We’re just nine days away from this event – I can hardly believe it! As such, I wanted to give you some more details around this Walk and what you should expect.

We will be meeting at the main courtyard of OMSI at 4PM (You can see the specific coordinate on the map above). The first order of business is to get a group shot to share with the world.

From there, the path becomes whatever you want to make of it. While there is a general route that I’ll be following, there is more than enough space for everything to sprawl out and create cool images. I chose the SE Industrial area because it is a target-rich environment that offers something for everyone, from the portrait shooter to the HDR photographer.

I know that the Walk is scheduled to end at 7PM but I may push that to 8PM, depending on what the sky is looking like for sunset. You may want to consider that as you make your way around the area. At 8PM, we will all meet at the Lucky Labrador Brew Pub (located at 915 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97214). This is a great venue because they have a huge outdoor patio area and there is no wait service – you order your drinks and food at the counter, pay, and enjoy. So that eliminates the complications of separate checks, etc.

Now, some words of caution. As you may or may not know, there is an active train track that runs through the length of our Walk path. I stress that this is an ACTIVE track. Trains pass through here all day and vary from very slow to fast enough to crush you speeds. PLEASE be careful here. I’ve shot on these tracks many times without incident because I’ve been very vigilant about my surroundings. Mind you – you are technically not supposed to be walking on these tracks, so keep vigilance and prudence in the forefront of your minds here. Use sound judgment and everything will be fine.

Furthermore, just because this is an industrial area doesn’t mean that there aren’t businesses open. Please be respectful of them when shooting their properties and/or the people who frequent them.

Finally, if you happen to run into a police officer who asks you to leave a certain area, like the train tracks or another structure, please be diplomatic, kind and listen. I’ve found Portland PD to be extremely cordial and understanding. The last thing you want to do is ruin your day or anyone else’s because tempers ran high.

In the end, this is all about getting together with fellow photographers, enjoying each other’s company, and maybe even walk away with some killer images. I know that it’s going to be a blast!

One last note – we have a massive wait list. I am humbled that so many people want to be on this Walk! If you’re one of the 50 people who have already registered and cannot make it for whatever reason, please withdraw your registration here so that the next person on the wait list can be notified.

We’ll be using the comments section here to communicate more so feel free to leave messages with questions and/or concerns.

See you soon, everyone! Safe travels!

Brian