Toronto Photo Walks (TOPW) is a group of photographers with a wide range of abilities, from accomplished photographers to those just starting out. We get together to make pictures in and around Toronto.
The group is open to anyone who wants to get out and about, see more of the city with photographers of all levels of experience & ability, to shoot together, to share hints, tips and ideas … and it’s free! š
TOPW History
The first sighting of Toronto Photo Walks was as a Facebook group in November 2009, closely followed by the Flickr group and this website. It came about after a few photo walks that Paul Henman organised with friends, accompanied by a few prompts from them to do something “more formal” … but we don’t really do formal, so this is what you get instead š
In the beginning…
The first “official” TOPW walk was Toronto Necropolis & Riverdale Farm on November 14th 2009. There were nine photowalkers on the first walk but the numbers grew with each new walk through the winter, even though some walks were in the bitter cold … so cold that one camera eventually refused to work until it warmed up over dim sum!
The participants on that first walk were: Alicia, Andy, Jackie, Judith, Martin, Monica, Ryan, Victor, and Paul was the walk leader.
Our Photo Walks
The start point for the regular walks is usually posted a couple of days before the walk. We try to find somewhere TTC-accessible to meet. In the past, we have arranged a lunch and for afternoon walks we would find a pub for the end.
The routes are roughly planned out, to help us estimate the distance and identify any obstacles or points of interest… but the route can change if the group spots something interesting; sometimes small groups split off and meet up with the rest of us later on; it’s all very “loose”.
The TOPW group
The aim of TOPW is to give photographers of all abilities a chance to meet, share tips, learn from each other, and discover more of Toronto and its environs. It’s not a “formal” camera club; there’s no stuffy critique of each other’s photos, although it is great to see everyone’s pictures and many people ask for feedback.
Where do I sign up?
There’s no formal membership list, although most people join the Flickr and/or Facebook groups in order to get automatically informed about updates. (There’s now a mailing list too.)
There’s no minimum standard of photographic skill or equipment required – you’re welcome even if you’ve just got your first “point & shoot” camera and haven’t even read the manual yet!
Sign Up Now!
- Send a cheque for $100 to … no, wait – it’s free!
- Join the Flickr and/or Facebook groups to be automatically informed about updates, or just check the website to see what’s new.
- Put the date of the next photo walk in your diary; remember to charge your camera’s battery and check everything’s working!
New: we have a Google calendar which you can import automagically! - Turn up, meet the other photo walkers and have fun!
If you have more questions, check out our FAQ page.
About The Founder
Paul Henman is the founder and main organiser of Toronto Photo Walks. Being both a keen photographer and walker, it made sense to put the two things together and then invite some friends along to share the fun. (Paul also shot for the Ontario Walks and Toronto Trails walking groups.)
With an IT background, creating the various online TOPW communities were natural steps in building the Toronto Photo Walks group; the ongoing challenge is to produce some good photographs! š
11 thoughts on “About Toronto Photo Walks”