Quick Details
Photographer
$ 99
The National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, the largest Catholic church in North America, is a photographer’s delight. Located in northeast DC, the Byzantine and Romanesque Revival-style Shrine sits on magnificently landscaped grounds with a beautiful garden, fountain and statuary.
Construction of the shrine began in 1920, was delayed by the Great Depression and World War II and finally was brought to completion in 2017. The church is home to over 80 chapels and oratorios that “honor the Mother of God,” and this majestic Church is not only renowned for its beautiful sacred art but also for its unique architecture and richness in Catholic and American culture.
Here are samples of the images you will get on this Safari.
Our safari, led by architectural photographer E. David Luria, will first capture these outdoor scenes and then move indoors – without tripods – to photograph the soaring architecture of golden transepts and arches, little niches, altars and statuary that line the corridors of the Shrine.
Mr. Luria will provide instruction on how to use your camera or your late model smartphone to capture the beautiful Church Interiors without a tripod, a good skill to have in all your future travels. He will also provide guidance on composition and for camera users, he will assist you with white balance, ISO, shutter speed, and aperture settings in this low-light environment and give special tips on how to photograph the spectacular stained glass windows.
Recommended lenses: wide angle, medium length, and telephoto.
There is free parking in the Shrine’s parking lot. The nearest Metro station is Brookland/CUA (Catholic University of America) on the Red Line.
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- Camera
- Lenses
- Extra memory cards
- Extra charged battery
- Accessories such as filters
- Weather appropriate clothing
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Meet at the entrance to the Shrine parking lot, 400 Michigan Ave NE, Washington, DC.
The nearest Metro station is Brookland/CUA (Catholic University of America) on the Red Line.
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Architectural photographer E. David Luria is founder and director of the Washington Photo Safari, which has provided over 6,700 photo safaris for 46,500 amateur photographers – an average of 5 people every day, 365 days a year, since it was founded in 1999.
“You taught me several important points and helped me better understand not only photography but also my own camera. I’ve taken photo classes at the Smithsonian, Glen Echo, and the Washington School of Photography. You’ve been the best among all the teachers I’ve had.“ David Lassiter, Olney, MD
Trained in Paris by a protégé of Henri Cartier-Bresson, Mr. Luria is a member of the American Society of Media Photographers and the Society of Photographic Educators and has had his images of DC appear in over 100 publications, calendars, and postcards and on 30 magazine covers.