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A Message From The Walk Leader

Greetings, my name is Sean Sullivan and I’ll be your Photowalk Leader for the Schenectady walk.   Schenectady has a lot of beautiful spots and some very interesting history which should provide everyone on the walk with plenty to photograph.  We will be starting the walk in front of the BowTie Cinema theatre on the corner of State and Broadway downtown at 5pm on July 18th.  This location affords plenty of parking at the Broadway Garage (which if I recall should be free that time of day).  Before we get started, I’d like to take a group shot so we can all remember the day.

After the walk, anyone who wishes, can meet up at Katie O’Byrnes on Erie Blvd (next to Amtrak station) for some socializing and good food and drink. 

Here is my suggested route:

A stroll up State Street to Nott Terrace and past Veteran’s Park.  Then up Nott Terrace and possiblie into Vale Park.  After some time in Vale, stroll down Franklin to Jay St past the Town Hall and then down Liberty to Erie Blvd where we will finish up at Katie O’Byrnes and a couple pints of ale.

None of this is set in stone and no one is obligated to follow this exact path of course.  There are a lot of good points of interest along the way that are just off this route, including:

- GE plant (viewed down Broadway from State)
- Union College (on Union St)
- St John’s RC Church (on Union)
- First United Methodist Church (on State)
- Schenectady Planetarium (on Nott Terrace)
- and more..

I’m sure there will be plenty of exciting things to photograph along the route.

And now, a few tips for the walk:

1. - Where comfortable shoes…very important.  While the entire route is only a mile…you may end up walking more then you think, especially in the parks.
2. - Make sure your batteries are charged and bring spares.
3. - Make sure your memory cards are formatted (spare of these is also recommeded).
4. - Don’t bring TOO much gear…it will only weigh you down.   I recommend:
          A wide-angle lens for building and scenic shots
          A telephoto zoom for those close ups 
          A tripod
          A flash (for darker areas in the parks, etc)
5. - Rain slicker and rain cover for your gear (walk goes on rain or shine).
6. - Bottle of water (remember, this is July…might be tad hot).
7. - Cell phone is always a good idea for emergencies. 
8. - ALWAYS walk in pairs or larger groups for safety. Remember, there is safety in numbers.  You’ll be carrying expensive photo gear and while we will be shooting in daylight in mostly heavily travelled areas, one should not take chances.  I’d like to see everyone enjoy the experience and not get hurt.

Most of all come and  have fun.  As for the contest, I’ll be creating a flicker group after the end of the walk for your images.  You will simply upload your favorite FIVE shots of the day.  From those, one will be choosen as the winner for the Schenectady walk and be forwarded on for the international judging.  Since I’ll be doing the judging per the rules, naturally, my photos will not be entered as part of the contest. ;)  The lucky winner will get a copy of Scott Kelby’s upcoming book, The Digital Photography Book, Volume 3.

Please let your friends know about the walk as I would like to see as many of the 50 slots filled as possible….let’s make this a great day for photography and Schenectady.  Let’s take the time to learn from each other as well.  There is nothing like sharing to enhance your skills, the skills of others and building confidence behind the camera.

Any questions, please feel free to email me at photowalk2009{AT}spsphotography.com.

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