Exposed DC

for the love of DC photography

2021 Best in Show Winner: Jenny Markley

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This year we are partnering with Focus on the Story and Lost Origins Gallery to present our 15th Annual Photography Show in an outdoor exhibit along the exterior wall of Ellē restaurant at 3221 Mt Pleasant St NW. Join us on Sunday, June 6 at 3 p.m. to celebrate the show opening as part of the kickoff for the fourth annual Focus on the Story International Photo Festival! As the big day nears, we are excited to share this year’s Best in Show winners, selected by independent, distinguished judges.

Today, we are announcing the Best in Show winner “Reflection” by Jenny Markley, selected by judge Deveney Williams. Williams commented, “This image’s composition, color contrast, and symbolism make it my top pick. The two women absorbing everything going on around them in the summer of protests in the reflecting pool gives us pause to the story we’re still fighting, systemic change.”

You can view more of Jenny’s work on her website and Instagram.

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Deveney Williams is a D.C. based visual storyteller and designer. Her photography focuses on portraiture and editorial work. She aims to dismantle beauty standards and inspire people through her subjects.

2021 Best in Show Winner: Michael Ryan

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We can’t wait to shake off our pandemic ho-hums and celebrate local photography with you at our 15th Annual Photography Show. This year we are partnering with Focus on the Story and Lost Origins Gallery to present an outdoor exhibit that will be installed on the exterior wall of Ellē restaurant at 3221 Mt Pleasant St NW. Join us on Sunday, June 6 at 3 p.m. to celebrate the 2021 Exposed DC photography show opening, part of the kickoff for the fourth annual Focus on the Story International Photo Festival. 

As the big day approaches, we are excited to announce the Best in Show winners for this year’s show. Every year we ask a panel of five distinguished, local judges to each select one image to receive a Best in Show award. The winning photographers each receive a $100 cash prize and are acknowledged in the show and exhibition program.

Today, we are announcing the Best in Show winner “Untitled” by Michael Ryan, selected by judge Steve Bosak. Bosak commented, “To me, this photo captures the tension and social unrest evident during 2020. It illustrates the risks that African Americans face in our country and how ​people expressed their pain under the threat of more violence. The lighting and composition is well balanced, with the menace of police with riot shields in the background and the defiant man with a raised arm ​illuminated by the fire. And, this photographer likely put himself at risk to take this photo. He made sure he was present to witness and capture the conflict ​between police and protesters.”

You can view more of Michael’s work on his website and Instagram.

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Steve Bosak is an amateur photographer who has lived in D.C. for 20 years. He is a design thinking consultant and trainer who helps companies and agencies use a human-centered approach to innovation. He has a keen interest in photographing nature, buildings, and macro subjects.

2021 Exposed DC Best in Show

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Each year, we invite five distinguished local photographers and creatives to serve as special judges for our annual photography show. They study all of the winning images, and each judge chooses one image to receive a Best in Show award, which comes with a $100 cash prize.

2021 Best in Show Winners
Updates will be provided here as we announce this year’s Best in Show winners in early June.

Join us at the opening celebration for the 15th Anniversary Exposed DC Photography Show at Lost Origins Outside in Mount Pleasant on Sunday, June 6 from 3-6 p.m. Part of the kickoff festivities for the 4th annual Focus on the Story International Photo Festival.

If you can’t make it on Sunday, you now have the option to view our virtual gallery as well!

Adriana Mendoza

Adriana is the Creative Director and Operations Manager at Femme Fatale DC, a dynamic community that supports and amplifies womxn in business and in life. Her background includes a Master in Landscape Architecture focused in the design of public space in underserved communities. She worked at Floura Teeter Landscape Architects, bringing communities together through designing attractive and functional places for public gathering.

Deveney Williams

Deveney is a D.C. based visual storyteller and designer. Her photography work focuses on portraiture and editorial work. She aims to dismantle beauty standards and inspire people through her subjects.

