What is a Photo Walk®?
It’s a social photography event where photographers get together (usually in a downtown area or trendy section of town) to walk around, shoot photos, and have fun with other photographers. After the walk, participants have the opportunity to submit their best photo into a contest.
When is the Worldwide Photo Walk®?
The Worldwide Photo Walk® is an annual event held on the first Saturday of October. This year’s event will be held on October 5, 2019.
Is there a fee to participate?
It is free to participate! However, some walks may take place at a place that requires an admission fee (like a zoo or other attraction). Also, we are walking with a purpose of helping support the Springs of Hope Orphanage in Kenya so we are hoping you will find it in your heart to donate when you sign up for your walk. 100% of your donation goes directly to the orphanage and makes a huge difference to the amazing youth at the Springs of Hope Orphanage.
How do I register for a walk?
Select “Find a Walk” in the navigation; enter your city, state, or zip code to find a walk near you and click “search map”. A list of walks will populate under the map. Select the walk you want to join. A new page will load; click the green “Join Walk” button on the right side of the page just below the map. If the walk is full, join the wait list or go back and select a different walk.
How many people can participate in each walk?
Each Photo Walk® is limited to 50 photographers. If that doesn’t sound like a lot, you haven’t seen 50 photographers coming down the sidewalk at the same time and later all converging at once on a restaurant or pub. It’s more like a scary bike gang (except without the bikes, or gang, or scariness).
What are the rules of the contest?
In order for all walkers to have the same opportunities to capture images during the walk, the following rules must be followed:
- You may only submit one photo
- Collages aren’t allowed, as they are technically more than one photo
- Photos must be taken during the walk (not before or after)
Is editing allowed for the photos submitted to the contest?
Yes, we are huge supporters of using Photoshop and Lightroom for editing and processing! The following editing is allowed:
- From color to black and white
- Infrared
- Add contrast and saturation
- Remove distracting elements
- Create HDR and panoramas
- Use of plug-ins such as OnOne, Nik, Topaz, etc.
- Watermarks are allowed if you wish to include them but aren’t required
Do I have to enter the contest?
Absolutely not! The contest is just a fun addition to the walk that some walkers choose to participate in after the walk has taken place.
I signed up for a walk but now I can’t go. How do I cancel?
Sorry to hear that! To remove yourself from the walk, first, log into your account. Once you’re logged in, you should be taken to your walk page. If not, just click the Your Walk link at the top of the site. Once you’re at your walk page, you should see a green button in the sidebar that says “Leave Walk.” Just click that and you’ll be taken off the walker roster.
How do I become a Photo Walk® leader?
Go to Leader Application and complete an application. Once your application is approved, you will receive an email with instructions for setting up your walk. Please note that applications take 48-72 hours to process.
Where can I check the status of my application?
As mentioned above, you should receive an email within 48-72 hours of submitting an application to let you know if you are approved or not. If it has been over 72 hours, please email us at photowalk@kelbyone.com to inquire about the status.
My city already has a Photo Walk®; can I still lead a walk?
Some larger cities can accommodate more than one walk. If you live in a large city and notice the current walk is filling up, feel free to apply to be a leader of a second walk. If we feel your city needs a second walk and you fit the leader criteria, you may be chosen to lead an additional walk in your city.
Can Leaders enter the competition?
Yes! As a way to honor all the hard work our leaders put into hosting a walk, we have created a special contest just for Leaders. More details coming soon!
I still have questions. Is there someone I can contact?
You can email us at photowalk@kelbyone.com and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can. Just know that we get a lot of emails, so it might take a day or so to get back to you if it’s a heavy mail day.
