A New Year’s Message From WPS Founder and Director E. David Luria

Why do we enjoy taking pictures? Why can’t we just EXPERIENCE life without having to bring that little box up to our eyes to photograph it?

I think it’s because our cameras (and now our phones) are really little magic machines, devices capable of doing things no human can do! They can stop time, see in the dark, freeze the wings of a hummingbird, turn waterfalls into misty clouds or a million little ice pellets, make small rooms look big, turn our kids turn into ghosts, move the moon across the sky, bring the beauty of nature into our home, and capture memories of our past in exquisite detail.

Part of my own training in photography many years ago was a course offered by the Smithsonian Associates and taught by the wonderful instructor, Virginia photographer Joshua Taylor. It was aptly called “The Joy of Photography,” because the pictures we took under Joshua’s direction made us happy with ourselves! That’s what photography does. It is great for self-esteem. It makes YOU happy when you take a great picture, and perhaps your picture makes OTHER people happy as well. It makes you say to yourself: “Wow! Look at that! I did that! That’s really nice. I like that. Maybe I’m not so bad after all!” So, my New Year’s message to all my clients and fellow shutterbugs: I wish you a Happy New Year in which you get out there, take lots of pictures, have fun, and experience that “joy of photography!”

E. David Luria, Founder and Director, Washington Photo Safari