Photo Walk Tips (For Aug 23)

First of all, I would like to thank ALL of you who have signed-up for the walk. I can’t believe that the 50 slots were filled in around 2 hours. Before I proceed with the tips section, I would like to clarify something – Scott Kelby isn’t going to be in Manila on Aug 23. I know a lot of you have asked that question, and it has probably lingered in your minds. So there, he’s not going to be in Manila on Saturday. But, he will surely be looking at ALL of our photos once we submit them in our Flickr Group! Watch out for more instructions on this.

Okay, down to business…I thought I’d like to share with you some tips and reminders for the walk:

• Wear comfortable clothing – we’re going to WALK, so wear something comfortable (i.e. shorts, rubber shoes, etc). Okay, I’m being redundant here…

• Watch out for the weather – I know it’s been raining on and off in Manila, so be prepared to walk even when it rains. Bring an umbrella, a raincoat/jacket and of course, something to cover your camera and lens in case it rains. Sometimes, an extra shirt to cover the camera or lens doesn’t hurt. I’ve seen people use plastic too to cover their cameras.

Our weather reports in Manila aren’t really THAT accurate because they usually just say ’scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms’, so it’s best to look out your windows and judge the weather. You don’t believe me? Check this 10-day forecast for Manila from weather.com.

• WHAT TO BRING:

First, your camera. That’s the most important thing. Don’t forget it. Don’t have an SLR? That’s okay! Just bring whatever camera you have. Make sure your batteries are charged and you have enough memory.

Lenses – Bring 1 or 2 lenses… generally a wide and a zoom lens would be good so that you can cover a lot of things. It really depends on how you usually shoot, but as much as possible, I’d advise you to travel light.

Bag – If you have a bag that doesn’t scream ‘Hey, I’m a camera bag’, use it. That way, it doesn’t draw too much attention.  What if you have camera bags like Lowepro that has a rain cover? I guess that’s an exception to the rule, especially if it rains. Packing tip: you may wrap your extra lenses in extra shirts so that they are protected while inside your bag.

Tripod – I leave this up to you. There might be some nice scenes around sunset so it’s good to have this. Don’t forget to bring your cable release if you will bring your tripod. I’m not sure if it’s okay to use a tripod in Binondo, so it’s a risk. Just make sure your tripod is light enough so you won’t be carrying something heavy.

• Food / Snacks – You might get hungry during the walk. Don’t worry, we have a lot of options in Binondo! See my post below on what you can eat. Just remember that we’re still doing a photo walk, you might end up eating and not shooting anything.

• Water – While I would recommend to bring a bottle of water during the walk, Ongpin has a lot of food stalls and restaurants, so you can easily buy a bottle of water there.

• Think Safety – I can’t stress this enough, watch your gear all the time and be sure to secure your cellphones and wallets. That way, you still have some money to buy food after the walk.

• Remember to walk in pairs or in groups – This is a social event. Get to know new people. We’ll definitely see some familiar faces in the group, but it doesn’t hurt to go with someone you don’t know and get to know them.

• Help others – We’ll be having a mixture of experience during the walk. There are some experienced/professional photographers, so this might be your opportunity to learn from them. For the experienced/professional ones – it’s always good to lend a helping hand.

• Shooting Reminder: Make sure to watch other photographers. Don’t get in their way while they’re shooting.

• Finally, HAVE FUN! That’s the most important thing. Mingle with the group, get to know everyone. It’s going to be a fun day and we’ll all have a chance to share our photos after the walk.

To get to know more about Photowalking and the event on Satuday, check out the following links:

• Jeff Revell’s Guide to Photowalking
• Jeff Revell’s Blog Entry on Photowalking in Scott Kelby’s site
• Scott Kelby’s Q&A for his Worldwide PhotoWalk

What happens after the walk? We’ll all post our photos in a Flickr Group that I have setup. More instructions to follow later.

See you on the 23rd!