Leader News & Updates

• By Colin Wright (0)

• And the Winner Is....

  Posted August 6, 2010

  John Gerard’s street scene of Main Street in St. Charles — congrats John!

  So why did I pick this image? There’s a few reasons.

  The first thing that grabbed me was the leading line from left to right. That diagonal of the street through the frame forced your eye to traverse the photo taking in each shop one by one, almost like you were walking the street yourself. And the placement of the tree on the right side of the frame keeps you from “falling out” of the picture, forcing you to keep looking at this image.

  The next thing I noticed was the color. I think the colors may have been a bit “unnatural” — the street bricks look a little purple to me, for example — but it reminded me of an old print, and with those storefronts as the subject of the image, it’s easy to imagine that this is a print, color-shifted with time.

  And finally, I liked the slight harshness of the edges. They had just a touch of boldness and grittiness that really appealed to me. The shadows probably helped make that possible, but with that, you can see every line between every stone on the storefronts. That kind of detail really blew me away.

  As I said in my message to all the walkers, each of the images submitted brought something unique to the table, and I think each of you has something to be proud of!

• Less Than Two Days

  Posted July 22, 2010

  We are edging ever so close to the morning of our photo walk — right now, we’ve got 26 folks signed up to stroll around the streets of St. Charles. I can’t wait!

  Right now, the weather forecast is a little dicey for Saturday morning, depending on which weather service you believe. I plan to be there rain or shine; you’ll definitely have someone to walk with! With the potential for rain, I’d suggest bringing along an umbrella, just to be on the safe side. Also, please remember to hydrate before, during and after the walk. If the rain doesn’t come, the temperature will be in the 80s when we start, and with a high temperature of 97 predicted on Saturday, I can guarantee it’ll be hot and steamy. Bring a water bottle or two, and make sure you stay safe and healthy during the walk.

  The other thing of interest is that the Missouri River will be up, with the water being above flood stage, cresting around 25.6′ Saturday night. I haven’t been around the railroad tracks and the Katy Trail when the river’s up, but be careful if you head off that direction during your walk. There could be some interesting photos in the park, but no photo is worth getting caught up in the high waters.

  Most of all, plan to explore the area. Last year’s walk encouraged me to experiment with photographic styles that I’d never tried before, and I know I learned loads by just trying new things. Have fun, and stretch your boundaries — you’ll be surprised at what you might find!

  Charge those batteries — it’s almost time to walk!

• An Update on the Walk

  Posted July 15, 2010

  I’ll be emailing this out as well, but in case folks are looking here first….

  There’s just over a week until the walk — I hope you’re as excited as I am! I wanted to hit a few points before folks start packing their camera bags, charging their batteries and heading to Framations.

  First off, please be careful during the photo walk. One of the worst ways to spend the day of the photo walk is recovering from some mishap! The streets and sidewalks of Main Street are very uneven, and you really have to watch where you step. With that uneven sidewalk and road come some great photo ops, so look out for those too!

  We’ll be starting out early, but there’s a strong likelihood of hot weather and strong sunshine, even early in the morning. Bring sunscreen, and slather it on liberally. And, be sure to bring water to stay hydrated on the walk. I’ve only planned about a mile of travel, so it shouldn’t be too strenuous, but in hot temperatures it won’t take much to dehydrate you.

  And then there’s the gear. Be sure to charge your batteries, clean your lenses, pack your camera bag on Friday night, and be ready for a fun time walking!

  Last year’s walk was an eye-opener for me. I hadn’t really done street shooting before, and it was a lot of fun to stretch myself, and hunt for new things to photograph. There are loads of different bricks and tiles on the ground, walls and doorways of the buildings. You’ll find all kinds of colorful flowers and storefronts to photograph. Toward the end of the walk, the streets will start to get busy as folks get their Saturday started. And, for those who want a little adventure and challenge, the Katy Trail is only a block east of the route.

  I can’t wait to see everyone the morning of the 24th!

