Since you’ve all been working so hard, we thought we’d let you have Friday Links a day early. This week, we have pugs in costume, portraits of early hip-hop artists, incredible wildlife photos, and cheeky bridesmaids. Have a great Fourth!

• This weekend you may need these tips on photographing fireworks from National Geographic.
• Just like those who picked VHS over Beta, folks who went with Lightroom over Aperture must be feeling pretty good after the news that Apple is dumping Aperture.
• The only thing better than pugs is pugs in Game of Thrones costumes.
• “With his camera, Helmer-Petersen flattened space, translating into a two-dimensional medium not just the objects and scenes he shot, but perspective itself.” Explore the work of LIFE magazine photographer Keld Helmer-Petersen.
• Here is a small sample of some of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year photos, and they are stunning.
• Just when we thought trends in the wedding photography industry couldn’t get any worse, you have bridesmaids showing their butts? What? Why? Just say no photographers. Just say no.
• “Prior to (World War I), because of the scarcity of press photography in general, picture desk editors from newspapers were quite happy to use photographs which were merely representative or illustrative of a point rather than showing a genuine event itself.” Lens blog explores the origins of war photography and how it connects to the way modern wars are covered.
• Lisa Leone was still a student at New York’s High School of Art and Design in 1982 when she began photographing the burgeoning hip-hop movement.
• Three photographers, Stephen Freskos, Scott Haefner and Jon Haeber, are risking jail to capture crumbling relics from America’s Cold War.
• Stefanie Klavens has created a photographic series of iconic movie palaces titled “Celluloid Dreams.”
• And finally, we are sending you off on a long weekend with this three way tiger kiss from the San Diego Zoo. Really.