The models and photographers — An Amazing Group of Models and Photogs!

For Starters

Thank you, thank you!

A BIG thank you goes out to our generous members who contributed to the group’s administrative and organisational costs. These amazing people’s support is what keeps our photography community thriving and makes it possible to organize our meetings for everyone, I am immensely grateful for your generosity. If you want to know more and contribute too, you can always check out the details here.

I also want to extend our gratitude to the gorgeous models who graced us with their energy and stunning looks, elevating our photos and the whole experience. Speaking of photos, a friendly reminder to all photographers: if those photos don’t hit our inbox soon, you might find yourself buying us dinner! 😉

Our Latest Photo Walk

Mother Nature was on our side, gifting us with a perfect day. The sun beamed down, casting a pleasant, golden glow on the picturesque streets of Zurich’s old town. It was the ideal setting for our photographic endeavours, allowing us to explore the interplay of light and shadow before transitioning into the enchanting darkness of the night. We began at the Rathaus Café, where we had some time to chat and get to know the newcomers, as well as enjoy the company of so many familiar faces. From there, we sloooooowly meandered through the charming alleys of Zurich’s old town, where every twist and turn revealed new opportunities: fountains, storefronts, alleys, doorsteps – every element added its unique touch to our compositions.

As it always happens when we have models, the street photographers among us were miles ahead and I hope they had a good time too 🤞🏽, as we took our time and almost no steps… And it was worth it, we slowly explored every photo opportunity around the beautiful alleys, bars, doors, fountains and then some. That’s a charming part of Zürich that offers so much!

short teaser from the Photowalk

Zurich’s Old Town

Zurich’s Old Town is one of the most charming and picturesque parts of the city. It’s a maze of narrow streets, cobblestone alleyways, and historic buildings. The Old Town is also home to many of Zurich’s most popular attractions, including the Grossmünster Church, the Fraumünster Church, and the Swiss National Museum.

Our goal for the evening was simple yet thrilling: traverse the narrow alleys of Zurich’s old town during the golden hour and reach the Zurich Film Festival as night fell. The old town, with its cobblestone streets and historical architecture, provided a rich backdrop for our creativity. And the Zurich Film Festival? Well, they were rather late with the construction of the arena (but we couldn’t really tell since our slow-sync barely made it halfway 🐌).

Zurich Film Festival

The Zurich Film Festival is one of the most important film festivals in Europe. It takes place every year in September and features a wide range of films from around the world. The festival is a great opportunity to see new and innovative films, as well as meet famous actors and directors.

Keep PhotoWalking

As the day turned to night, the fading light presented some new challenges. Slow shutter speeds, sky-high ISO settings, and extra light sources became our allies. Some photographers harnessed the soft glow of window lights, while others brought flashes to illuminate the scenes. And, of course, many had a blast experimenting with the versatile Stick Light that I brought to the party. The idea here was to demonstrate its potential in enhancing our photos, and the results were some improvements and a lot of fun. Light sticks are versatile, inexpensive, and can be a game-changer in photography (and something we will cover in the upcoming Learning Photo Walk, stay tuned!).

Light Sticks in Photography

Light sticks or LED Sticks are versatile and inexpensive tools that can be used to improve night photography. Also known as a light wand, it is a portable and versatile lighting tool equipped with numerous light-emitting diodes (LEDs) arranged in a narrow column. It emits a continuous light source that photographers and videographers can use to enhance their work in various scenarios, like shaping subjects, altering scene moods with multiple colours, and adding dynamic lighting effects to videos. They are battery-powered, lightweight, and portable, enabling freedom of movement in different shooting locations without the need for a mains power supply. They can also be used to create light trails, add highlights to your subjects, or simply illuminate dark areas.

Here are a few tips for using light sticks in photography:

Think about the colour of the light that can fill your subject (consider colour theory!).
Remember that no matter how powerful the gadget, it will not reach too far or light a huge area.
Use a slow shutter speed to capture light trails.
Use a tripod to keep your camera steady.
Experiment with different angles and perspectives.

Be creative and have fun!

Sharing

Remember, our Facebook group is the place to be for sharing and learning together. We’ll share the photos from this walk there, and we invite everyone to join the conversation by commenting and offering feedback. Together, we can grow and improve as photographers.

Upcoming Goodness

Looking ahead to October, we have exciting new activities lined up for our group. One highlight is the finally upcoming “Learning Photo Walk“! The first instalment will be dedicated to exploring night photography, external lighting like the light stick, and the use of high ISO settings. But that’s just the beginning, there are countless themes to explore and learn together. We’ve already prepared and will soon reveal the scheduled workshops to master the photography basics and follow-up photo walks to put our newfound knowledge into practice. Expect sessions on composition in photography, colour theory, creative techniques, gear essentials, and much more.

Your input matters, so don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments which activities you’d like to be a part of. Your input will help shape our next activities!

Don’t be left out

A quick heads-up: our upcoming photo walks filled up faster than f/2000s, so be sure to RSVP to secure your spot. If you want to be among the first to know about the dates for our new activities, I strongly suggest that you subscribe to our newsletter. Subscribers will be the first ones to know about the upcoming activities and have the chance to RSVP before announcements are made to the wider Meetup group.

Before we close the rear curtain, I’d love to hear from you. What are your favourite photography themes or techniques? Have you faced any unique challenges during your own photo adventures? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below and on our Facebook Group. If you wish to jump in deeper, better start a specific conversation on our Discord Server. Let’s create a vibrant and interactive community of photographers who learn and grow together. But don’t leave just yet! Below, you’ll find a gallery of photos from our recent walk. Enjoy some impressions from that amazing evening, and I can’t wait to see you at the next one!

Before You Go

Let’s Keep Connected

Don’t forget to get in touch through our social media channels and website for even more resources and updates on upcoming events.

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Facebook Group – exchange of photos, ideas, projects
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NEW Discord Group – News, deeper discussions of multiple subjects in each channel, asking for and giving tips, developing new projects and then some