What You Will Learn

Here are the basic photography tips you will get on a Washington Photo Safari™ :

You will learn how to:

On safari at the National Cathedral

hold the camera for maximum picture sharpness;
use selective focus to determine the subject of each picture using focus hold;
frame your subject using available flowers, trees, bushes and doorways;
keep your vertical lines as straight as possible for professional photos;
fool your camera’s meter, using exposure lock, so that it gives you the correct reading when facing backlit subjects or dark-colored subjects;
take pleasing outdoor portraits in bright sunshine and in shade;
pose people you do know in front of famous landmarks and monuments;
take pictures of people you do not know;
use the fill-flash and cancel-flash features of your camera;
take pictures inside of large interior spaces, like train stations, churches and museums, without using a flash;
take close-up pictures of flowers and statues;
decide when to use black and white film vs. color;
put strong composition lines and balance into your pictures;
control depth-of-field with aperture priority settings
use the other doodads on your camera you were afraid to try

With Washington Photo Safari™, you also get pre-safari advice on what film and equipment to bring, and available post-safari critique of the photos you take.

Who should attend:

From beginner to advanced amateur, any photographer will have a great learning experience on our photo Safaris. Professional photographers visiting from other cities will also appreciate the time-saving site scouting we have done at each location. Having lived in the area for many years, we know where all the best pictures are!

If you would like to hear an excellent tour of DC’s monuments on your cellphone or landline phone before, during, or after your visit, call Mobile Tours at 1-800-217-7740, listen to the menu options and dial “1” for the Lincoln Memorial, “2” for the Vietnam memorial, “3” for the Korean Memorial, etc. Check out their website at www.mobiletours.com!

Who should not attend:

Spouses, friends, children, colleagues, relatives who are NOT interested in photography might be bored in our Safaris, which are not tours but teaching workshops in photography with a lot of talk about F stops, shutter speeds, composition, and lighting. Our Safaris are not substitutes for the professionally guided tours given by reputable vendors such as Gray Line, Old Town Trolley, Tourmobile, and by many individual licensed tour guides who are experts in the history of the area’s monuments.

What to Bring:

Here is a general list of suggested equipment. It is optional, not required. Please don’t hesitate to ask if you have any concerns or questions.

If you have a point and shoot camera, please learn how to turn the flash off and on and how to use the white balance feature;
If you have an SLR body, bring lenses from 20mm up to 300mm, if available .If not, an 18-55mm or 18-70mm lens is fine
Circular Polarizing filter and, if you have them, neutral density filters
Digital shooters, bring several memory cards or backup devices
Film shooters, bring several rolls of film, ISO 200-400
Spare fully charged batteries or fresh alkalines
Lens cleaning kit (air blower, brush etc)

Do I have to speak English?

Safaris are available in English, French, or Spanish.

What about bad weather?

Washington Photo Safari operates rain or shine. When it rains hard, we take you to covered locations.

How do I register?

Check out our Safari Calendar. Choose what interests you, and click through to the online registration. If you have received a Gift Certificate, contact us at info@washingtonphotosafari.com and let us know which Safari you wish to attend, we will get you signed up. You can apply the value of your certificate towards any of the Safaris that we offer.

What happens if I have to cancel?

Cancellations must be made in writing at least 8 days prior to the Safari date by email to info@washingtonphotosafari.com.

Cancellations received 8 days or more in advance of the Safari date receive a full refund of the amount paid, less a 2.5% service charge. No refund is made for cancellations received less than 8 days before the Safari date If the Safari is cancelled by Washington Photo Safari due to low attendance, the client receives a full refund or, if the client prefers, credit towards another Safari.

Our Instructors:

E. David Luria: E. David Luria Founder and director of the Washington Photo Safari™

David Luria is a DC-based professional commercial photographer specializing in architecture, landmarks, restaurant and event photography. Trained in Paris at the Parsons School of Design by a protégé of Henri Cartier Bresson, he is a member of the American Society of Media Photographers and of the Society of Photographic Educators. His images of Washington DC have appeared on 30 magazine covers and in over 100 publications, including 24 photographs in the coffee-table book Washington DC Visions. He also serves as Contributing Photographer to WHERE-Washington Magazine, the Entertainment Book, and the Washington Post’s Apartment Showcase and Washington Spaces Magazines, and his Washington Photo Safaris have trained over 12,000 amateur photographers in basic techniques of travel, landmark, portrait, museum, nighttime, and other photographic specialties.

Photo credit: Kelly Hirshman.

Eddie Arrossi: Eddie Arrossi is an independent photographer in the Washington DC area specializing in photojournalism, weddings, and corporate events who covers local news events for the Spanish New Agency EFE. Raised in Argentina, Eddie began his work at age 16 and became one of the more prominent travel photographers in Buenos Aires, developing a large portfiolio of images that appear on post cards and travel books sold throughout Argentina's capital city and at Iguacu Falls. He has also photographed extensively on his travels to Bolivia, Peru, Chile, Brazil, the UK, Holland and the Czech Republic. Now a resident of Bowie, MD since 2002, Eddie frequently serves as an instructor for Washington Photo Safari. His work can be seen at his website www.eaphoto.com

Bob Blanken: Bob Blanken is a member of the Professional Photographers of America and its local affiliates. He is also a member of the International Special Events Society (ISES) and the Meeting Professionals International (MPI). Bob has been certified as a Professional Photographer by the Professional Photographers of America and has received their esteemed Craftsman degree. His photographs and albums have won numerous awards including 17 nominations as Best Photographer of the Year and was the 2006 ISES Capital Award Winner for Best Social Photographer. Today, his company provides full photography services including onsite printing for special events.

