In April, our competition covers only black & white/monochrome – no color! Since some members don’t yet have a lot of experience with digital black & white, it seemed like a good idea to bring in an expert to talk to us on the subject. Missy Loewe, the executive director of the Washington School of Photography since 1999, speaks to us this month on what makes a good black & white image. And next month, she’ll be back to judge our B&W competition – and see how much we learned from her presentation.

Missy is president and the CEO of Washington ArtWorks, which is home to Washington School of Photography in its new location in Rockville. She started in photography in 1997 and took the reins of WSP two years later. Her own work has appeared in books, brochures, magazines, government buildings, gallery shows, and museums.

At WSP, Missy teaches courses on such topics as figure photography and business and legal topics at both introductory and advanced levels. Artists and photographers frequently seek her expertise regarding model releases, copyright, contracts, and business issues. This makes a lot of sense, as Missy holds a law degree and a Master’s degree in business, which uniquely qualifies her to speak on these subjects.

Missy is not just sought after as a presenter and instructor. She has been writer and photographer for several books and numerous magazine articles. Her photos of historical artwork have appeared in a number of galleries and private collections. She is also the photographer for the “Virtual Pose” series of art drawing guides and has authored books on photography, art, and modeling.