Table of Contents
Before You Go
-Make sure you have all of the proper equipment with you. You don’t want to miss an opportunity because you forgot your camera’s memory card or batteries!
-Have a plan in mind before going on the walk. If you know where you want to focus your efforts (either specific subjects or locations), it will help keep you on task throughout the entire session.
-Bring snacks and water so that you don’t get tired or hungry while shooting photos.
Be prepared. Make sure you have everything you need with you before you leave home. This includes batteries, memory cards, and any other equipment that might be necessary for your shoot.
Know where you’re going
Before leaving on your photo walk, check out the location online so that you know what to expect when you arrive. You can even take a virtual tour by looking at Google Street View images of the area if available.
Have a route in mind.
Pick a place where you know there are plenty of interesting places to stop. Your route needn’t be long – just enough to give you a good variety of settings to shoot.) Try to capture everything.
Take your time to pause and photograph interesting buildings and scenery. Look at the ground around you. Take photos of flowers, trees, bushes and grass. Notice things like birds, butterflies, and other wildlife. Keep an eye out for interesting people too, such as old men sitting in chairs, couples kissing, and children playing.
Bring friends along!
Photo walks are more fun when shared with others, so bring along other photographers or family members who want to come along for the ride. The more people the merrier! Of course, make sure everyone knows what they’re doing — especially if they’re shooting with expensive equipment — so there isn’t any confusion about who owns what lens or camera body!
Have fun!
A photo walk can be a great excuse to get out and about in the fresh air. The walks are usually free, are family-friendly, offer a variety of different routes, so you can take your pick from a map. They can even be held in the rain! It’s often a great way to introduce new faces to each other.
Go somewhere new.
Taking a photo walk is a great opportunity to get away from your routine and see your city from a new perspective. It might be something local that you haven’t seen before or a walk around your neighborhood that you never visited. If you live in an area with plenty of natural beauty, it can be a real pleasure to enjoy the surroundings while you’re out. You might also find out about local festivals or activities that your children will enjoy.
Pick a great location.
It might be a city center, a park, a historical site, a wildlife area, or a seaside promenade. You might also choose a favorite spot that you visit often, like the beach, the zoo, or the park. The location doesn’t matter as much as having a view of something interesting to look at. This might be a building, a statue, or a place where the weather has a special quality.
Take Your Time
On a photo walk, you don’t have to rush things or follow any rules — take as long as you want! You can stop whenever something catches your eye and try shooting it from different angles and perspectives until you get something good. You might even want to bring along something like an app that tracks how long it took for certain types of shots (like portraits) so that you can see which ones took longer than others.
Take lots of photos.
It’s always a good idea to take lots of photographs. There’s no limit to the number of pictures you can take. The number of pictures you take depends on how many people you are taking along, but usually you should aim to take around fifty photos. You can use the camera on your smartphone, a compact digital camera, or a big camera. You can share your photos on social media. Or you can wait until you get home and then edit your photos on a computer.
Be creative.
Sometimes it’s good to be spontaneous and take a photograph without planning ahead. This can make your walk more enjoyable. Sometimes you might just happen to come across a subject that you want to capture. For example, your child might spot a bird or a dog.
Think of the weather.
You can try taking your photo walk in different seasons. Spring is a lovely time to take a walk, with lovely flowers and bright green plants. It can be a great opportunity to go for a run or cycle. Autumn is a beautiful time of year, with the colors of the trees changing and the leaves falling to the ground. Winter offers a range of opportunities. It might be freezing cold, with the wind whipping across the snow, or it might be warm and sunny. It’s a good time to get out and take photos of the city from a new perspective.
Find out the best time to walk.
If you are taking a walk at any time of day, you’ll need to think about the best time to do it. A morning walk offers a lovely change of scene. But if you are walking at night, you will need to take a torch. It’s also a good idea to take a compass or a map so that you can be sure that you are heading in the right direction. If you are walking during the summer, you’ll need to take the right clothes. Try to wear clothes you are comfortable in. Avoid cotton clothing. Wear a hat and sunglasses to protect yourself from the sun.
Make it a family affair.
If you are taking your children with you, they will have a lot of fun. It will also be a great opportunity to introduce them to your neighbors, so they will learn about them.
Take lots of pictures.
It’s easy to get carried away, so be conscious of not being too rushed. You can take time to chat to your children and to admire the sights.
Get the kids involved.
Children are naturally drawn to nature, so they can provide great photographic subjects. You might ask them to help you look for interesting subjects. It’s not a good idea to put too much pressure on children, but they will enjoy the challenge. You can encourage them to be creative by asking them to take a picture of a sunset or a flower.
When you get home.
You will need to find somewhere to take your photographs. This might be your house, your garden, a park, a nearby café or restaurant, or a local library. The best way to get good results is to set up a tripod. It’s a good idea to have a couple of lights so you can work on a dark background. It’s also a good idea to experiment with different shutter speeds. You will probably want to work quickly, but you will need to find the perfect shutter speed for the lighting conditions. Once you have taken your photographs, it’s time to share them with your friends on social media.