Photowalking.org

You know, I’ve recently realized that we’ve got quite a few people trying to recruit some mighty photowalking armies, all over the world. So, I guess I should list them for you here.

• Italy
• Montreal, Quebec

• Southern California
  
• San Francisco Bay area
• Denver, Colorado
• Salt Lake City, Utah
• West Houston, Texas
• Little Rock, Arkansas
• Indianapolis, Indiana
• Detroit, Michigan
• Atlanta, Georgia
• Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• Morris County, New Jersey
• Washington, District of Columbia
• Northeastern Vermont
• Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Are you photowalking in another area? Then, add yourself in the comments. If you’re game, I can even help you organize and grow your events. Just let me know.

Popularity: 37% [?]

My name is Andrée. I live in northeastern Vermont (what is called the Northeast Kingdom), on the side of Barton Mountain. It is a rural area. Others call it a “remote area”; no cell phone service, no big stores, mostly dirt roads, dairy farming is the predominant business. The big excitement for me is the monthly movie at the public library. I walked my daughter’s Vermont beagles early in September and took the camera. It was a fun walk because the animals on the way were startled to see two new dogs. There was a lot of excitement and chatter about them. The photos show the horses, dogs and 1 red squirrel that we ran into. You can see the complete Flickr set here.

We first passed a memorial created in the beaver meadow across the road where our EMT died in a roll-over five years ago. Then we passed our neighbors, the white and brown horses. They were very curious about Scout and Sophie. The dogs could not have cared less about the horses. We left Willoughby Lake Road and turned east onto Doyle Road. We crossed a bridge over May Brook.

We found an abandoned shed on May Brook and continued up the ridge. An angry red squirrel furiously scolded the dogs, making them pull on their leads and bark uncontrollably. I looked over my shoulder and saw a beautiful view of Barton Mountain, where I live halfway down under the saddle-part that you see in the photo below.

On the walk back home, I spent a bit of time photographing Queen Anne’s Lace and the dogs that belong to the horses. The little dog went nuts barking at my dogs. The big dog stood silent guard as we crossed in front of his territory. I got a few nice shots of my house and of the beaver meadow across my road. I also, finally, was able to get a decent shot of the cliffs over my house, on the mountain, where bobcats live. One of my cats, Buddy, was resting from his hunt on the front stoop of the house when we walked up. He had not seen the dogs in months and reacted threateningly. Now, a few weeks later, he sleeps with the dogs. The last photo is my favorite: my neighbor’s horse as he watches us walk by. He was so alert and curious that he followed as best he could through his field as we went by. I have other photowalks I would like to share with you in the future. I hope you enjoyed seeing my area. Thank you for reading.

_/\_/\_

Popularity: 6% [?]

Our First Photowalk - Falmouth MA

On our first Photowalk Dad and I went first to Spohr Gardens in Falmouth, MA. This is a garden that is tended by a group of volunteers and is open to the use and enjoyment of the public. Although the season for the garden had already peaked we still found much to photograph. We were also testing out my new piece of equipment that will be essential on future Photowalks. It is my GiSTEQ PhotoTrackr.

This device is a GPS unit that you can synchronize with your digital camera’s internal clock. When you are done with your walk, you upload the photos and the GPS data to GiSTEQ software and automatically the GPS data that you have collected with the GiSTEQ PhotoTrackr is added to your photos. Then you can see a record of the physical locations of where you shot each of your photos on your Photowalk. Then you can upload your photos automatically to photo hosting sites like Flickr and Zooomr and your photos are automatically geotagged. (I have found that you need to upload to Flickr through the GiSTEQ PhotoTrackr software for the images to be automatically geotagged, however the photos can be uploaded to Zooomr through the Zooomr uploaded and because there is GPS data attached to the image it automatically shows as being geotagged.

Dad and I took many photographs around Spohr Gardens. The place is a really nice one if you enjoy photographing flowers and small wildlife and birds and bugs. However the season for such things had passed so we didn’t stay too long, however we did get some photos while we were there. I mean that’s the point, right.

So around Spohr Gardens Dad and I took many photographs and tried a few different tricks and techniques. When we had exhausted our options and made it through the gardens we decided that our next location would be Nobska Lighthouse and Nellie Point. The day was a beautiful and clear one and there were not many people at the lighthouse so it made for even better shooting conditions. We could take our time and use different lenses and try different angles and shots without having to wait for anyone to move out of our shots.

We walked down to Nellie Point, an area on the cliff over looking the water that was named for Nellie Anne Hefferan Casey who died on Flight 11 on September 11, 2001. There is a plaque there and the spot is both beautiful and solemn. Nellie Point has to be one of the best places to watch the sun rise and set on the whole of Cape Cod. Looking out across the water to the Elizabeth Islands and seeing the beautiful watercraft is so calming. We stood there and took shot after shot of the water and the boats upon it as well as the lighthouse itself.

After that location we headed home only to spot a classic car show happening at the Falmouth Harbor Green. We stopped and walked around marveling at the different cars and trucks on display. On more than one occasion my Dad would point out a car that he had as a kid. They were some beautiful machines. We took many photos and then headed home.

Each photo from this walk is hosted in sets at both Flickr and Zooomr and was automatically geotagged using the GiSTEQ PhotoTrackr. I am on the lookout for other Photowalkers in New England who would like to Photowalk areas of Cape Cod, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont or New Hampshire. I will be organizing some fall Photowalks in some of those areas so if you are interested leave a comment here and we can network. Whether you are interested in photographing on the walk or filming the walk I’m looking for people who are interested in both.

Let’s get a New England Photowalking group started.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Hi my name is Drew and I am the creator of the blog The BenSpark. I am an East Coast Photowalker and I asked Trevor if I could post here once in a while. He said yes and this is a recount of my first Photowalk.

I first learned of photowalking while watching an episode of the The Scoble Show, here was a guy following another guy as he walked around and took pictures. No, not quite that, Thomas Hawk and Robert Scoble created a phenomenon (or it will be soon). Robert filmed as Thomas took photos of tons of things and talked about what he was using for equipment, why he was taking certain shots and photography in general, all while walking around different locations with the sole intention of taking photos.

I thought to myself, that is an awesome idea. I asked myself two questions, how can I both photograph and be filmed doing so and why can’t I live on the West Coast and go on a Photowalk with these guys? The answer to the first question I have not found yet. I need to find someone who would be willing to film and ask questions as I took photos with a group of other photographers. This I will have to work on. The other question has yet to be answered and maybe one day my travels will coincide with a Photowalk. So until then, I can work on developing a Photowalking group in New England.

So I’ll start small. I’ll go out for a Photowalk with my favorite photographer, my father. My father taught me all I knew about photography as a child. He let me take photos on his Pentax 35mm camera. He explained the focus and light meter and many other important things. He always let me use the camera and take as many photos as I wanted. And this was when we had to pay to develop rolls and rolls of film. So I thank him for encouraging me in my love of photography. Well, these days he still has the Pentax but we decided to upgrade his camera. And bring him into the digital age. So we picked him up a Nikon D40. I shoot a Nikon D80 with a Sigma 28 - 70mm and a Sigma 70 -300mm with Macro.

[Go read Drew's first photowalking post.]

Popularity: 8% [?]