I signed up for Washington Photo Safari to learn basic photography for my social media job at Honest Tea. I wanted to have fun doing it so i signed up and I made a great decision. David, the tour guide, started this business as our Nation's first ever photo safari and has been running it ever since. He knows photography and knows how to teach it and practices what he teaches. On top of that, he's lived in DC for 45 years and knows the city and will share all of its secrets with you. If you do the half day, you'll start by the White House and visit the Einstein Statue, Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Memorial Korean Memorial and will send at Union Station. Highly recommend! read more

I signed up for a course at the Marine Corps Silent Drills. David was friendly, but there was no structure to the course at all. He basically explained what the Silent Drill Platoon would do, and then left us to our devices. He spent most of the time chatting with one of the students who it seemed like he knew. I didn't learn anything. I'm not exactly sure what I got for the course fee, I could have just showed up myself and would have had the same experience. read more

I bought a half day monuments and memorials tour through livingsocial deals for about half off. I finally got around to taking the photo safari this past Saturday. We met at the Renwick Gallery, then headed off to Lafayette Square, then to 2 memorials and 1 monument (via bus) before finishing up at Union Station. We started off with about 30 minutes of tips from E. David Luria. He also showed us some photos as examples of the tips he was talking about. He also went through aperture and F-stops, etc. For the expert, this might be unnecessary, but I'm still fairly new at the science behind a great photo, so I appreciated the background info. After that point, we were let loose to take photos at the various monuments and memorials. I had a few questions which I asked David directly. I think the tour would have been better if some tips about composition, or how to frame a photo was given prior to letting us loose at each stop. He made some opening comments about the background of the memorials and some suggestions on what to focus on when we got to the memorials, which was helpful. I had a good time; David was friendly and available for questions. But I thought that the safari could have been a more educational experience if I was shown what would make a great photo and why at each of the stops we went to. read more

Sold as a tour for all skill levels. But if you know how to use your camera don't wast your money. He just walked around the tidal basin with the group. The folks took what ever photos they want with no direction. The people that didn't know how to use their pop up flash or how to set aperature did find him helpful. He actually took the group and left me behind. I was never able to find them. Might as well have burned my cash. Horrible!! Edited to Add: The comment below by Washington Photo Safari is an absolute lie. They did NOT refund me. What a sleezy move by the business. read more

I learned a ton from the Corcoran Gallery safari. The class covered how to shoot in museums without tripods or flash. First, instructor David Luria had us practice how to hold our cameras steady. Then he went over tips for ISO (high), aperture (wide, unless it's a sculpture where depth of field was important), composition (He used the surrounding paintings as examples), and white balance (depends on the light). He also gave us a tip sheet, checklist style, to take home. Then we toured the museum as a group, escorted by museum staff, shooting whatever we wanted. Mr. Luria would give individual assignments every now and then ("Try shooting the statue from here." "How about that stained glass panel right there?" etc.) He'd also share very specific tips for shots gone wrong ("That statue looks too yellow. Try changing your white balance." "That's a little dark. Try a shutter speed of 80.") If a student had a particularly good technique, he'd say, "Hey look at this." (For example, one student held his camera way over his head to avoid glare, using the flip screen to compose the shot). Mr. Luria's philosophy, I think, is to try lots of different angles and techniques, because the beauty of digital photography is that you can make lots of mistakes. Also, he insisted that we not let the camera be the boss of us. For example, I overexposed one painting, so he suggested I disobey the camera's light meter and manually set the exposure much darker -- It worked great. It was also great to get customized hands-on advice with our particular cameras. For example, Mr. Luria taught me how to change the white balance to really bring out the red in one painting (He showed me how to access these settings several levels down my camera's menu. I never even knew these settings existed!). All in all, super helpful!! read more

I got the half-day Monument-Tour on chilly Saturday. I got the coupon off Groupon and used it immediately to gain some insight tips from professional photographer. David, the director and tour guide, is an experienced photographer and a humble man. He went over 30 minutes of lecture on different functions of camera, what we need to focus on, and how to get great photograph without having expensive equipment. It's all about composition! Then we walked around different parts of DC, started off with Jackson statue and the White House. We then took cabs (David gave us $20 bill) to the Einstein Monument, walked to Lincoln memorial, Vietnam memorial, and Korean War memorial. At east stop, he gave us tips on how to focus on different subject, what white-balance we should use, and other great tips. We spent about 15-20 minutes on each stop. After Korean War memorial, we took another cab ride to Union Station and focused on how to take shots inside. Nothing much here. He then gave us little about his other tours and ended the day there. The total took us about 3 hours. I thought it was okay, not great. It wasn't anything spectacular but definitely a great tour for a rookie photographer like myself. read more

Awesome find for walking tours around DC! They show you the best spots and help you take the best pictures. They teach you on your own camera so you can get good shots no matter where you travel after you visit here. Highly recommended!! read more

