Before I jump into the photowalk stuff I just wanted to thank those of you that left me comments about the Eye-Fi card. You gave me some great info. I’ll be sure to let you know what I decide about buying one. Now let’s cover some photowalk news.
The other day the question came up about how to switch photowalks but I wasn’t able to give an answer on exactly how to make it happen. I now have confirmation so here is how it works. Each leader has a list of attendees available in their leader page console. To release a registered walker, the leader simply has to click on the checkbox next to their name and then select Delete from the drop-down menu located above or below the list of photowalkers. Once the person is deleted from the list, they will be free to register for another photowalk location. If you are the person trying to get removed, go to the city page for the photowalk that you are currently registered for and click on the link under the leader picture called Contact Leader. This will open a contact form where you can ask the leader to delete you from the roster. The contact form will send an email directly to the leader. I know the contact form wasn’t working a few days ago but everything seems to be functioning perfectly now (I sent a test message to myself just to be sure). When you send your request, you might also ask that they send you a confirmation email so you know that you are free and clear to find a new walk. By the way, if you are a leader, don’t feel bad if someone asks to be removed, it’s probably just because they found a location that is easier for them to manage.
Here’s a couple of other questions that have come up -
Q - How are the photos going to be handled after the photowalk. I hear we aren’t going to use Flickr this year.
A – That’s right, no Flickr groups to manage. This year each registered walker will upload their images to the Worldwide Photowalk site. This portion of the website hasn’t been activated yet and I’m sure the web team is still polishing it up for July 18th. My understanding is that it will be much easier than last year because all of the photowalkers are already registered, unlike last year when you were required to create a Flickr account and then had to tag your photos for the group.
Q - Last year we had people who uploaded images from people whom I did not see during the walk, and their times in the meta were not the same as the rest of the group.
A - If you really want to be strickt about only selecting a winner from those that walked the walk, you could print out your list and have everyone sign next to their name before you begin so you know who was there. I don’t know if taking roll is really for everyone but if you want to make it a level playing field, it would help. Remember, it’s great that there are some prizes associated with this event but the real purpose of the photowalk is to build and be a part of the international photo community. It’s a chance for photographers of all skill levels to come together and share the experience with others.
I know that I had a few folks that had registered for my photowalks last year but couldn’t make the starting time so they walked the route on their own. They were still able to share the experience after the fact by showing their images on Flickr and looking at those that the rest of the group had uploaded. It’s also hard to keep people glued to the exact route. Sometimes inspiration will grab you and pull you down a street that isn’t on the route but inspires you to explore with your lens. I don’t think it hurts the photowalk when this happens, rather it helps to open someone to explore the photographic possibilities that are all around us. As a Photowalk leader, you will be the one that determines how you judge the images. If there are rules that you will judge by, just make them known to everyone before your walk begins. Remember, photowalks are all about photography, fellowship, and most of all, FUN.
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Jeff,
Thanks for the answers so far.
I’m a photowalk leader. Have I automatically removed myself from the constest? Any tips for ethically including the judge of a contest in the contest?