About Washington Photo Safari

Description: Washington Photo Safari™ teaches the techniques of travel photography by taking visitors and local residents on half-day and day-long photo shoots around the attractions of the nation’s capital and other cities, while an accompanying professional photographer gives them tips in composition, camera use, interior photography without flash, and outdoor portraiture. Top-ranked in Google, it is now one of the country’s largest providers of hands-on photography training field trips, with nine professional photographers providing over 100 domestic and international itineraries.

Photographers at any skill level are invited to participate in the photo safaris, and any camera is acceptable, digital or film. Washington Photo Safari offers 4-5 photo excursions every week rain or shine, all year long, and special nighttime photography workshops, such as “Monuments at Night,” and “Moonrise Over the Nation’s Capital,” plus special workshops for nature, flash, portrait, product, architectural, food, pet, macro, wedding, and event photographers. Photo safaris are also provided twice a day around the Tidal Basin during DC’s cherry blossom season.

Current safari prices are just $74 for a half-day workshop, $129 for a full-day, and $54-$189 for “special safaris” in specific “photo-op” areas or tourist attractions, such as the Franciscan Monastery or Adams-Morgan, or day-long excursions to, Shenandoah National Park, and Frederick MD. Longer safaris now are offered to the Florida Everglades, New York, Yellowstone, Outer Banks, and Amsterdam. Group rates and personalized gift certificates are also available.

Background: DC architectural landmark photographer E. David Luria, a member of the American Society of Media Photographers, founded the Washington Photo Safari in 1999 as a sideline to his own commercial photography business and hosted a total of 72 people that first year, averaging just 6 clients a month. The program became so popular that by 2007 it had grown over 30-fold, hosting 2,750 participants, an average of 8 people going on a photo safari every day.

Mr. Luria’s own images of Washington DC have appeared in over 100 local and national publications – including TIME, Prevention, and Washingtonian Magazines – on 30 magazine covers, and on 80 postcards guidebooks, calendars and tourist publications sold throughout the area, including a cover story that appeared in the May 2006 edition of WHERE-Washington. 25 of his images appear in a recently published full-color coffee-table book entitled “Washington DC Visions.” authored by Austin Kiplinger. Mr. Luria was trained in Paris by a protégé of Henri Cartier Bresson. He is the official photographer of the National Cherry Blossom Festival and event photographer for the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, and he photographs for the US Capitol Historical Society, the Washington DC Convention and Tourism Corporation, for the Washington Post’s Apartment Showcase Magazine, Guest Informant, Washington Spaces, and the Entertainment Book. A member of the Society of Photographic Education, he is also a photo study tour leader with the Smithsonian Resident Associates, the Strathmore Education Center, and the Kreeger Museum, and he has served as a guest photographic expert on WAMU.FM’s Kojo Nmandi Show. Mr. Luria is the author of an article in Apogee Photo Online Magazine entitled: “You Go Into Photography With the Camera You Have, Not the Camera You Wish you Had!” Samples of his photography can be viewed at www.edavidluriaphotography.com.

“Washington DC is one of the most beautiful and photogenic cities in the world, “Mr. Luria comments. “Using our landmarks and monuments as ‘models’, I wanted to create a unique opportunity for people to learn how to take postcard-quality pictures when they travel. I am convinced one of the best ways to learn photography is by taking pictures yourself, with a pro at your side giving you guidance.”

Impact on tourism: Since 1999 there have been over 12,000 participants in 1,600+ safari groups who have been trained in the techniques of landmark photography by the Washington Photo Safari, Clients have come from over 20 countries, including Australia, France, Germany, Holland, the UK, and from all over the US, Mexico and Canada, as well as from the entire DC, Maryland and Virginia region. Over 3,600 clients are repeaters, coming on two or more safaris: 230 people have been on an average of 8 safaris apiece, and one client has been on 50 of the 100 itineraries that we offer!

The local DC-area Penn Camera retail store network has served as a primary sponsor, and participating groups have included the Washington DC Convention and Tourism Corp., Deloitte Consulting, the Hasselblad USA Camera Co., the U.S. Capitol Historical Society, Elderhostel, Things to Do/DC, the staffs of National Public Radio and the US Office of Personnel Management, Capitol Services Inc., the staff of the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, contestants of National Spelling Bee, Professionals in the City, the Smithsonian Resident Associates, the Strathmore Music Education Center, the US Marine Band, Willard Hotel, the DC Guild of Professional Tour Guides, and several local camera clubs.

Critical acclaim: Called “a real treat”, “an absolute BLAST”, and “an invaluable experience” by some of its participants, the Washington Photo Safari has also received considerable press attention. including the Washington Post’s and WHERE Magazine’s lists of the “Top 10 Things To Do in Washington.”and Washingtonian Magazine’s list of “50 Fun Things To Do in Washington DC.” It was highlighted in a 2000 segment on the NBC “Today “ Show, in a 2007 segment on Discovery TV’s Travel Channel’s “Not Your Average Travel Guide,” in a 2002 segment on the Fine Living cable TV network entitled “Back to Basics In Photography”, and in segments on WTOP All-News Radio in 2005 and WTTG Fox News television in 2006. It has been written up in the Columbus Dispatch, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, Washington DC Examiner, the Baltimore Sun, the Chicago Tribune, the New York Times, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Richmond Times Dispatch, AAA’ s Car and Driver Magazine, USA Today, in the online magazine DP Review, and in American Airline’s American Way. It is also listed in the Shaw Guide to Photo Safaris, the Insider’s Guide to Washington DC and the the Offbeat Guide to Washington DC, Time Out Guide to Washington DC, The Business Travelers Guide to Washington DC, the AAA Guide to Washington DC. and Fodor’s Guide.

Describing her experience on the photo safari, one professional travel writer said: “I don’t believe I’ve ever improved my photography as much as I did in those few hours of time.”

Washington Post staff writer John Maynard said of his photo safari experience:
“..by day’s end, I was one step closer to my inner Ansel.”

Cherry Blossom safari participant Brent Sandweiss of Tuscon AZ, wrote:
“Thank you so much for a terrific experience during the annual Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington. Of all the activities we were lucky enough to participate in Washington, yours was the very best experience we had. In less than 3 hours, your personal, hands-on attention improved our photo taking capabilities exponentially.”

Other unsolicited comments received from safari graduates (and their spouses) are:

“You have created a Camera Monster!”

“I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the time and concern you have for your students. You were born to teach!”

“I just love these photo safaris! They get my husband out of the house so I can get some peace and quiet!”

Washington Photo Safari is a member agency of the Washington DC Convention and Tourism Corporation and the District of Columbia Chamber of Commerce. More information is available by visiting www.WashingtonPhotoSafari.com or by calling 202-537-0937 or emailing to info@washingtonphotosafari.com.