Starpoints:

• See Washington DC through the lens of your camera!
• Ride in comfort aboard our luxury van as we drive you to the monuments of America's capital.
• Let Paris-trained architectural photographer E. David Luria show you DC!
• Receive helpful tips on composition, lighting & exposure.
• Get hands-on knowledge in basic architectural photography & outdoor portraiture.
• Learn interior photography without flash or tripod.
• Capture the perfect shot of the White House.
• Grab great outdoor photos of Lafayette Park, the Eisenhower Executive Office Building & the Albert Einstein Memorial.
• Pay your respects at the Lincoln, Korean & Vietnam Memorials.
• Don't forget your camera - after all this is a photo safari!

Description

We'll take you to the most popular monuments and historic buildings in Washington: the White House, Lafayette Park, the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, the Albert Einstein, Lincoln, Vietnam and Vietnam Women's Memorials, the US Capitol and Union Station.

We provide tips on architectural photography, outdoor portraiture and interior photography without flash by professional photographer E. David Luria.

E. David Luria is a professional commercial photographer, specializing in architecture and landmarks. Trained in Paris at the Parsons School of Design by a protégé of Henri Cartier Bresson, he is a member of the American Society of Media Photographers, and his images of Washington DC have appeared in over 90 publications on 30 magazine covers.

Our Half-Day and Full-Day tours include complimentary transportation. Our Full-Day tour operates on Wednesdays, which includes all the excitement of our morning session with an afternoon trip to the Adams-Morgan entertainment neighborhood, Washington National Cathedral and the Iwo Jima Memorial.

If you want to develop your eye for the weird and unusual close-up, then colorful Adams-Morgan entertainment neighborhood is the perfect setting that will sharpen your eyes for pictures you never knew were there!

Centered on 18th Street and Columbia Road, NW, Adams Morgan is synonymous with entertainment. Ethnic restaurants, nightclubs and bars line the two streets and fill with diverse and excitable crowds most nights of the week.

During the day, activities are more subdued as shoppers browse independent bookshops, music stores and boutiques as they gaze at murals that adorn many of the buildings' facades. The recent history of Adams Morgan is one of immigration as vibrant Latino and African communities lend an international flavor to this eclectic neighborhood.

Learn to capture the amazing interior and exterior shots of the Washington National Cathedral. The Cathedral is the sixth largest cathedral in the world and the second largest in the United States. There are 215 stained glass windows in the Cathedral, including the Space Window on the south aisle of the Cathedral, which contains a piece of lunar rock that was presented to the Cathedral by the astronauts of Apollo XI.

Find the perfect shot at Iwo Jima - The Marine Corps War Memorial, which stands as a symbol of America's esteem for the honored dead of the U.S. Marine Corps. While the statue depicts one of the most famous incidents of World War II, the memorial is dedicated to all Marines who have given their lives in the defense of the United States since 1775.

You will learn how to:

• Hold the camera for maximum picture sharpness
• Use selective focus to determine the subject of each picture, using focus hold
• Frame your subject using available flowers, trees, bushes and doorways
• Keep your vertical lines as straight as possible for professional-photos
• Fool your camera’s meter, using exposure lock, so that it gives you the correct reading when facing backlit subjects or dark-colored subjects
• Take pleasing outdoor portraits in bright sunshine and in shade
• Pose people you do know in front of famous landmarks and monuments
• Take pictures of people you do not know
• Use the fill-flash and cancel-flash features of your camera
• Take pictures inside of large interior spaces, like train stations, churches and museums, without using a flash
• Take close-up pictures of flowers and statues
• Decide when to use black and white film vs. color
• Put strong composition lines and balance into your pictures
• Control depth-of-field with aperture priority settings use the other doodads on your camera you were afraid to try

What to Bring: Adjustable cameras with wide-angle / telephoto lenses preferred, but any camera will do, including digital cameras. At least 2 rolls of film with film speed of 200 or 400 recommended. Safaris are available in English, French or Spanish, and they are conducted rain or shine.

Please note: There is a considerable amount of walking during this tour, and guests must be able to independently walk around the monuments and near the White House.