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Once again we invite you to join us for another benefit photo safari, this time to raise money for the victims of Hurricane Harvey in the Houston region of Texas, and for any future victims in nearby Louisiana. Our previous benefits that we conducted over the past 8 years were most successful in generating over $25,000 for several natural disasters: the tsunami in Indonesia, Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, the earthquakes in Nepal, Japan and Haiti, and the damage to Washington National Cathedral. This time the damage is right  here in the States in the coastal and inland areas of southeastern Texas. Thousands of our fellow citizens have lost their homes and all their belongings, many remain without heat and power. In Houston alone, they estimate 20,00-40,000 people whose homes have been destroyed, and the rushing waters have created a lake the size…

Most of us don’t give insurance coverage for our photographic equipment much thought – we automatically assume that it will be covered by our homeowners or renters insurance. The truth is, the risks associated with making a living as a paid photographer, whether you operate as a sole proprietor or as a corporation, extend far beyond replacing a stolen or damaged camera. As with any commercial enterprise, a photographer encounters significant risks each and every time customers choose his or her services.  If you do not have insurance, your business will have to absorb the cost of loss (or lawsuit). While you should always consult with an insurance agent to make sure you have all the coverages you need, here are some of the main things you need to consider and purchase when getting photography business insurance: General or Business Liability…

BIG NEWS!   Washington Photo Safari has been Awarded Trip Advisor’s coveted HALL OF FAME AWARD, given only to those businesses that received Trip Advisor Certificates of Excellence for at least FIVE YEARS IN A ROW! 2018 marks the 6th year that Washington Photo Safari has received TA’s Certificate of Excellence, due to consistently high 5-Star reviews from clients. Only 10% of businesses WORLDWIDE receive Certificates of Excellence each year. Established in 1999, Washington Photo Safari, with one full-time director, one part-time assistant and 11 instructors, is now rated as the NUMBER 1 Photography Tour in Washington, DC by Trip Advisor; ranks Number 4 out of 56 outdoor activities and Number 17 out of 157 tours offered in the DC area. It has trained 36,000 amateur photographers from all 50 United States and 45 countries, averaging 5 Safarians every day of the year, on…

A snapshot is a picture taken without any thought or planning. The photographer aims the camera in the general direction of the subject and pushes the button. A photograph is taken by a person who makes a plan before pushing the button, a person who asks: “Why am I taking the picture? What am I trying to show?…

If you have a computer that uses Windows 10, you probably have noticed the login screen that appears when you first turn on your computer. It is a beautiful mountain and valley scene, punctuated in the lower left with a red backpack. Why is that red backpack in the picture? Because it makes the whole…

On many of his safaris, WPS Director E. David Luria discusses techniques for drawing the viewer into your photo.  Two of the popular techniques to do that are framing and layering. But what exactly are framing and layering techniques? Framing is just what the word indicates – photographing elements in the photo that “frame” the subject, like…

We are pleased to announce that we are competing this year in City Paper’s annual Best of DC awards contest under the category of Photography Services! But we need your help!  We will be competing against some of the very best photographers in the DC area, and of course we offer a service that is a bit different than theirs: we don’t take pictures, we teach YOU to take pictures! Click here for the link to the Photography Services category We would be most grateful for your vote! Here is some information about us that may help you decide to vote for us: 1) Established in 1999, Washington Photo Safari (WPS) was the first- and remains one of the largest- community-based photography field trip programs in the country; 2) Averaging just 6 – 7 people per group, WPS clients have come from all 50…

“Bokeh” is a Japanese word meaning “blur”, and in photography it is a great way to set off your foreground by blurring the background, as in the picture above.  It is especially good for portraits of people or pets or flowers because it isolates the main subject from the background.   A Bokeh is best…

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…

The DC area has a multitude of events and spectacular light displays scheduled during the 2017 Holiday Season…here are some of our favorites: Not-to-miss events to put on the calendar! The IceLounge, The Park at CityCenter: December 1 CityCenterDC will open a life-size, modern ice igloo in The Park at CityCenter called the “Ice Lounge”. It will…