Every now and again, I like to find another photographer and go shooting with them in a random location. We grab our cameras, chat, look around, find things, comment on the shadows and lighting, and show each other the photos we have. It’s fun, it’s creative, and it’s a genuinely great way to spend time with other people and not spend a lot of money.
Photographers in general though need to do this. Sure, you may have your camera with you all the time–but someone else won’t. You could be the person who helps them break out of a creative rut or their way of seeing things may help you.
This is why photographers need to do photowalks together.
You Learn From Others
No two photographers ever see a scene in the same way and you’re also bound to not have the same focal lengths on you. When you look at a scene, you’ll both approach it differently and need to figure out ways to give you a better photo. After that, show each other what you’ve got and critique one another.
By looking at their image, you’ll get different ideas for yourself. Maybe you’ll change your composition, or exposure, or something else.
Consider, for example, walking down streets together to do street photography. When you notice one thing, someone else won’t and vice versa. You’ll be able to capture images that otherwise may not come to you when shooting alone.
Inspiration Flows
When creative people are around one another, ideas start to flow as we talked about in the previous section. But in addition to that, free thought association comes up and as you see the work of others and listen to them talk about it, you begin to get other ideas as you start to realize that there is not much else holding you back. Beyond this, you get someone to help with your ideas if you need another person.
Your Ways Will Probably Rub off On Another Shooter
While most photographers try to think about and focus on themselves, there is a general idea in the community that we should try to help one another for all of us to succeed. Getting to the top of the mountain by slitting throats isn’t always the best option when you can make sure that everyone plays nice with one another.
By talking to others about your thought process when you took an image, you have to think about what you did. That makes you justify your actions and then it also makes someone gain inspiration from you or new ideas.
And in the end, it’s all about gaining inspiration from one another on photo walks.