Whether you're a beginner or a professional, attending a photo walk will inspire you to go out and take more pictures. Photo walks are essentially walking tours intended for photographers and those who would like to get new experiences while exploring different places.

For example, we offer small group photo walks with expert, one-on-one instruction to help to grow our guests as the photographers. How do we do this? By providing an opportunity to take images, express creativity and improve skills. We take our guests to the places where the best people, landscape and street photographs are waiting to be taken. And we learn the stories behind the images – the stories that bring them to life.

But what is the difference between a photo walk and a photography workshop?

Photowalk v. Photography Workshop

In our photography workshops we work on how to navigate quickly around modern DSLR and mirrorless cameras. We will go over various techniques to capture images using light, composition, perspective, selective focus, shadows and highlights and other methods. And at the end, how to use the inner eye to create images to be proud of. We recommend the workshops for deeper understanding of what photography is.And it doesn't matter if you are just a curious traveller or a professional photographer.

Photo walks are more fun and adventures way to explore the city. They are theme based guided walking tours by the expert photographer. Lighter, based more on exploring the city and is a great option for a single person, couple, a family with kids (we prepare special tours for the families), team building.

How to prepare for a photo walk

1. Do an image search of the location

A useful strategy to make the most of photo walks is to do an image search of the location (looking up a particular hashtag on Instagram is great for this). Look at the photos uploaded by other people and study them. What are the common subjects in the pictures? How were they taken? Are you going to shoot similar images? Or would you rather experiment with different photos, instead? If you plan accordingly and visualize the shoot, you'll feel more confident on the walk since you already know what to expect.

2. Bring only what you need

Our photo walks last 2 hours, so it's necessary to pack light and dress comfortably. Bring only the absolute essentials to keep the weight of your camera bag down. Resist the urge to bring unnecessary equipment. All you need is one camera and one lens. Or it can be a smartphone as much as you feel comfortable.

3. Set your camera in advance

Even though we will talk about different modes,it's a photo walk. A lot of things can happen while you're on a photo walk. And there is nothing wrong if you use auto mode if you're still learning how to use a camera.

When you're not sure which setting to use in tricky shooting situations, switching to auto mode will enable you to shoot quickly without having to tinker with your device. Of course, that doesn't mean that you can depend on auto mode forever. Learning how to use the manual mode will help you unlock your camera's extensive capabilities.

4. Anticipate the shot

Going on a photo walk is an excellent opportunity to train your eye how to anticipate the shot. As you walk around, observe everything that is happening around you. Choose a place where there's a lot of action going on, and wait. Believe it or not, it is relatively easy to predict people's movements.

For example, you know that as soon as the WALK signal lights up, pedestrians cross the street. That will give you the opportunity to take photos. If you miss the shot, wait for the WALK sign to light up again and you can expect a similar scenario to occur.

5. Shoot from different angles

Taking photos at eye level can become boring after a while. Change up your composition and experiment with odd angles as well. Shooting from a different point of view not only adds variety to your pictures, but it also changes the mood of your images. When you go on a photo walk, try framing your shots differently and see what kind of photos you get.

Shoot wide shots of buildings to indicate their size as well incorporate the surrounding environment to affect mood. Shoot close-ups to include details that wide shots are unable to capture.

6. Capture anything that catches your eye

Attending a photo walk exposes you to breathtaking locations through a photographer's point of view. You will be surprised how much a place changes when you look at it from behind the viewfinder. From a photographer's frame of reference, immerse yourself in the environment and keep an eye out for anything that looks interesting.

Look around you and search for different patterns, colorful backgrounds, and symmetry. It wouldn't take long for you to find these things because your brain is naturally drawn to them. People love looking at orderly structures, so don't hesitate to take beautiful visual compositions.

The last thing to remember about photo walks is to have fun. It is not meant to be a competition but an interactive photography lesson. Loosen up, have fun, share pictures and share memories. Many photographers meet new friends through photo walks, and having a reliable support system enables people to produce fantastic images. So don't forget to sign up for a photo walk. It might just change how you experience photography.

Explore Mexico with us and live life through a lens.