Comments for this walk 18 Responses to “St Charles, MO United States”

1. Pam Landolt says:

   June 15, 2010 at 7:42 pm

   Hey Colin! So glad that you took charge this year. I have been out of town since June 4th and didn’t get our walk registered. I’m sending everyone your way and will be glad to help out any way I can.
2. Tom Elkin says:

   June 15, 2010 at 9:56 pm

   I’m back for more this year. I actually think that Main Street is a very good choice. Not so crowded early in the morning and a heck of a lot less traffic.
3. Camille Shepperd says:

   June 19, 2010 at 3:51 pm

   I’m up for the walk!!! Main Street sounds good to me!!!
4. Craig Glenn says:

   June 19, 2010 at 9:45 pm

   Main street sounds good, Im in!
5. Laura Brown says:

   June 19, 2010 at 11:45 pm

   Main Street is great!!!
6. Linda Volz says:

   June 20, 2010 at 12:18 pm

   Had a great time last year. Can’t wait!
7. Scott Frazee says:

   June 26, 2010 at 7:43 am

   Have been a part of the downtown StL walks for the last two years; looking forward to a change of scenery/shooting opportunities. Looking forward to shooting with you, all.
8. Theresa Wallace says:

   July 2, 2010 at 2:14 pm

   Last years event was wonderful. We all had such an incredible time. I am so looking forward to it again!
9. Colin says:

   July 7, 2010 at 7:31 pm

   Colin – did you get fliers posted at Schiller’s and Creve Couer Camera? I’ll be going to Schiller’s (probably next week now) and will talk to Rob. If you can email me a flier I will be happy to post it. I guess only the leader has access to them.
   Thanks!
10. Gordon Kummer says:

    July 9, 2010 at 9:21 am

    Colin, I’m looking forward to joining your group for this photowalk.
    Thanks for leading the group!
11. Tom Elkin says:

    July 14, 2010 at 12:26 am

    7:45am…. hmmm… I may be staying up all night Friday since I’m so not a morning person. lol
12. Colin Wright says:

    July 15, 2010 at 9:34 pm

    Sorry for being so absent folks — I figured that this thing would e-mail me when someone posted a comment! I just thought it was quiet out there…. I guess that’s what we get with a rookie at the helm.

    I’ve just posted some suggestions for the walkers for the 24th, and will be e-mailing that out tonight.

    I’ll get some flyers ready before the weekend, and get them out to Schiller’s and Creve Coeur Camera. I’d bet Amy and Sarah at Framations will let me land some at their place.

    I’ve got the route nailed down, and will get that on the site tonight. Essentially, we’ll start at Framations, and meander down Main Street toward Water Street, and then back down the other side of Main Street. That’s about a mile, and should be plenty of distance to spread out, find new things, and not rush folks through the two hour walk.

    Thanks for all the words of support — can’t wait ’til the 24th!
13. Melissa Hurtgen says:

    July 16, 2010 at 7:47 am

    I am unable to attend now as a unexpected thing came up.I would have taken my name off of the lsit but I couldn”t figure out how.I would love to be part of another walk in the future so please keep me updated when there is another one.
14. Tom Elkin says:

    July 19, 2010 at 12:25 am

    I may have a couple of people with me. Not sure if they’re planning on submitting any photos, they may be along just for the walk. I’ll find out in the next day or so and get them signed up if they intend to submit photos for the contest.

    Hopefully we’ll have fairly nice weather like we did today after the storms were through.
15. Tom Elkin says:

    July 19, 2010 at 12:28 am

    I may have a couple of people with me. Not sure if they’re planning on submitting any photos, they may be along just for the walk. I’ll find out in the next day or so and get them signed up if they intend to submit photos for the contest.

    Hopefully we’ll have fairly nice weather like we did today after the storms were through. I think it was 76 at Noon.

    (If this is a duplicate comment, I apologize. My browser messed up and I didn’t see it on the list.)
16. Michael Green says:

    July 21, 2010 at 4:16 pm

    Looks like I get to see some friends I haven’t seen in a while!
17. Colin Wright says:

    July 22, 2010 at 8:24 pm

    No sweat on the extra folks — we’ve got room. Get ‘em registered before the walk so they can participate in the photo contest end of the walk.

    Looking forward to seeing everyone in a couple of days!
18. Bob Rickert says:

    July 31, 2010 at 10:14 pm

    July 31 9:12PM trying to upload my image — look like the contest deadline was ended early. Looking at the national Photo Walk web site, I am not alone with the problem. maybe the deadline will be extended or the PhotoWalk web site will be fixed.

    Bob Rickert