It’s that time of the week again! #HybridDaveTuesdays come around pretty quick, right? Well this week the timing is perfect for me to give you my big five tips for a fantastic photowalk!
The annual Scott Kelby Worldwide Photowalk 2017 is right around the corner and if you haven’t signed up for one yet, you’re seriously missing out on an awesome day! Sign up here.
For the past couple of years I’ve had the pleasure of running a London walk, last year in fact I only made it by the skin of my teeth! I was away on a Polar assignment in Svalbard (average temperature -10.3 degrees C, or -13.4 F) and my succession of flights, starting at Longyearbyen and hopping through Tromsø, Oslo and Copenhagen before touching the tarmac at London Heathrow took a tad longer than I had anticipated and I literally made it to the start point – London’s best coffee shop, Bar Italia – with moments to spare. Fortunately my walkers were very understanding of my situation (or maybe they were distracted by the piles of free pizza, panini and Prosecco, or Damaris who modelled for the day) and the rest of the walk went down without a hitch.
It’s these and other photowalks I’ve run which prompted me to share my experiences here, for both walkers and walk leaders, so let’s get that big five rolling!
Aim high in the competition
With in excess of $22,000 worth of prizes on offer from Scott and the team at KelbyOne it’s absolutely worth setting your eyes on the prize and aiming, if nothing more, to achieve one great shot or great video from your walk. Somebody has to win, it may as well be you!
Network
Photowalks are often organised and attended by professionals, and everyone there is (at some level) interested in the same thing as you are. Pack a pile of business cards, have your Instagram feed or your 500px portfolio down so that when they check you out, you’re on point. You’ll meet fellow photographers looking to collaborate on a project or share some skills and ideas, and you’ll likely meet business owners. In fact it’s at the 2015 Worldwide Photowalk that I met Chief of the Chicken Shed, Danny Lenihan the CEO of 3 Legged Thing. If you find a model to shoot, as I explained a couple of weeks ago in my #HybridDaveTuesdays post, you can hit them up with a business card so you can provide copies of the shot afterwards. It’s a brilliant bargaining tool as well as a way to grow both your network and your portfolio!
Eat
That’s right. Eat! Eat before you go so that you’re packed full of energy for a high tempo activity, and arriving early to eat will also prevent you from being late to the meeting point at the start. When you finish your walk you can go grab a bite or a drink with the new friend you’ve just made and share your experiences too, it’s all part of the fun! When I’ve run walks in the past I’ve made a point of organising a drink or a bite to eat as part of the programme.
Dress right
So, you know those shoes you wear walking that support your feet and keep them dry? Those. Wear those. You’ll be on your feet and on the move for a few hours so whilst you should perhaps be thinking about shooting and sitting should the opportunity not present itself you should be prepared. Check the weather report, dress appropriately, consider headgear, sunglasses, sunscreen, umbrella etc. Along this theme, keep your surroundings in mind when you get out there on the walk. Don’t lose sight of the group, note who’s around you (and who’s looking at you gear), and don’t be so focused on the viewfinder that you trip up a kerb.
Think kit
Here’s the thing;- You may have a ‘regular’ set-up of two bodies and five lenses, you may carry an arsenal of gear, light meters, tripod, modifiers, but pack light! Try going for an all-rounder lens, or two lenses tops, and minimise your weight in all other respects. Maybe consider pockets over bags, and trust me when I say the heaviest thing should be a bottle of water. You’ll be hunting in a pack of photographers – the masses will spot you all coming a mile off – you stand a better chance of stealing that $4,900 top prize if you minimise your profile, make sure you’ve got only the gear you need (plus power and cards!!) and put the legwork into your shots rather than being bogged down with what every photographer loves – kit!
So now you’re armed – go ahead and enjoy being part of the worlds biggest photography event! I’ll be in Lisbon with Scott – you can keep up with what I’m doing on Facebook, Twitter, or on my story on Instagram.
You can make a donation to the Springs Of Hope Orphanage, the charitable cause of the Worldwide Photowalk, and I hope these tips help you on Saturday!
#WWPW2017
Much Love
Dave
