“People forget about the surprises. They drive down Oxford or Highbury or Fanshawe Park Rd. and they’re just looking at industry. But if you go into small subdivisions, parks, the Thames Valley Parkway, there are all these surprises about how beautiful London is,”

- James Wilkinson, via London Free Press

James Wilkinson was recently interviewed by the London Free Press about the upcoming London PhotoCamp and about the London Photo Walk.  Not only is this interview great exposure for PhotoCamp and the Photo Walks, letting amateurs and professionals know that there are more casual, stress free and FREE ways to learn about photography, but I think James nailed the purpose of the Photo Walks.

For me the Photo Walks have not only been about the community, meeting new people and celebrating London, but they have been about exploring and finding the hidden beauty in the city. My favourite example of this was the Watson Park Walk I participated in a few months ago. A route that I have travelled a thousand time before but when out with my camera, other people and taking the time to slow down I found places, sights (and sounds) that I had never experienced before.

For some residents London only offers the beautiful places highlighted in travel magazine or in the local news, for others there is far more beauty that is discovered when the time is taken to explore, take in and appreciate the Forest City.

In the past month’s I have been very busy and have been neglecting the photo walk, not by choice but by necessity.  Things such as helping family members move, other community projects (ChangeCamp and Nuit Blanche and PARK(ing) Day) and personal issues have kept me away from the photo walks.

On the one hand I have really missed planning and taking part in the walks as they offer a great opportunity to explore London and meet up with so many great people. However, on the other hand, missing the walks has helped to push the London Photo Walk in the right direction.

Where We Are Going (I Hope)

With myself not being available (and James not being available on occasion) the walks still have continued.  Thanks to the dedication of some of the photo walkers in London, the walks have continued and have been as successful as ever.  Two examples are the Watson Park Walk, which I attended but did not organized. This walk has been one of my favourites over the past year.  The other example is today’s World Wide Photo Walk. Because of personal items, both myself and James have been unable to plan or attend today’s evening walk, no worries as Chris Baldwin and Donnie Currie have taken control.

These two examples are just a small hint as to where I believe the London Photo Walk should be going.

There is no doubt that I sill plan on organizing and participating in a monthly walk, but the intentions are, over the coming months, that the London Photo Walk website will be fully open to have people suggest/organize walks that they would like to lead and that this information can post automatically, there by essentially allowing photo walks to happen, any time and any place.

When I first suggested having a photo walk I did so out of a very selfish manner. As many know, I had just purchased my first digital camera and wanted to learn from other people how to use it. Quickly the Photo Walk developed to a great community event that presents the opportunity for anyone to come out and explore the city with other members of the public in a relaxed environment.  Although planning the photo walks has been great, the logical next step is to give the London Photo Walk to community and let them run with it. More details will be coming over the next couple of months.

I’m excited as where this can take us.

Beginning in Watson Park, off of Wellington Road at the Thames River, we headed East along the multi-use pathways, North on Adelaide Street and then back West passing by the South Street hospital. From the moment we started at 8am until when we finished around 10am the morning fog was out and made for some great shots.

I really enjoyed this walk as it was one that I probably wouldn’t have thought of on my own. I passed the area off as being ‘boring’ and typical, but having Chris Baldwin organize the walk in this area helped me to remember that all areas of London have something to offer, and the London Photo Walk is about exploring and celebrating these areas.

On this walk I was able to find an elevated train crossing, the location to where Flagswipe Paintball moved to years ago, some abandoned buildings and other fun stuff. I even managed to find a Red Chair before the walk began.

The people that came out for this walk were great as usual and the morning couldn’t have been better for a leisurely stroll along the Thames River.

It is the “low key” walks such as this one that I find the most rewarding. I am not sure why this is the case but when I return from them I always feel like I have a better appreciation for the Photo Walk, the people who I am with and London, Ontario in general.

Remember to check out the next scheduled photo walk in the Huron Woods.

The last two Photo Walks that the London Photo Walk has put together have been in and around the University of Western Ontario. With students now gone and some flowers starting to bloom many photo walkers have been able to capture some fantastic images.

