On April 5th, 2009 14 total strangers gathered a local community coffee house in London, Ontario, Canada for the first “Official” London (Ontario) PhotoWalk.  These strangers (some photographers, some simple humans) gathered with two goals in mind: walking and photographing.  After a few hours of walking, talking and taking photographs in Old East London the 14 photographers went their separate ways, each of them taking away something different from the days event.

Some participants and so called “photographers” enjoyed the opportunity to meet other Londoners, while others appreciated the chance to learn a thing or two about photography, either expanding the skills they already had or developing new skills out of nothing.  Regardless of what was taken away from the day’s event there was an overwhelming positive reception to the first PhotoWalk in London, Ontario, Canada.

Since the first PhotoWalk there has been an ever increasing amount of interest in holding subsequent PhotoWalks and exploring the various communities that are contained within London. Photographers and non-photographers all want to come together, to spend a couple of hours each month getting to know the city better, its inhabitants, and the camera they may call a friend.

The Walk

The London PhotoWalks are not a formal events any means, they are simply a gathering of interested photographers and non-photographers alike.  The London PhotoWalk does not have a membership list, does not collect dues, does not have a code of conduct nor is it limited to simply photographers. The London PhotoWalks are an open invitation event which promotes the participation by all citizens, Londoners or otherwise.

If you hear about an event that you would like to attend simply, show up.  Normally if there are going to be regular participants attending there will be a listed meeting place and time, however, if there isn’t anything mentioned/listed feel free to contribute an event and we will help you arrange it.

The London PhotoWalks are very much community and collaborative events, input is always welcome and changes to any “schedule” are very much a form of progression.  The London PhotoWalks welcome your comments, suggestions and overall input.  To contribute to the PhotoWalks please Contact us.

Website

Londonphotowalk.ca was launched on May 5th, 2009 by James Wilkinson, a participant from the first London PhotoWalk. James felt that the interest from the community during the walk was strong enough that having a dedicated site (and open forum) devoted to the London PhotoWalks would allow for a positive focus to be put on the walk itself, it’s participants, their photographs and photography in general.

This site will be the birth place of all upcoming PhotoWalk in the London, Ontario region and will be platform for which Londoners (and other locals) can discuss photography in general.  If you have any questions, comments, concerns or would like to contribute content to londonphotowalk.ca please feel free to use the provided Contact form.

Origins

The London PhotoWalk was originally organized by Kevin Van Lierop by using From My Bottom Step as a community platform to get the idea out to as many Londoners as possible.  Kevin soon realized that there was much more to this event than he thought there would be.  Meeting other Londoners, learning more about photography and spending a couple hours exploring the communities he calls home; all of these are things that anyone can take home from participating in a PhotoWalk, photographer or not.

The Organizers

Kevin Van Lierop:

Kevin Van Lierop is the founder of London PhotoWalk.  Not really knowing much about photography and all that it entailed, Kevin found himself wanting to get out more often to both learn about photography and the city he calls home, London Ontario.  Kevin is always looking for ways to connect with members of the community, through photography related events or otherwise and hopes that he can continually add to his knowledge of both his community and photography.

An Educator by trade and a Student of Life by nature, Kevin is always looking through the lens of his cameras to find a unique and interesting perspective on life and the world that surrounds him.

James Wilkinson:

James Wilkinson is the owner of James Wilkinson Photography & Design. He is the driving force behind the technical aspects of the London Photowalk web site. James is a professional new media designer, specializing in web design and development with photography as a side profession. James has wanted to get together with londoners for a long time and when he saw Kevin’s posting on the popular social networking site Twitter, he jumped right on the bandwagon, attending the walk and offering his services. Today James now maintains this website while helping to organize future photowalks and events.