Recently, I met a friend for lunch in Portland. She’d instructed me to bring my camera and mentioned we’d walk about the city a bit, but I had no idea that I’d get tour out of it all. Turns out, my friend had a secret past (well, secret to me anyway) as a tour guide of the city and some of the theaters. In addition, she is a history enthusiast when it comes to Portland, the surrounding areas, and Oregon. Add to that her love for local art and you get quite a tour. What a treat!

While this photo walk was casual and brief, I realized that a guide adds a dimension to a photo walk that I had not considered before. A guide adds history, context, and story. All of which can influence how to capture the surrounding scenes. As I started to get a sense of things, what mattered shifted for me, I started to focus on objects and themes I wouldn’t have without the context my friend’s knowledge provided. In addition, I decided it might be time to collect all I’ve learned from doing photo walks and share it with others that might be considering a photo walk themselves.

So, in no particular order, here are some tips I’ve learned from past photo walks:

1. Take extra batteries and flash cards (or whatever media the camera uses to store captured images).
2. Take an umbrella (especially, if you live in the Pacific Northwest).
3. Visit the place you intend to have your walk before you hold the walk there. If you can’t do this, do your best to research and find out about the places of interest, local rules, and local customs. Still, if you can visit the place, do so — local maps can be deceiving.
4. Go light on the gear (if it can all fit within a backpack and is light, that’s best — especially, if the walk is long). Over time, gear can start to feel really heavy.
5. Take a pencil, a notebook, and a snapshot camera (or smart-phone) to capture ideas for future photo walks, to take notes (I learn a lot when I’m walking and taking notes helps ensure I’ll remember what I’ve learned), and to have an alternate form of capture.
6. Go with friends. It’s fun and a great way to learn new things. (Just be sure to coordinate with each other so that no one gets lost. For example, set up a start and end time/location.)
7. Take water and a snack — or scope out a place to get these and include a stop in the walk to get them.
8. This may seem obvious, but I’ve regretted my choice in attire before: Dress/prepare for the elements — sunscreen/hat for sun, mittens for cold, etc.
9. Create a challenge or a thematic topic for the walk, but don’t be afraid to go off topic. The challenge shouldn’t limit what is captured, it should just be a way to make the day more fun.
10. Share. Whether it’s an online site or a few CDs between friends, it’s fun to share your results from the walk. Plus, it’s a great way to learn from each other and about each other. Though you may see and capture the same things your friends do, it’s likely that your photographs will differ — it’s fun to see and learn from these differences!

And, that about sums it up. Well, these tips and this: Consider enlisting your own tour guide (a great compliment to the walk) and remember to have fun!