The first of these photo walks was back on May 2nd, 2010 in conjunction with Jane’s Walk London. Although only a small number of people came out for this walk (primarily due to the poor weather forecast and short notice) a good time was had by all and some interesting shots resulted.

We ended up heading into the forest behind Bresica University College, a place where I had never been before, and experienced nature it all of it’s glory right inside London, Ontario. Some hills, a few Trilliums and a whole lot of trees, this walk was a calming and peaceful one and helped each of us to get re-acquainted with mother nature.

I very much enjoyed this walk.

The second of our walks at the University was on Mother’s Day May 9th, 2010, in conjunction with PodCamp London.

Worried about the cold weather (which I did not dress properly for) and it being Mother’s Day we were unsure about who would be able to attend but we were not disappointed with the showing. Roughly 20 people showed up, many new-comers to the London Photo Walk and many came with their mothers and daughters, which was a nice sight to see.

Although we called it quits after slightly more than an hour (the cold was too much to bear for those of us who did not dress properly) everyone seemed to have a good time and get some great shots while out in the cold.

We hope to return to the University later in the year, perhaps when the weather is a little warmer, a few more flowers are out and perhaps with a tour guide.

Thanks to everyone for coming out for these past walks and stay tuned for information regarding the upcoming June walk.

One year has come and past much quicker than I ever thought it would and without a doubt I have to say that each walk we have had has been enjoyable.

A couple of weeks ago we headed out for our 1 year anniversary walk and returned to the site of the first London Photo Walk, the Old East Village.

Although the turnout may have not been as large as I thought it would be (some citing the ‘early’ start time) I have to say that I was happy to see about 15 people out, many new faces.

We toured from one end of the Village to the other, seeing what had appeared, disappeared and changed over the past year. Some new businesses are in the village, others are no longer present, but one thing we all agreed on; there was more life in the village this year than we saw last year and things are moving in a positive direction!

We had an opportunity to meet some new local photographers, meet the families of another and meet the companion (‘Mosley’) of yet another. This past walk is definite proof that the London Photo Walk isn’t about photography, rather, it’s about community and the act of getting out and celebrating the city.

One thing that should be noted is that we were invited in to the London Potters Guild to see not only the great art work that is created there on a daily basis but the fantastic building which has been restored. I was blown away by the working space that is located in the heart of the Old East Village, and upon hearing of the plans to renovate the upper portion of the building I had a smile on my face. I am glad that we went back to the village for our anniversary walk otherwise I may have never had such an easy and great opportunity to check out the guild.

May Photo Walks

Scheduled for May are two walks, both in conjunction with separate local London, Ontario events.

On May 2nd (tomorrow) we have a heritage forest walk that is in partnership with Jane’s Walk London. Check out the details of the walk here.

On May 9th our walk is being held at the University of Western Ontario in conjunction with PodCamp London. Check out the details of the walk here.

Jane’s Walk will be taking place in London on May 2, 2010.

What is Jane’s Walk?

Jane’s Walk is a series of free neighbourhood walking tours that helps put people in touch with their environment and with each other, by bridging social and geographic gaps and creating a space for cities to discover themselves.

It’s a thriving Canadian innovation that’s gone global. Last year 46 cities took part across North America. This year Jane’s Walks will span 60 cities worldwide (approx 30 in Canada, 25 in the U.S, five internationally) with some 350 walking tours on offer. New Jane’s Walk partnerships this year include Los Angeles, Brooklyn, Chattanooga, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Victoria and …. London, ON.

Best of all, all Jane’s Walk tours are given and taken for free.

For more details check out www.janeswalklondon.com

In participation with Jane’s Walk London we have decided to schedule another May photo walk taking place on May 2nd. Although we realize that this is happening not too long after our last photowalk and very close to our joint Photo Walk with PodCamp London we thought it was important to celebrate the City of London on May 2nd with the many other walkers that will be out that day.

