This summer, one of our goals at Midwest Photo Exchange was to offer photo walks that would prompt area photographers to explore the various sights that our fair city has to offer. We’ve been working with Aaron Sheldon, a photo walk enthusiast and the leader of last summer’s Columbus legs of the Scott Kelby Worldwide Photo Walk.

Our first walk of the summer was Saturday, May 4, in Columbus’ hip, culturally rich Short North Arts District. I had a great time hanging out with other photographers and drawing some confused stares as we traveled in a large pack, our cameras at the ready. We began at Goodale Park , headed north on High Street, then turned around and traveled south until we ended up at Columbus’ hustling-bustling North Market. Overall, it was a fantastic route, and we were grateful for Aaron’s expertise in mapping it out.

I’d been especially excited about hosting photo walks this summer, considering I’d never been on one, and this walk was a great introduction. I don’t get out and shoot as much as I should, and I thought that these photo walks would be a good excuse to walk around Columbus’ most photogenic areas and get some photo experience under my belt.

The trickiest part of street photography, at least for me, is that I’m way too timid and inexperienced a photographer to be able to approach strangers and ask them if I can take their pictures. Maybe one day, but the Short North Photo Walk was not that day. Still, this gave me a unique challenge, and made me search for photogenic material without relying on the inherent human interest in street portraits.

Luckily for me, Short North is a beautiful, architecturally dense area of Columbus. The weather was also perfect: low 70s, partly cloudy, a slight breeze. So I relied on natural light and the interesting forms and shapes of the Short North to capture some pretty cool photos. All images were shot with a Nikon D7000 and Tamron SP 17-50 F2.8 Di II.

Here are some samples:

Did you miss our first photo walk? No worries! We’ve got more scheduled for June, July, and August. Mark the following dates on your calendar:

Saturday, June 8: Downtown Night Walk, 8 PM to 10 PM

Not only is the summer a great time to hang out in Columbus Commons, but it’s also a great time to capture some downtown nighttime images of the city. Join us for this two-hour photo walk in which we will explore the beauty of downtown Columbus from sunset to sundown.

The route for this walk starts at the corner of High and Broad Streets, right by Capitol Square. We’ll cross over the Scioto River via the Broad Street Bridge and follow the bike path along Washington Boulevard through Genoa Park, where you’ll be able to capture some beautiful photos of the skyline at sunset. We’ll pause at the observation deck off Main Street Bridge, where you can capture some photos of the Columbus skyline lit up at night, and continue across the Main Street Bridge, concluding our walk at Bicentennial Park, which during the summer provides a lively and diverse subject for photographers.

This photo walk is a great opportunity for photographers who want to capture the urban splendor of the downtown Columbus skyline when the late evening light is just right. This is also a perfect chance to photographers to test their mettle at capturing perfectly exposed nighttime urban shots.

Saturday, July 13: Mirror Lake Photo Walk, 9 AM to 12 PM

Columbus is home to one of the largest universities in the world, and its campus is one that’s rich in history and in photogenic sites. This walk, which begins at the tradition-rich Mirror Lake, will allow photographer’s to explore and photograph the Ohio State University campus’ lush greenery and historical architectural destinations, including stony Browning Ampitheater, the numerical Garden of Constants, the sleekly modern Wexner Center, and the picturesque Oval.

This photo walk is perfect for Ohio State students, alumni, and fans, in addition to anyone who wants to spend a relaxing summer morning capturing the architecture and nature of one of the most beautiful campuses in the country—without students trying to photo-bomb your work.

Saturday, August 10: Moonlight Market Photo Walk, 8 PM to 10 PM

More details and registration page coming soon.

Check out our MPEX Events page for more details and registration. We hope to see you at our next walk!