7.20.2009

photowalking

please note
saturday i participated in my first photowalk by joining the scott kelby worldwide photowalk. i was pretty excited and a bit nervous. i had high hopes of meeting some new/local people with a passion for picture taking, yet i can be shy and a little introverted. i got there about 10 minutes late so i missed the initial meet-up spot (i thought i was signed up for a different locale, so ended up leaving my house too late. not to mention waking up late since i got only about 3 hours of sleep because bea was up all night).
so, i entered oakland cemetery alone and stayed that way the entire walk. i noticed there were other people who were loners, too, so that made me feel a little better. it's a beautiful place and the morning was gorgeous! almost no humidity, just amazing. and the bluest sky. after strolling through the cemetery i made my way to cabbagetown. i was a little disappointed in this area. it reminded me a little of downtown savannah (a former home of mine), but wasn't as eclectic or busy with pedestrians. since i didn't know the area too well i was a little timid to wander too far from the group. it was similar to savannah in that there were newly renovated homes right next door to boarded up condemned ones. people with (what i consider)money & young artists sharing space with the homeless and crazies. most everyone was friendly and said hi (mainly the young ones and the crazies) and seemed willing to have their photos taken, though i didn't take any of them.
after that i headed back to the final meet-up spot, a pub called six feet under. yes. it is right across from the cemetery. and the food was good. i had the blackened shrimp tacos with fried leeks and a cucumber wasabi sauce with a yuengling. very good. here i finally met some people, the three who sat with me at my table. though to be honest we didn't exchange names. and we didn't really talk about the walk or photography. it was a little awkward to be honest-but again, they were nice people. i did get one of the guys to talk about the software he uses, but since i don't really use any or have any knowledge of it that was a short lived conversation. we didn't share our photos with one another, but this was fine with me. i felt really out of my element in these two locations and wasn't happy with most of my shots. i learned that i need to challenge myself more. i am more comfortable taking pictures of my family and my immediate surroundings and need to branch out more. that was the best thing that came from the walk. i know i want to do more and get out more with my camera.

no one flickred that i met and that was disappointing. i would love to know someone (in 'real' life) who gets flickr. i really was hoping to connect with someone that shared this interest with me but this walk just wasn't the time or place. i'm sure it will happen and i do look forward to next years walk. if you'd like to see some of the shots i took you can go here.

11 comments:

  1. Same here. Everyone I tell about flickr just looks at me as if I was nuts ...

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  2. at least matt understands it even if its not his thing. and he likes to look at my photos and the comments people leave. so i have that going : )

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  3. I've been composing a similar post in my head. Minus the walk. And the beer. Damn I wish Ohio sold Yuengling.

    I feel so silly posting/Flickr-ing anything that isn't my kids or yarn related pictures. When I send out our "Non Two Black Sheep" Flickr page, I feel like I have to explain to family why there are pics w/o kids. I've just started to really explore Flickr. It seems so big & slightly scary. I think about joining groups, but only stick to general ones.

    -L

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  4. I love Flickr. But I get even more blank stares if I mention Flickr than when I mention I have a blog. And I get plenty of blank stares about blogging.

    I loved your walk photos on Flickr when you first posted them. I'm happy to see the story behind them. They're better than you're giving yourself credit for...Keep working on it!

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  5. ha! wesley jeanne, true about the more blank looks when mentioning flickr. i've run across people who know of it but don't look at as a tool to connect socially with people.
    thank you!

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  6. I enjoyed seeing your photos.
    I use flickr but have not fully explored all the options. My husband uses it and has met some other great b & w photographers.

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  7. Keep at it. The first time I went photowalking and tried to take some freaky guy's picture it did. not. go. well. Yes, He was as UNSTABLE as I had wished to capture. If I didn't have Benen with me he probably would have assaulted me.
    Good on you for stretching yourself, you will find your groove. And thank goodness for friends who do get flickr. Digital though we may be.

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  8. thanks, rw! and i'd love to see your husbands work. i've been wanting to shoot more b & w and would love some inspiration.

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  9. I recently saw this photo walk on another blog, what an interesting project. Many wishes to you on finding others in your area to connect with about photography! Your photos came out great, they certainly tell a story of the place you were. I would imagine the walk can take some getting used to being that it may not be instantly inspiring like your beautiful family and surroundings area, good for you for stepping out and taking that challenge!

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  10. Shoot! I wish I could have gone with you! We could have been TWO loners walking around... : ) OH, and I would have ordered the same thing for lunch, definitely.

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