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Photography walks in Philadelphia – develop your photography and find the adventures around you!
Philadelphia is the perfect city for photography walks with so many unique locations to explore, each of which can make the perfect backdrop for a fascinating project, exhibition or series of photographs. From the calm beauty of the city’s parks to the bustling city center you’ll find a myriad of surprises to help you put together some wonderful photography.
What is photowalking?
It is typically a group activity. Photography enthusiasts come together, walk around and take pictures of things that they are interested in. You can take street photographs when you are photowalking. You can also take photos of architecture or nature among other things. The words photowalk and photo walk can be used interchangeably.
Best locations in Philadelphia for photowalking.
Schuylkill River Bank: With beautiful river side trails and lovely sweeping panoramic views, the Schuylkill River Bank is a perfect location for a photo walk. Whether you go during the day or later on to catch the sunset, you’ll get some magnificent images As well as the natural scenery you can snap the iconic cityscape that stretches up from behind the river making a powerful contrast of imagery. You can walk all the way from the South Street Bridge to Boathouse Row along Kelley Drive. In addition to the river, you can take photos of University City, Center City Philadelphia, Philadelphia Art Museum and the Schuylkill Navy boat clubs.
Walnut Street: Running through the Philly downtown districts Walnut Street runs from east to west, from Cobbs Creek to the waterfront of the Delaware River. Walking down the street through the high rise buildings, small parks and store fronts come together to make a unique tapestry of the city’s life. You can start your walk in front of the FMC building and end at Columbus Boulevard. Along the way you will get to see Rittenhouse Square, City Hall, Washington Square and Independence Hall. It is a long walk but one that I have done many times.
City Hall: The spectacular City Hall gives you the opportunity to take some amazing architectural photography on your photo walk, with its incredible tower rising over the fantastic horizontal lines of the main building. So much of the city’s people pass through this area every day allowing you to really touch the essence of the city, beneath the marble, brick and limestone facade of the City Hall. The incredible building was designated as a National Historic Landmark in the 1970’s, so take advantage of the chance to explore this site with your camera. From the City Hall you can walk to Love Park, Logan Square and finally end up at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Love Park used to have a great fountain and also was a hot spot for skateboarding. But not anymore. Logan Square is the place to shoot photos of the fountain.
Philadelphia Museum of Art: The Museum of Art is a great choice for a photo walk, both inside and out. Explore the huge museum with your camera in hand or walk around the expansive grounds. With its huge plazas, sweeping landscapes, statues and water features the monumental building creates a fantastic focal point for your photography. You can take photos of the Rocky Steps and the Rocky Statue.
You can continue walking from the Museum to Boathouse Row or walk towards Eastern State Penitentiary. You will see some beautiful row houses along the way.
Columbus Boulevard: As one of Philly’s main roads that cuts through the city from north to south, Columbus Blvd captures the feeling of the city’s past and present coming together. Formerly called Delaware Avenue, the road is skirted by a great variety of buildings and sites that can be weaved together to form an interesting narrative to base your photo walk on. You can take photos of the Ben Franklin Bridge (from the Race Street and Cherry Street Piers), Penns Landing, Spruce Street Harbor Park and the battleships and the submarines.
Tips to make the most of your photo walks.
- Keep your camera turned on the whole time! This will mean that you don’t miss a chance photo opportunity.
- Frame your shots using strong vertical lines, such as buildings, trees or statues.
- Single out strong focal points to create depth and interest within the photograph.
- Experiment with the manual camera settings such as the shutter speed and aperture.
- Wear some comfortable shoes so you can walk for a good while.
- As well as walking, take moments to sit and absorb the scenery. This will help you notice the small details around you that might make a brilliant shot.
- Take your business cards or contact details with you since you may meet other photographers or potential clients on your walk. This way you can easily stay in contact in the future.
Photo Art Groups in Philly.
There are many ways that you can meet and join a photo art group in Philadelphia, and if you want, you can even start up your own! Taking a photo walk with fellow photographers is great fun and gives you the chance to pick up tricks and hints from the others in your group along the way.
Interesting discussion and friendly chat is always a great addition to your photo walk, so consider taking advantage of joining in with a photo art group near you.
One of the easiest and most popular online platforms to meet fellow photographers in Philly is Meetup. There are a number of different photo art groups on the platform who are always keen to welcome new members.
Photo groups in Philadelphia.
Fairmount Photo Club: As well as monthly photo walks the group also facilitates tuition and classes, competitions and photo critiques.
Photogs in Philly: With monthly meetups at the Library of Philadelphia, this group offers great opportunities to improve your own photography skills while getting to know some interesting fellow photographers in Philly.
Cityscape Photo Philadelphia: This group focuses on urban photography in and around Philly. The members of the group are friendly and adventurous with a mission to learn from one another while enjoying the amazing possibilities for photography in the city.
Photowalks in Philadelphia – Explore your city and make new friends!
Photo Walks in Philly are a great framework to build an exhibition, series or photo essay on the back of. Whether you go for it alone or join a local photo art group you will gain so much from the experience you’ll be sure to incorporate photo walks into your regular routine. Going alone gives you the chance to take a more undercover approach to the photography, while taking part in group walks will allow you to discuss your ideas and visions with other photographers.
If you decide to make photo walks a part of your life then mixing and matching group walks with solo excursions will give you a great balance and leave you with some great memories and photographs!
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