Take a Walk - A Photo Walk!

Are you looking for creative inspiration? A little exercise maybe? Some fun time out in nature, the city, or along the coast? Even in your own neighborhood or backyard? I’ve got a great suggestion for you! Take a walk – a photo walk!

This past weekend I went on a photo walk with a dear friend and we had such a good time. It’s such an easy way to practice photography skills, to just SEE what is around you and to enjoy time on your own or with a friend or even a group. Read on to see how our day went and to be inspired to take your own photo walk!

Have you heard of photo walks?

The first time I heard of a photo walk was when I saw that a local camera shop (yes, those do still exist thankfully!) was offering a guided photo walk. As a budding photography hobbyist, I thought "this will be so fun and I’ll get to learn from the leader as well as the other participants".

We took a walk around a city in New Hampshire. It was all about seeing things you would otherwise ignore. We noticed things like the beautiful texture on the old doors on the colonial homes, the patterns in the brick walkways, the spiral staircases of the city buildings and more.

1668 House, Ipswich MA

As a painter, it was also a great time to go looking for reference photos for possible future paintings. There were lots of flowers, plants, and water scenes too. It was a wonderful day!

Since then, I have gone on more organized walks and have just taken myself on photo walks when I’ve found a need to get out, to be inspired and to just take some interesting photos. It doesn’t need to be organized. Being out in a group is fun (and safe) but on your own can work well too.

What to Consider

The first question is what do you want to photograph? Do you want to find a place to get shots of what you love? Or do you want to try some new genre? For example, maybe you are usually drawn to flowers but want to try architecture. Or you are into landscape photography but you want to try your hand at photographing birds.

Next, where can you find those types of photos? How far do you want to travel? Sometimes, I just walk around my yard and focus on various leaf shapes. Other times, I’ll drive for hours to meet up with a group and take photos on location somewhere.

Do you want to go spur of the moment, out on your own? Or do you want to go on a scheduled walk with a group? A free photo walk with friends, or a paid photo walk with a guide who teaches as you go?

Checking the weather forecast can be pretty important! Heavy rain, extreme heat, or bitter cold is not desirable (though I have been out in all of that). A little rain can be great to photograph but heavy rain, not so much. Be prepared and check the forecast.

Our Photo Walk Story

Life has been hectic. My friend who is learning more about photography asked me to go with her to the Botanical Gardens in Boothbay Harbor Maine. Well, that sounded AMAZING! After all, I am a nature photographer and I definitely love photographing flowers. We made our plans and when the day came, we had heavy rain in the forecast for that area. We adjusted our plans and went to a more local garden called “Prescott Park”. Rain was forecasted but for later in the day so we met in the morning.  

We spent two very fun hours walking slowly all through the area. We took lots of photos (flowers, trees, bees, geese, leaves, water fountains, etc.), chatted, and discussed techniques to get our best photos. 

Pollen bottomed Bee

Near the end of our photo walk, we had two nice surprises. First, we were at the ocean and we saw a Seagull catch a flounder that was much too big. The gull struggled to fly with the fish and eventually, the fish was dropped and it swam off (in my opinion a happy ending!).

Second, a Bald Eagle flew over our heads and up into a nearby tree. We do have Eagles in New Hampshire but it’s not that common to actually see them. It was huge and it was being squawked at by the gulls. We felt it was either an older Eagle or maybe not as healthy as it could be. But it could have just been hot and wet and tired. We were hot and tired for sure!

 Our Eagle Visitor

The fun part about a photo walk are the surprises. It’s being open to experiencing whatever comes your way. It’s about not zoning out. It’s about being present and observing everything. And then… there’s food! We had a nice lunch with lots of tea and lemonade and then we were done for the day.

What to bring on your photo walk

To fully enjoy your photo walk, be prepared for just about anything! While the goal is to travel light, it important to have the basics with you. Here are some items to consider.

• Of course, a camera! Any camera will do
• Phone (if this is your camera, there you go!)
• Snack (you may get carried away and lose track of time like I often do)
• Flash Light (or use phone)
• Car keys
• If you have a camera (non-phone)
  • Extra batteries
  • Extra storage card
• For emergencies:
  • Identification
  • Insurance card (emergency)
  • Money &/or credit card (also good for parking)
  • Emergency contact info
• Business cards (if you are a photographer and people ask you about your work)
• Weather appropriate clothing, shoes and protection for your camera gear

Where to Walk

Where to find organized walks:

• Local camera stores
• Local camera clubs
• Online photography groups
• Kelby One offers an annual photo walk that is very fun to participate in all over the world! Google it!
• Art galleries
• Art schools
• Community centers
• Create one of your own with a group

Planning your own:

• Your neighborhood or yard
• Your own house (yes, you can create great still life photos just walking around own house!)
• Local gardens
• Museums
• Cities or towns that you want to explore
• Walking trails, hikes
• Rail Trails (we have a lot of those here)
• Farmer’s markets
• By the ocean or any body of water
• Parks
• An animal sanctuary
• Audubon Society
• Cemeteries (Yes, cemeteries – some find them peaceful and interesting)
• A local farm (local Sunflower farms are a favorite of mine)
• And on and on and on!

Wrapping up

I hope this blog post piqued your interest in taking a walk – a photo walk! Get out, enjoy yourself, and be safe out there. Try new techniques, subjects and locations. If you have questions or want to share your photo walk experience, send me an email. I’d love to hear from you!

Would you like to learn how you can think and see differently to improve your photography? If so, sign up for my waiting list for my online course “Take Your Best Shot: Great Photos Made Simple” and you’ll hear about it the next time I open it up for enrollment! The tips you’ll learn in this course are absolutely perfect to try out on photo walks!