Leading a Photowalk to Nelson Mandela Bridge
The World Wide Photowalk 2016 saw photographers from around the world hit the streets. I decided to lead my very first photowalk to Nelson Mandela Bridge guiding a group of 50 photographers through the streets of Johannesburg.
Meet Up at 1 Fox
I planned for the walk to kick off at 1 Fox/The Sheds, a popular reclaimed warehouse now housing trendy bars and music. After introducing myself to each photographer I explained the route and pointed out the new app Tripsophy I developed especially for the occasion. After getting lost on my first photowalk I wanted to make sure no one got lost on my walk.
Street Photography
My photowalk was going to be long, spanning a full 5km, round trip. Even with the distance and sun beating down all photographers remained upbeat. Along the way from 1 Fox we passed the Police Station and Old China Town heading towards Sci-Bono and SAB Breweries. The route had plenty of street photography opportunities with everything from graffiti art to friendly passersby.
Old Park Station
One of the big attractions along the route was Old Park Station. I had managed to organize access through a lengthy process but it all worked out in the end. The old structure stood as an empty shell but still possessed all it's grandeur from days gone by. Finally after some time taking photos of the architecture I had to pry photographers away so we could head to the final destination. Coordinating photographers is like herding cats.
Nelson Mandela Bridge
The photowalk to Nelson Mandela Bridge lead us just around the corner past Old Park Station. The bridge was surprisingly busy with people trying to make their way between photographers angling for the best shots. By this time the sun had begun to set and illuminated the trains below. A new group of photographers were on the bridge with us. An engagement shoot with the couple and photographer braving traffic on the bridge to get the perfect shot. Clearly great minds think alike.
End of the World Wide Photowalk 2016
With photographers tired, batteries depleted, memory cards full and every possible shot taken we headed back. Afterwards we stopped to grab a quick snap of the sun setting over Old Park Station. By now the streets were quieter and we made it back to 1 Fox for some much needed rest and a drink.
Photowalk Video
Take a look at what happened on the photowalk in the video below and subscribe to my channel for more.
Shooting the Photowalk to Nelson Mandela Bridge
As the walk leader I didn't have much time to shoot instead mostly guiding the other photographers. I shot with my Canon 5D MKII and Canon 24-70mm f2.8 when I had a free moment. There was plenty of variety from portraits to architecture along with shooting video.