My mom, sister and I went to the Monuments and Memorials Half Day Safari mid June and it was thoroughly enjoyable. We learned a lot about camera settings, composition and David was professional and personable. The only thing that I would change is I'd eliminate the chaos of driving around the city and start the day near the Lincoln Memorial, walk to the Vietnam and Korean Memorial, then head to the Washington Monument and the Ellipse of the White House. Being indoors at Union Station is too rushed, so unless there is an easy place closer to the White House to take indoor shots, I'd leave this tour as an outdoor Monuments excursion. read more

Wonderful experience! Though I have some photography experience, I still learned more than I expected. David was very thorough, provided excellent direction and we had an enjoyable time seeing the monuments through new eyes. I highly recommend. read more

I took the full day tour Monuments and Memorials tour with David yesterday. It was a great hands-on experience with an experienced photographer and knowledgeable guide. David listened my experience and skill levels and tailored his guidance accordingly. He has many tips and tricks for getting the best shot and does not just tell you what to buy all looks at your photo with you gives direct guidance so you can improve the next shot. I conisider myself an experienced amateur photographer although I am rarely off autu typically. With David' help by the end the day I could take shot on manual and recreate the color/white balance in the scene. If you are looking for training from an experienced photography and guide look no further than David. If I ever get back to DC I will certainly take another one of his many tours. read more

If you are thinking of going on one of the local photography tours in DC you have to choose the Washington Photo Safari company. We selected the night DC monument safari with David. I would recommend the night tour the monuments are majestic at night. You will need a quality tripod ball head combo and David walks you right through all the technical stuff you read on your own. Meet other photographers in the process as well who also share some insights. Overall if you love photography and seek to get better look no further. David has well over 25 years of photography experience and explains things easily and quick and won't bore with technical jargon stuff like COC and DOF explanations. #justgo read more

David Luria is a great teacher. I took the Shutter Speeds and F Stops class and got lots of good instruction. There was plenty of time to practice what we had learned and by the end of the session, I was feeling a lot more confident. Our session was at the Portrait Gallery, so a side benefit was seeing (and photographing) some great art. Thanks, David. I'd highly recommend Washington Photo Safari! read more

I found out about WPS through Living Social. In the past year, I've attended 10 of them at least. I'm one of David's groupies now I guess! He trained in France, where photography was invented so he knows his stuff. The first safari was White House and Monuments, and we went to Renwick. I learned to use my new camera at least decently. A week later, I attended Monuments at Night and got even better. David is very sweet and easy-going and is there for help while he runs the safaris. I've found out about all sorts of cool DC things through him, and I've lived here for 20 years! As I progressed, he's helped me more with the "art" side of photography. Great, fun event for tourists with any type of camera who want to see the main parts of DC for the monument photography. An awesome way to get into places (like the Corcoran) to take pics. David's safaris changed my life! read more

I have attended 35 Safaris over the years. These covered a wide range of topics: monuments, portraits, night photography, artistic composition, specific cameras, pets, events, business of photography, and more. David Luria's knowledge of the monuments is legendary - historical background, best compositional angles, etc. He is supported by experts who are always very patient and helpful. Every Safari is packed with tips to satisfy a wide range of photographic abilities. Obviously not every aspect of photography can be taught in one session but participants are free to ask questions. read more

I recently took a Washington Photo Safari course titled F-stops and Shutter Speed Safari with two other folks. The class was a Christmas gift, as I recently received a new DSLR camera. David Luria was our instructor and he led us all through the magic we could create with our cameras. Much of the class was in Lafayette Park and the remainder was inside the Renwick Gallery. I came away with a much better understanding of the operation of my camera and was almost immediately more comfortable with this technology. David is a patient and gifted teacher and a wonderful photographer. I look forward to attending more classes at Washington Photo Safari Great! read more

I have taken three safari's with WPS including the half-day Monument Tour; the monuments at night tour and the Fells Point tour. I enjoyed all three and learned something on each one. I am a novice photographer so all of the instruction was helpful. The monuments at night tour was my favorite and I learned a lot about my camera and got some great photos. I am looking forward to next year's Cherry Blossom photo tour. read more

David is the best! I have taken 57 photo safaris over the past 10 years, and because of David and his other very knowledgeable instructors have made the photographer that I am today. David offers a wide-range of safaris locally and out-of-town and for all levels of photographers - something for everyone. With David's expert guidance and instructions, he teaches you to take those picture perfect postcard pictures either here in DC or when on vacation indoors, outdoors, day or night, and in rain and sunny conditions. This is the photo safari to take to have fun,while learning how to take great pictures and to hear your family and friends rave about your amazing pictures! read more

I needed a camera re-familiarization session after a time of photo inactivity. The Nikon specialized, "Get Out and Shoot" Safari, that met conveniently on a weekend, did much in helping me get back on track with expert direction and "hands on" help from a professional. read more

Being new to the DC area and new to photography I was hoping to see a little more of the places we went to photograph. David is a great teacher and I did learn a lot, even though I will need much more instruction. I just might take another class to get better educated. read more