John Egan: John Egan is a published travel and landscape photographer and writer. His articles on the best places to take pictures that are illustrated with his images have appeared in the on-line magazine Vivid Light. John travels extensively throughout the world for business and pleasure. He has visited 68 independent countries and all seven continents thus far and continues to add more all the time. A former Washingtonian, he now resides in France and leads the acclaimed Paris Photo Safari. His travel and other images can be seen at http://jjegans.smugmug.com.

Marketa Jirouskova: Marketa Jirouskova, a resident of Amsterdam, is a freelance photojournalist named “Photographer of the Year” by the International Photographic Society at the World Bank/IMF in Washington DC. A native of the Czech Republic, Ms. Jirouskova received her Masters Degree in Film from the Prague Film School, has photographed and filmed in 50 countries and is the recipient of 37 photographic awards. She has been published in six European magazines including the Readers Digest, and her work has been shown in over 20 exhibitions around the world. She has created 7 documentaries (travel, adventure, history) and corporate video programs on international subjects commissioned by 2 corporations and 2 international organizations and received recognition by corporate executives for her creativity and uniqueness.

David Muse: David Muse is an outdoor photographer with a passion to share his work and help others learn the art and craft of photography. David now blends his interest in photography and his skills from a career in the information services field by writing and teaching about photography. He is a member of The Photographers Alliance, founded by renowned nature photographer David Middleton. He is currently working on enhancing his Photoshop skills and expanding his portfolio. You can view some of his recent images online at www.davidmusephoto.com

Paul Nelson: Paul Nelson is a life-long adventurer, having lived in eight different states, and spending over 20 years traveling the world operating undersea robotic equipment. Paul’s work has led him from the oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, to aircraft recoveries off the coast of Africa, to discovering centuries old ship wrecks in the Mediterranean. His photos have been published in local and national magazines. He currently lives in Maryland and is responsible for some of Annapolis’ more memorable images.

Melanie Otto: Melanie Otto is a professional photographer from Oxon Hill, MD, specializing in event work, portraiture (corporate as well as personal), product photography, architectural & interior, as well as shooting weddings and sports. She is a digital specialist though she loves film, too, and is always up for a photographic adventure of travel or landscape work. She has had the honor of appearing on more than one of Kojo Nnamdi’s WAMU 88.5 FM Tech Tuesday Shows discussing digital photography and the industry’s products. Melanie has been individualizing her photo tutoring for over 6 years, bringing her innovative approach to hundreds seeking a better understanding of a wide range of photo topics.

Ray Pilon: Instructor Ray Pilon, an Ottawa resident, is a professional photographer with 32 years of experience in commercial photography including magazine and catalogue imaging, events and prominent activities in the Ottawa area. Ray is also a part-time photography instructor at Algonquin College in Ottawa. His portfolio is online at www.photographyottawa.com.

Sean Quintilian: Since he first bought a used Pentax K1000 in 1989 Sean Quintilian has traveled over much of North America in search of outstanding wildlife and nature photographs. His body of work includes images from 14 U.S. National Parks and dozens of National Wildlife Refuges, with over 100 species of mammals, birds, and reptiles recorded. Sean has spent over 600 days on location over the past 17 years including 20 weeks in Yellowstone National Park alone. His work has appeared in publications, exhibits and even a CD jacket. His fine art prints have graced the walls of many offices and homes. During the past three years Sean has started a growing portrait and wedding business. Sean lives in Abingdon Maryland with his wife Jessica and daughter Juliana.

Judy Reisman: After a 20-year career as a technical translator for the World Bank, Judy turned to photography full-time, switching from writing with words to writing with light. Teaching at the Washington School of Photography for many years brought her joy in sharing her passion for photography with others as well as accolades from her students. She now hosts photo tours in Frederick County and in the Shenandoah Valley for the Washington Photo Safari and does pet and people portraiture and fine-art nature prints for private clients, as well as private tutoring. She is currently editing a book on photography and building her fine-art and stock portfolios.

Michael Rosenberg: Michael Rosenberg is certified by the New York Institute of Photography, graduated from Northern Virginia Community College. In 2004, he opened a studio in Lorton, Virginia where he produces portraits and stock photography. He specializes in nature and landscape images. Michael has also included large format printing in his studio. Photo: Eddie Arrossi.

John Witschey: John Witschey specializes in stock photography as well as weddings, events and assignments. His stock portfolio is represented by Folio, Inc., in Falls Church, Virginia, and includes images of Washington, D.C. and the Mid-Atlantic as well as images of the natural world from across the United States.

Washington Amateur/Professional Photography Safaris
Washington Amateur/Professional Photography Classes
Washington Amateur/Professional Photography Instructors