on my first time hosting a photowalk
I am very proud to say that last month, I hosted (and participated in) my very first photowalk - as part of the Analogue Wonderland Big Film Photowalk. I’ve mentioned before that this year I’ve been focusing on photography, taking it more seriously. I have been enjoying going on my solo walks and truly exploring beauty in the everyday.
When I discovered that there was no planned walk in Norwich this year, I volunteered to be the host and organise one.
In total, 12 of us had a great time in over 30 degree sunny weather in the heart of Norwich. Having never planned a photowalk before, there was a lot that was new to me countless things I was worried about. It’s hard to know how many stops to prepare for, or how fast a group would be able to progress through the route.
Although Norwich itself is a small city, it is made up of a series of interconnecting narrow streets that are highly concentrated but form distinct areas. It makes walking the best way to explore the city and develop a sense for how each area can be interlinked. A perfect location for a photowalk.
The planned walk started on the edge of the Norwich Lanes and made its way through the streets, over the river and through to some of the most photogenic spots in the city. We passed into the historic permanent outdoor market before ending in the Chapelfield Gardens with a well deserved ice cream.
The devised route was admittedly more of a tour of my favourite coffee spots, although this made for a gentle pace with plenty of stops. A lot of participants enjoyed the route and appreciated that they were able to see some more hidden parts of the city away from the main, busier areas of town.
The hardest part during the walk was being a leader as well as participating - it’s difficult to concentrate on taking my own shots whilst simultaneously making sure there weren’t too many people lagging behind. I did unintentionally end up in a lot of other’s shots too!
The walk went almost perfectly to plan, and I only lost the group on one occasion!
Feedback from the group was thankfully very positive. It was uplifting to hear such comments after how much work I put into organising and planning the route and undoubtedly made for a successful outing.
Sometimes photography can be quite a lonely hobby - a lot of time we spend solo with a camera in hand, in your thoughts planning and executing a shot or quietly waiting for the right subject to appear in frame. The walk added a refreshing social element - it was so encouraging to see how many people were brought together through film, and the majority of those were very new to it. In fact, one of the group members had only shot one roll prior to the walk.
My favourite part about the day was being able to see so much variation given that we were all walking the same route. Despite being in the same streets, it’s inspiring to see which aspects, subjects, scenes are drawn to the individual’s eye. Even when there was a common subject like a quirky shopfront, we all captured that in our unique and distinct styles. I loved that the route allowed everyone to explore and find whatever it was that they could connect to. A big part of that was allowing a good pace to the walk, allowing time to wander down side streets, into old churches and indulging in a slice of pizza.
Overall a great experience for a first timer - I would be open to hosting more walks in the future too, although I do look forward to being solely a participant so I could focus more on the photography. If given the opportunity, I think it would be great to collaborate with a local lab in Norwich, even if the walk would be on a smaller scale.
Here’s a few of my favourite shots from the day. I’ll share some more on Substack as notes and more of my photography can be seen on my Foto page or Instagram