Photos from Our Community

For this community post, we asked DMV photographers to send their favorite shots of the year so far, and the quality and variety of what we received was amazing. Subjects include everything from birds of prey to cosplay to springtime blooms to an homage to David Byrne by way of Alice in Wonderland.

Bob Connolly

(IG: @bc_nola)
Hit and Miss. Spring wildlife photography is always fun and always a challenge. Sometimes you hit with a bald eagle leaving its far away nest. Other times you miss when a deer crosses the road directly in front of you.

Rodney Cunningham

(IG: @rodneydcunningham)
This year, I’ve been shooting all sorts of things. Here is an image of a fern that has not opened fully. Unopened ferns mesmerize me because they are a work in progress and that’s something that everyone can relate to. Location: U.S. Botanic Garden.

This year, I’ve been shooting all sorts of things. Here is an image of a tulip. The structure and the colors made for an interesting composition. Location: Netherlands Carillon.

Joe Flood

(IG: @joeflood; Website)
People protesting tyranny and colorful tulips give me hope in this dark time.

I love that Washington is full of surprises, like these inflatable models that were part of a celebration of space at the Kennedy Center. Not pictured: Mars, which rolled away!

Shannon Heaton

(IG: nekosandpiper)
“Burning Down the Scones” a riff on David Brynes and Alice in Wonderland’s tea party scene.

“Double Double Toil and Trouble” is a witchy-Victorian vibed collaborative double portrait on the old grounds of a tuberculosis sanatorium.

Roland Johnson

(IG: @millibenthic)
I liked this shot for a couple of reasons. First, the positioning: I like to compose cherry blossom photos with people in and around the spaces among the trees; I like to play with elements in negative space. Also, this shot has some dimensionality with it, from the woman in the kimono and the long shadows. Achieving some dimensionality is something I’m working on.

The way the light came down through the tree branches and the shadows came down from the building grabbed my attention. I was out using my kit lens with a UV filter Gina G. gifted me, which brought me luck!

Gloria Jones

(IG @glo.is.me)
In March, I went to Glasgow and Edinburgh, Scotland. One favorite shot is this dog fetching a pinecone in the water. He and the bright canoe simply enhanced the beauty of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park.

Royal Mile in Edinburgh, Scotland was a sight to see and hear. I can still hear the sound of bagpipes playing in the background whenever I see this photo of this red telephone booth making it another favorite shot of mine in 2025.

Miki Jourdan

(IG: mikijourdan; Flickr)
In April, I visited New York’s Washington Square Park for some people watching. I was not at all disappointed. When I was taking this shot, I’m pretty sure that the woman spotted me before striking a pose.

When I took the picture, my subject said, “Hey! I’m not famous. Pay me for that photo.” He was not wrong, so I paid him.

Kimberly Keller

(IG: @pho.to.olney)
Everything going on right now makes me love the a-political, the happy and vaguely dangerous kite festival even more!

Rob Klug

(IG: @osoikame)
A surprise to find while walking along Rock Creek, a mother snake with six babies.

Angela N.

(IG: angelaon; Flickr)
I visited Howard University recently for a fascinating discussion with Professor Nikole Hannah-Jones and historian Heather Cox Richardson, followed by an excellent journalist panel. It’s a beautiful campus!

Van Ngo

Whilst in China, one of the tourist traps is when a sales woman with a laminated photo approaches you to try on a hanfu and get a personal photo shoot you’ve always needed in your life. This is the hustle and bustle of getting dolled up before a slew of photographers between the ages of 18 – 55 with cigarettes in mouths, grocery totes full of photography props, and lighting gear in hand ready to capture you.

Murali Palangat

(IG: @palangatm)
These images represents life taking bloom in the spring. The courting tree swallows were photographed at Huntley Meadows Park in Alexandria, Va. The squabbling ospreys building their nest were photographed at the Blackwater Wildlife Refuge, Cambridge, Md. These images speak to me of the beauty of life and resilience in nature against all odds!

Victoria Pickering

(IG: @vpickering, Flickr)
I always love seeing the plaza of the Supreme Court used as a public forum – here for Mahmoud v. Taylor, a case about parental rights to opt out of LGBTQ-themed literature.

The Emancipation Day fireworks on Pennsylvania Avenue are magical.

Russ Rumelt

(IG: @LLKoolWhip)

Jeff Vincent

(IG: @jeff.vers2.0)
I’ve learned that my photos often reflect my moods. It’s not a conscious thing, but I can see it in the results. Like so many people, I’ve had a lot of anxiety in recent months about the future of our country. The somewhat ominous photo below seems to capture some of my sleepless hours at night. It was taken in mid-March along a brick wall on P Street in Georgetown.

This second photo was taken last month in front of a shoe store on Wisconsin Avenue. It put a spring in my step!

Joe Willmore

(IG: @willmorephoto)
This photo is from a cosplay/sci fi conference (Katsucon) that I shot at the Gaylor in February.

The second is a frozen soap bubble when we had the below freezing weather earlier.