Thank you, Mike Maguire, for sharing this sunset photo of the Tacoma neighborhood of northeast D.C. The faint red, yellow, and orange emanating from the sunset softens the darkness of the rooftops and shadows of the image giving it a nostalgic feeling. This image was taken with a mirrorless camera, which means the image sensor is continually exposed to light directly, giving you a preview of what your image will actually look like on your electronic viewfinder or LCD screen.

In case you missed the exciting news, our annual photography contest opened yesterday! Get all the details and enter the contest by January 9, 2019 for a chance to be part of our 2019 exhibit.

In this photograph, Kevin Wolf captures so much drama within a London bookstore with no post-processing involved. AMAZING. The photographer has deliberately underexposed the shot to obtain this dramatic effect. Manipulating the exposure of your photographs requires knowledge of your camera and the willingness to experiment with your aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. Ultimately, it is your creative choice of how you want to expose your image, and in some cases there may not be enough light to create a well-exposed photo. If underexposing your image, shooting in RAW may give you more flexibility with the files in post-production as more data is stored in the files.

As we watch the fall season swiftly leave us, it is wonderful to reflect on the beauty of the season, and Mark Andre does a handsome job of encapsulating its brevity. The wide-angle view of the landscapes presents interesting shadows and highlights. Don’t be afraid to play with your point of view to create different effects. As seen here, the combination of the warm tones coming from the reflected color in the still pool of water and the cool tones of the sky behind the trees creates a dynamic contrast and a more energetic image.

To capture movement in an image, a photographer can either choose to freeze the action (typically using a faster shutter speed) or allow creative blur to show movement (using a slower shutter speed). Choosing the latter, photographer Joe Flood uses a shutter speed of 1/40 to demonstrate the biker’s swift momentum as he zips by the photographer. His vantage point and the evidence of it having recently rained gives the viewer a better sense of the photographer’s experience. Though temporary, this moment evokes a relatable feeling of hustling through the streets with one’s head slightly down to avoid the day’s cold chill.

Evoking the spirit of Impressionist artists, this image by Patrick Thibodeau shows the hustle and bustle that can be seen at D.C.’s Eastern Market in a unique fashion. One way of creating this painterly effect is by using filters and layers in Photoshop, which can provide further control over the final look and feel of the image. Thank you, Patrick, for showing us diversity within the field of photography and for sharing your individual artistic style!