Just finished the National Airport class. With six students every one received good one-on-one time. David Luria, our instructor, offered information about various techniques and pointers in a very hands on way. He was not only approachable, but very encouraging. Of the six students I was the only person who'd not taken a class before this one. That was a pretty amazing fact and I can fully understand people coming back for more! David was very informative about the architecture of National Airport and shared this knowledge as well. As an intermediate level photographer I was never bored and left with more techniques and photography tips under my belt. I would highly recommend Washington Photo Safari and plan to take more classes in the future. There are a good variety of classes offered and they are affordable. read more

We went for the monuments and memorials tour. We had a great experience and learned a lot. Even though I'm decent at photography and having taken many other classes, I still got a lot out of the tour. David is very experienced, you can immediately tell, but he's also a great teacher, pointing out general techniques, providing helpful feedback and sharing a lot of insight into what makes for great shots. He's very engaging and dedicated to providing a great tour. read more

We had 2 great classes with David. Was a great way to learn about our cameras and the city of DC.

If you're thinking about a photo safari, consider Monuments at Night. It was my favorite. I'm a novice to intermediate photo enthusiast whose used the safaris to learn everything from how to use all the functions on my camera to photographing in low light without flash. The best thing about the safaris is that no question is too stupid for the instructors to take seriously. They are patient and explain things clearly. I've attended 7 safaris, and I'm pleased at the progress I've made. read more

My friends and I thoroughly enjoyed the Monuments and Memorials Half Day Safari in February. What a fun way to see DC and learn more about photography! Our instructor, David was excellent at explaining how to use our cameras and how to take great photos. He also is very knowledgeable on the history of the monuments and how to take great shots of each one. Would highly recommend this Safari (or any of the WPS Safaris) to anyone who wants a great photography lesson and a great tour of DC! I will be signing up for more Safaris! read more

I hade a phenomenal time at a "memorials at night" class. I got some really great pictures and learned a lot. I was really pleased that the instructor came around and suggested I try different settings. He reviewed photos with me and gave me ideas about how I could make them better. I went on a Groupon but will definitely be going back. Our group had about 10 people, which was a good size. read more

I took the Monuments at Night Safari. I really enjoyed the safari as well as the instructor. I learned so much and he was so personable and knowledgeable without being too opinionated. I loved that he let us decide what a good picture entailed and then helped us achieve it. We love the pictures I got and can't wait to display them in our home to remember our trip to D.C. I am going to recommend this safari to all my friends who visit D.C. read more

I've been on three Washington Photo Safaris for nature, the last was a two day trip to Benezette PA to photography a wild elk herd. Sean Quintilian, the leader of most wildlife Safari's offered by Washington Photo Safari, does an outstanding job. The elk trip was a two day trip and the male elk, with their spectacular antlers, were nowhere to be seen. Sean spent the second day finding the males and spotted two deep in the wood, behind a building, a site I would gone by without seeing the elk. Couple the expertise finding wildlife with great photographic advice and tips and you have an unbeatable combination. If you like wildlife photography and live in the Washington DC area then Washington Photo Safari nature trips are for you. read more

This was my first photography class with David and I really enjoyed it. The weather affected the plans to shoot in the Tidal Basin, but David quickly offered to shoot indoors at the beautiful botanical gardens. He was very nice and helpful with my questions. I enjoyed the class and definitely recommend it to anyone who is looking to take great photos and learn new photography tips/techniques. read more

If you know anything about photography at all, you'll not learn much on this tour. I already anticipated that so that was not a surprise. What I didn't anticipate, however, was that I would not see much of the advertised memorials either. We went to the Vietnam Memorial - meaning I saw the wall from afar since we focused primarily on a statue standing a bit away. We did not go down and view any of the names. Same with the Lincoln Memorial. We saw the building but didn't climb the stairs to see Lincoln. We were told it was better at night and were moved right along. The Korean Memorial, on the other hand, we spent 30 minutes looking at for some strange reason. That was time we could have spent actually viewing the Vietnam and Lincoln Memorials. Union station was treated more as a place to drop the group off rather than a place to photograph. We didn't really see the White House at all. There was no individual help with composition or feedback on the photos we had so far. The guide was nice, knew the history, but generally the tour was not as advertised. For $100/each, I expected more. read more

I have taken three safaris with David Luria and I think you can't find a more knowledgeable person when it comes to photography. David also knows a tremendous amount about the history behind the city and the monuments and memorials, which becomes a natural part of safari conversations. I think some of the previous reviews are related more to the reviewers' expectations than to the merits of the photo safaris. Did I learn everything I need to know about photography in a 3 hour time period? Of course not. But I learned more in the 3 hours than I could have imagined and had a great time while doing it. The WPS does not pretend to be a comprehensive, all-encompassing photography course. It does what it claims to do - provides tips on composition, lighting and exposure to beginning and intermediate photographers during a fun and interesting photography experience. Whenever I find myself in a photography conversation with anyone, I recommend the Washington Photo Safari! read more