Established in 1999, Washington Photo Safari teaches the techniques of photography by taking visitors and local residents on half-day and full-day photo shoots around key sites of the nation’s capital and other cities, while an accompanying professional photographer offers participants extensive tips in camera use, image composition and design, proper exposure, lighting, and posing “models” for the best effect.
“Safari” is a Swahili word meaning “journey.” Washington Photo Safari takes visitors on half-day and full-day “photo journeys” around key destinations of the nation’s capital and other cities, while an accompanying professional photographer offers participants extensive tips in camera use, image composition and design, proper exposure, lighting, and posing “models” for the best effect.
True to its motto of “See. Click. Learn.” Washington Photo Safari conducts all of its instruction in the field – not in a classroom – while the client is taking pictures, so that hands-on training corrections can be made by the instructors in real time.
Top-rated with hundreds of 5-star reviews on Viator, Yelp, Google, and an annual 5-star winner of TripAdvisor’s Certificate of Excellence, Washington Photo Safari is now one of the country’s largest providers of hands-on photography field trips, with a team of 11 professional photographers, training an average of five people every day, 365 days a year, on dozens of unique domestic and international “photo safaris” and on wildlife photography of bears, elks, eagles, snow geese, and wolves.
Photographers of all skill levels are invited to participate in our photo safaris and any camera is acceptable, even cell phone cameras.
Safaris are also presented in close-by locations including DC, Frederick & Annapolis, MD and Shenandoah, VA, and there are special in-person and virtual workshops on the most popular DSLR and mirrorless camera models.
Principal travel photography workshops cover the major sites of DC including the monuments, memorials, and cathedrals. Beyond these key sites, specialty Safaris are offered in techniques in street photography (taught by a Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist), nature photography, f stops and shutter speeds, architectural, pet, macro, museum, abstracts, candid kids, artistic composition, creative flash, and indoor/outdoor portraiture; Special night-time photography workshops are offered including the “Monuments at Night,” and “Moonrise Over the Capitol”. During DC’s beautiful cherry blossom season, photo Safaris are provided around the Tidal Basin. Zoom sessions are offered on composition and camera technique.
Washington Photo Safari also offers one-on-one private tutoring, customized corporate group safaris, and has conducted week-long intensive photography workshops on board cruise ships from Baltimore to the Bahamas; from Paris to Normandy, and from Amsterdam to Basel on Viking River Cruises.
The History of Washington Photo Safari
Photography started for Washington Photo Safari founder and director
Photography started for Washington Photo Safari founder and director