Jamie Davis Smith

Jamie is a documentary and family photographer living in Washington, D.C. She is a former photography ambassador for Manfrotto, and her work has been featured in HuffPost, The Washington Post, and various other publications. Jamie has written extensively about photography. 

Kirth Bobb

Kirth is a FujiFilm ambassador, and his photographs have been published in several major publications including The New York Times, Washington Times, and HuffPost, and featured in several galleries across Europe, the Caribbean, and the Americas.

Steve Bosak

Steve is an amateur photographer who’s lived in D.C. for 20 years. He is a design thinking consultant and trainer who helps companies and agencies use a human-centered approach to innovation. He has a keen interest in photographing nature, buildings, and macro subjects.

#2021XDC Giveaway Info

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As we reach 15 years of celebrating local photography, we invite you to share your own images taken at this year’s show for the chance to win a $100 gift certificate for Capital Photography Center or a complimentary Washington Photo Safari nighttime session (valued at $79). Share your image with the #2021XDC hashtag and be sure to tag @exposed_dc, @capitalphotographycenter, and @washingtonphotosafari on Instagram to participate. Deadline extended: Entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. EST on June 21, 2021. Winners will be selected by June 26 and will be notified via DM before announcements are made on Instagram. Prizes will be sent digitally via email. 

See you at Lost Origins Outside in the alley next to Ellē in Mount Pleasant on Sunday, June 6 from 3-6 p.m. for the show opening and kickoff festivities for the Focus on the Story International Photo Festival! The exhibition will be on view through Sunday, July 11.

Terms & Conditions

The contest is open to residents of Washington, D.C., Virginia, and Maryland who are 18 years of age or older, excluding anyone from the Exposed DC team, their families, or anyone professionally connected with the organizations participating.

To enter, share an image you capture while checking out the outdoor exhibition using the hashtag #2021XDC and tagging @exposed_dc, @capitalphotographycenter, and @washingtonphotosafari. Entries will be accepted through June 7, and winners will be notified the following day.

Two prizes will be awarded to two winners: one $100 gift certificate for Capital Photography Center and one gift certificate for a nighttime session with Washington Photo Safari (valued at $79).

Exposed DC, Capital Photography Center, and Washington Photo Safari may post contest entries on their Instagram accounts and websites with photo credit provided. No rights are transferred by participating.

Friday Links: May 21, 2021

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Photo by Andrew Pasko-Reader

Save the date for the opening of our annual photography show on Sunday, June 6 in Mount Pleasant! We look forward to seeing you all, viewing the photos in person at Lost Origins Outside, and celebrating another year of local photography and kicking off the 4th annual Focus on the Story International Photo Festival.

  • Exposed alum and DCSPC member Chris Suspect will be working with Glen Echo Photoworks this summer on an 8-week intensive street photography class starting June 2, limited to 12 students, $899.
  • Diversity in modeling is no longer simply a matter of race and ethnicity, size and age; it’s everything and anything, according to Robin Givhan.
  • Join moderator Ibarionex Perello, host of The Candid Frame podcast and a Fujifilm X-Photographer, as he talks about finding your voice through your work with photographers Lukas Flippo, Sophia Li, and Gabriella Wyke on June 1 at 7:00 p.m. The talk is part of the Focus on the Story International Photo Fesitval, which is just around the corner; view the full schedule of events here.
  • To mark it’s 15th anniversary, the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation launched the Environmental Photography Award to examine the relationship between people and the environment.
  • The Museum of Modern Art is inviting people to join the MoMA Photo Club with monthly challenges inspired by the amateur photographers of Fotoclubismo, but take note of the terms (always read the fine print).
  • Bachrach Photographers is recognized as one of the oldest continuously operated portrait studios in the world, capturing American moments through the generations.
  • Albert Watson’s new book presents an expansive look into his career, showcasing his celebrity portraits, fashion, and landscape photography as well as travel diaries.
  • A red-winged blackbird that refused to leave its chicks was recently caught escorting an osprey away from its nest.