DIY Photo Walk

Window and shadows in the South End area of Charlotte, North Carolina
Window and shadows in the South End area of Charlotte, North Carolina

My photo buddy Paul Lester and I got together earlier this month for an impromptu photo walk.  We don’t do this often enough, but when we do it’s a real blast.  There’s nothing like wandering around with a camera to exercise the creative muscles a bit.

Glass sculpture at a park in uptown Charlotte, North Carolina
Glass sculpture at a park in uptown Charlotte, North Carolina
Mirrored mosaic in the South End area of Charlotte, North Carolina
Mirrored mosaic in the South End area of Charlotte, North Carolina

While there are meetup groups and photowalks staged and sponsored by “celebrity” photographers, those are often large group activities.  Paul & I are alike in that too many people makes it more of a cat herding competition than a photography activity.  I’d say that 4-5 people would be the max for me.

Cemetery at Fourth Ward Park, Charlotte, North Carolina
Cemetery at Fourth Ward Park, Charlotte, North Carolina
Shadow photos in the South End area of Charlotte, North Carolina
Shadow photos in the South End area of Charlotte, North Carolina

Paul lives on the south end of the county and I am at the north end. We met for breakfast down his way then drove to the light rail station for a ride into town.  We ended up disembarking in South End, which is a neighborhood 1-2 miles south of “Uptown” then walked the rest of the way.  After a few hours of wandering we boarded the train for the ride back to our respective cars.

Sculpture made of old tires in uptown Charlotte, North Carolina
Sculpture made of old tires in uptown Charlotte, North Carolina
Aboard the CATS Blue Line light rail in Charlotte, North Carolinia
Aboard the CATS Blue Line light rail in Charlotte, North Carolinia

Paul has already posted an article about our walk on his own blog, and it’s always interesting to see what he saw and compare it to what I saw.  I’m purposely leaving out photos that are from the same places as Paul’s, although I certainly have a few that look at lot like his!  Instead I’m showing some photos that are things that he may have seen but that he hasn’t posted (yet!).

Colorful painting in the South End area of Charlotte, North Carolina
Colorful painting in the South End area of Charlotte, North Carolina

8 thoughts on “DIY Photo Walk”

  1. Very nice and sorry I missed the morning. Would probably been a bit of a challenge, the walking part, as I am still a bit limited. I do the 6-mile creek walk about 3 times a week . It is exactly a mile In and a mile out and flat and usually I struggle on the last .25 mile. Am allowed 3 epidural shots a year so have to carefully ration! Very nice images!

    1. Hi Don! Hope to see you the next time and I’ll be sure to let you know. And don’t worry a bit about the walking. Paul & I are very flexible, and if we had to we could probably make photos from a park bench somewhere! It did get a little warm, but we finished up early so it wasn’t too bad.

  2. I am certainly a fan of our DIY photo walks. We kind of get to see places that we normally wouldn’t – off the beaten path, so to speak, or on the other side of the tracks 🙂

    It seems that in most things, I prefer small groups. I really like the idea of the big photo walk, as you get to meet new people and perhaps make a new friend. However, I still prefer 2 – 4 people.

    Maybe next time we can pick one of the small towns nearby for an early morning walk before it gets too toasty!

    1. Hi Paul –

      I should just put a reminder on my calendar and try to do one once a month. I like the idea of visiting surrounding towns, since that is a great way to see and explore something new. I remember doing that a few years ago in Salisbury with Earl nka Brooks, and Kathy & I frequently do that when we visit a town. Let’s keep that in mind for next time and try to come up with some ideas!

  3. Yes, small groups are my preference. But I always thought you guys were “celebrity” photographers. I’m a bit disappointed now. I always enjoy seeing what other photographers see. Helps me expand my vision!

    1. We may be legends in our own minds, Monte, but not likely to draw a crowd for a photo walk! 😉 Let us know when you are ready for a walk in Fort Collins and we’ll see if we can arrange it!

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