrianna, a dear friend, hiking buddy, and sushi aficionado, is graduating from George Mason University with a degree in Microbiology this May! Here she is looking cute in this plaid wrap that makes me think of places closer to the West coast. I'm proud of ya girl!
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The official photo blog of J. David Buerk Photography.
Sterling Supercars: March 11th, 2017
Last minute I decided to swing by Ferrari / Maserati / Alfa Romeo of Washington in Sterling, Virginia for the Cars and Coffee that has been known as DC Exotics and more recently SterlingSupercars. I've been to this Cars and Coffee once before; I don't frequent this one as often as others since it focuses exclusively on modern exotics, and other local car shows are more eclectic. That being said, it's still a cool show to visit, and since it's sponsored by the (exotic) dealership, it's probably the most upscale cars and coffee event in the area. Even if the focus is on Ferraris and Lamborghinis, being held at their dealerships, the atmosphere is just as welcoming as any other cars and coffee I've been to.
I showed up at the tail end of this show because I decided to go last minute, but there were still some cool rides there. I even got to sit in a new Alfa Romeo Giulia.
After the show, I headed out to Sonic in Winchester for lunch, and we came across Dirt Farm Brewing by chance on the way back. On a whim we dropped in to check out one of the local breweries we keep hearing about, and got flights. I'm much more into wine than beer, and I only found one I liked.
Senior Katie - Portraits In Virginia Horse Country
Summer has ended, the leaves are changing, and the hooves are galloping. This Fall, Katie and her silly horse Retro shot senior portraits with me at their stable in Loudoun County, Virginia.
Like Savannah (who I photographed with her horse earlier this Summer), Katie has been riding horses for years, and now competes in equestrian showjumping events. Katie is a Senior at my high-school alma mater, and will be graduating with the Class of 2017.
These horse themed portrait sessions are so much fun; I have so much respect for these beautiful animals and the people who love and take care of them. I still, unfortunately, have never ridden a horse, but hopefully I will soon change that. Who knows; someday maybe I'll be an avid horse person too!
Retro is another very well trained and obedient horse, and he was actually so comfortable during shooting that he even began to doze off with Katie on his back! He and the other horses in the stable were very friendly, and between shots even nuzzled, licked, and followed me for a bit. I felt right at home!
2016 Dulles Day Plane Pull and 5K / 10K on the Runway
Dulles Day 5K / 10K On the Runway
In 1993 Dulles International Airport held the World's very first Plane Pull, a charity event in partnership with Special Olympics, that began a phenomenon of other plane pull charity events worldwide. In 2013, Dulles added a 5K (and in 2014 a 10K) to Dulles Day. While technically the 5K / 10K is a separate event from the Plane Pull, it is always held on the morning of as the newest annual part of Dulles Day. Each year 2,500 participants are able to run on R/W 1R and return to the Start / Finish via T/W K. It is one of Potomac River Running's most popular runs, both because it offers the unique opportunity to be a pedestrian on an airfield (and run under the wing of a United 777), and there is no other run of that distance which offers a perfectly flat venue other than a track.
In previous years I've been on the ground for photos (thank you to Airport Operations for always providing me with speedy transport anywhere I need to go), but this year I was in the helicopter circling the event to capture new angles and promo photos I haven't gotten for this event before. In contrast to the other photographers at the event who are tasked with capturing each runner's photo, my assignment for the Plane Pull each year is to document the entire day and capture marketing photographs in a photojournalistic manner.
Thanks to an unexpected, last-minute delay of the race start, I was able to capture some great photos and video footage of the Smithsonian's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center before the run got underway.
Also visible is Washington Dulles International Airport's Concourses and Terminal, ATCT, VMF, and R/W 12/30.
Huge thanks to Bussman Aviation and all the fine folks in Dulles Airport Operations who make aerial photography and the entire day possible!
If you're looking for the video footage, scroll to the bottom of this blog post.
Dulles Day Plane Pull
The Dulles Day Plane Pull is a Summer festival suitable for all ages, and is great for families and aviation enthusiasts alike. There are food vendors, games, giveaways, booths and displays, demonstrations, a classic car show, ARFF and Mobile Lounge rides / tours, live music, and ~50 private, vintage, and military aircraft on display, but the main attraction is the Plane Pull itself; ~100 teams compete in pulling a FedEx 757 or a United A320.
The first pull to kick off the day every year is always the Special Olympics team. This year they had a little help from Superman!
Another notable team is the Fairfax County Police Department. Dulles's property crosses over between Fairfax and Loudoun Counties, and many of the teams that compete are police and sheriffs offices in the surrounding communities. The police community is already a tightly knit brotherhood, and that family is brought together every year with this friendly competition amongst neighboring jurisdictions.
Something of my own tradition I've begun since I began documenting the Plane Pull in 2013, every year I capture an aerial portrait of Eero Saarinen's famous Dulles Main Terminal Building. This year’s Plane Pull was overcast - excellent for pictures of people and scenes, but not the most flattering light for glamour shots of buildings. The iconic Main Terminal Building is seen here with ongoing construction for the Dulles Metrorail Project entering the bottom of the frame, including excavation and two cranes.
For 10 straight years now eyes have been on the Chesapeake Sheriff's Office; the team with an outright dominant reign as the Dulles Plane Pull's fastest. They successfully defended their title for the 10th year in a row, with a time of 4.872s; 2016's fastest pull, however just short of setting a new Plane Pull record - a record of 4.753 they set in 2015.
The Dulles Day Plane Pull is also a planespotter's / AVGeek's dream; ATC does their best to route as much international, heavy, and otherwise interesting traffic to the nearby center runway. Guests are encouraged to bring their cameras, and it's common for folks to come just to grab a lobster roll and planespot alongside the taxilane the entire afternoon in anticipation of spotting a jumbo like Lufthansa's 747-8i or Air France's A380. This is completely in addition to the static private, vintage, and military aircraft on display.
Once again, I have to thank Bussman Aviation and all the fine folks in Dulles Airport Operations who make aerial photography and the entire day possible! I rely on these fantastic folks to get me from A to B in speedy fashion, and what I do wouldn't be possible without them!
Video Footage
Here is a collection of the video footage I captured at this year's annual 2016 Dulles Plane Pull benefitting Special Olympics Virginia. Still photographs are my main focus, so this is content I captured between the still photos I captured to document the day.