With that said, here are the details of the photo walk happening for Jane’s Walk London:

Date: Sunday, May 2nd, 2010

Time: 5:30pm – 7:30pm

Location: The Forest behind Bresica University Collete (at the University of Western Ontario)

Starting Location: Bresica University College (See Map)

Route: Marked in GREEN on the map

Ending Location: Bresica University College

Parking: Typically the parking lot shown on the map is open and free during the summer (from past experience), however this cannot be guaranteed and as such you should be prepared to find and pay for parking if you are driving. You can CLICK HERE to check out Western’s Parking Services.

This walk will take us through the forest and on trails that aren’t paved so we suggest that proper footwear be worn.

As usual, if you have any questions or comments just post them below.

One of the next London Photo Walks is scheduled to be held at the University of Western Ontario (UWO). Although this walk will take place after most students have left the campus, this Sunday morning walk in May will prove to be a beautiful one with the flowers and plants hopefully in full bloom.

The details for the walk are as follows:

Date: Sunday, May 9th, 2010

Time: 10:30am – 12:30pm

Location: University of Western Ontario

Starting Location: The Concrete Beach (See Map)

Route: Marked in BLUE on the map

Ending Location: Because it is the summer and we are not sure if any of the on-campus eateries will be open, we will determine an ending location closer to the date.

Parking: Typically the parking lot shown on the map is open and free during the summer (from past experience), however this cannot be guaranteed and as such you should be prepared to find and pay for parking if you are driving. You can CLICK HERE to check out Western’s Parking Services.

Buses: #6 Richmond, #13 Wellington #2 Dundas #10 Wonderland (plus many others)

We have been informed by some people that this date is actually Mother’s Day and as such there are other activities going on and some people might not be able to make the walk. Taking this into consideration we encourage everyone who wants to come out to bring their mother to enjoy (what should be) the great weather and beautiful scenery.

We are trying to arrange a guide for our tour that might be able to let us in to some “secret” areas of campus, details of this will come closer to the date if possible.

This walk will be taking place in conjunction with PodCamp London 2010 which is happening the day before on May 8th 2010.

Personally the London Photo Walk has been great for myself. Being able to explore and photograph the unique and diverse neighbourhoods that London has to offer  in a relaxed and comfortable format/environment has been something that I have really enjoyed. On top of this, I have had the opportunity to meet some of the greatest people, from both inside and outside of London, and have made a number of lasting connections with people I would not have normally met otherwise.

I know that other people feel the same way as I have received a number of emails over the past year that mention the relaxed informal nature of the photo walks which makes people feel more at home and less pressured than traditional clubs.  When I get letters such as these I can help to think about the next walk we will have and the people we will meet.

With that said, in order to celebrate one year of photo walking in London we thought it would be fitting to return to where it all began, the Old East Village. Over the past year many changes have taken place in this unique neighbourhood of London and it would be nice to head back to the Old East Village to see the contrast that a year of time can produce.

The details of the photo walk are as follows:

Date: Sunday, April 18th, 2010

Time: 10:30am – 12:30pm

Location: Old East Village

Starting Location: East Village Coffee Shop

Route: Marked in RED on the map

Ending Location: Someplace for Lunch (still to be determined, stay tuned)

As far as I know there won’t be presents, cake or candles, but there will be good company and great conversation. I encourage everyone to come out and enjoy this day. Whether you are a photographer, resident, business owner or just someone who likes good conversation, the day will prove to have something for everyone.

Although this is called the London Photo Walk I can personally vouch that photography is no longer the main purpose behind it all (at least not for me). Over the past 3 months I have taken less and less photos at the walk but have enjoyed each walk more than the one before.  The people, conversations and places are what the London Photo Walk is all about and as such everyone is invited.

Although I may not be able to attend myself I am more than happy to let everyone know of the details.

If you are up for a photo walk on Saturday, April 3rd at 6pm, there will be some people meeting at Harris Park to head out for a little walk.

For more information about the root please check out the post regarding the photo walk that was cancelled.

Please keep in mind that we will have our regular April photo walk near the end of the month and plan to attend as it is our 1 year anniversary.

With that said, we have decided to cancel this month’s walk and wait until April to head back out.

Make sure to check out the April edition of the London Photo Walk as it will be our 1 year anniversary and to celebrate we are heading back into the East London Village where this all first began.

See you there.