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2017: A Year in Review

A portrait of a man and woman
Vermeer Woman Holding a Balance
A man photographing a sculpture
Red and yellow lights on the arches at the National Cathedral

Thank you so much to all our clients for helping to make 2017 another exciting year for Washington Photo Safari!  Here are some of the highlights of our 19th year in operation:

  • We conducted several new safaris this year, including:
    • Special Lighting at Washington National Cathedral,
    •  A 7-day photo Workshop Cruise to the Bahamas: Photo Panda Goes to Sea;
    • Early Morning at the National Zoo, with David Sendzul;
    •  A Special Benefit Safari which raised $3,000 for the medical expenses of the  late Melanie Otto, a popular WPS instructor;
    • A Special Benefit Safari which raised $2,300 for Victims of Hurricane Harvey; and the donation of $4,800 in complementary Monuments and Memorials photo safari gift certificates to the silent auctions of 27 local, non-profit organizations.
    • Story Telling Photography at the Newseum;
    • Jewels of the National Mall at Night;
    •  Walters Art Museum, with Steve Rosenbach;
    •  DC At Night by Smartphone;
    •  20 Questions About Your Camera;
    • Scavenger Hunt on the National Mall with Steve Rosenbach;
    •  Gunston Hall in Lorton VA, home of George Mason;
    • St. Johns, the Church of the Presidents on Lafayette Square, at Holiday Time;
    • City Centre at Holiday Time at Night;
    • Composition Safaris at the Freer Gallery and the Vermeer Exhibit at NGA;
    • A Special Three Day Photography Weekend in DC Photo Safari(many of these will be repeated in 2018).
  • We also continued our cooperating relationship with Capital Photography Center, providing instruction for 319 of their clients on 39 photo excursions.
  • We conducted one-on-one private tutoring sessions for 30 clients this year.
  • In 2017 our clients came from 40 US states, DC and Puerto Rico, and from 15 countries all around the world:  Australia, Canada. Cayman Islands, Colombia, France, Republic of Georgia, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Switzerland, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom. 70% of our clients this year came from the DC/ MD/VA area.
  • We received Trip Advisor’s Certificate of Excellence for the fifth year in a row, due to dozens of 5-star reviews which ranked us as No. 10 out of 55 Outdoor Activities in the DC area.
  • We hosted our 35,000th participant, Larry Filipelli of Fredericksburg, VA and were honored to be recognized for this achievement in congratulatory remarks entered by DC Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton in the U. S. Congressional Record.
  • We attended the international Arival Conference of tour operators in Las Vegas to exchange tips in tour management with several hundred delegates and to meet with third-party vendor representatives of Viator, Expedia and Trip Advisor.
  • We assisted in setting up a Photo Tour Operator’s Facebook Page, exchanging tips on photo tour management with  photographers in 18  US and Canadian cities setting up similar  photo safari operations in their communities.
  • And finally, we are proud to announce that 2017 was another banner year for customer loyalty, with 1 out of every 2 of our local region  clients returning for 2 or more of our safaris. Since 1999, we have hosted 10,368 repeat customers, including 633 “frequent safarians” who have each been on an average of 9 safaris apiece! One client has been on 59 of our safaris and is already signed up for her 60th safari in 2018!
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