PhotoWalks are great, I’m obviously a huge fan of them. Whether you’re on one of my PhotoWalks, with friends and family or just on your own. I always feel creative when I’m well set up for a PhotoWalk, even just on my own. When you’ve got the right gear and you’re well organised for a PhotoWalk, you’ll find it easier to focus on getting some cool shots.
With that in mind, here are some tips for getting organised for a PhotoWalk.
Get comfortable
Wearing the right shoes, a good jacket, comfortable clothing and things like sunscreen make a big difference. Being cold, or too hot for that matter, can be very unpleasant.
Don’t get weighed down
Get a suitable bag. If you’re into going on missions, you need a good bag, this is pretty important (you can see what gear I use HERE). But don’t fill that bag with lots of unnecessary stuff. Don’t take lots of heavy lenses, filters, and external hard drives.
Take a spare battery and SD card
Following on from the last point, have a spare battery and a spare SD card on hand, but not lots of spares, you won’t need lots of spare batteries and SD cards.
Challenge 1 – one lens only!
You might see this as a challenge, or you might just see this as great advice, either way, you’ll thank me for this. Lenses are heavy, just take a lens that has a good range, a 18-135mm or something. Setting yourself up for a shot depending on what lens you are using is an important skill to learn, this will help you learn that lesson fast.
Get off the track
Often, the best shots are hard to get to. Walk far and walk wide, you’ll find all sorts of interesting subjects and angles.
Take a pen and paper
My travelling companion Nancy (the Nifty Traveller) will agree 100% with this (she’s a big fan of paper), that a pen and paper will come in handy so often. People might ask you in the street what you’re photographing for, or business owners might ask to see your finished photographs. A pen and paper makes it easy to swap contact details and take notes.
Know the rules, legally and morally
Do you know what you can and can’t photograph? What do you feel comfortable shooting and what would do you think might be inappropriate? I’ve seen people photographing kids in parks – although that’s not illegal here in New Zealand, I’d never do it.
Be courteous
Sometimes the best shot is taken from the most inappropriate place. It might be in the middle of the road, or in the middle of a footpath. If you really have to be in someone’s way, smile and apologise.
