Photographers of all skill levels invited to join World Photo Walk on Oct. 1

The ninth annual Scott Kelby Worldwide Photo Walk returns Oct. 1 to gather photographers from around the world to take pictures of their community.

Ron Norris will return for his sixth year to lead the Gig Harbor Photo Walk, bringing together area photographers to take a new and closer look at their city.

“It’s a great event,” Norris said. “There’s no restrictions of equipment or skills. Everyone just comes out and has a good time.”

A graduate of the Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, California, Norris has a background as a professional photographer and began leading the Gig Harbor Photo Walk in 2011.

“The walk leaders, like myself, volunteer to do this,” he said. It’s a great opportunity to meet other photographers and get out. It’s good for our community.”

Walk leaders have to be vetted before allowed to lead, with their level of photography and leadership skills taken into consideration.

The walk is free, with an asked donation from participants of $1 to the Springs of Hope Orphanage in Kenya, Africa, the organization supported by the Photo Walk. In addition to donations, participants are able to purchase Photo Walk T-shirts online and all proceeds from the shirts will be donated the the orphanage.

Registration for the event is online and participants receive more information on the meet-up location and their local walk after registering.

Norris keeps the walk down along Gig Harbor’s waterfront and spends the year looking for new and interesting areas for the walk participants to photograph.

“This year could be a little challenging because of all the construction going on in (Skansie) park,” he noted. “We never know what we’re going to encounter. Every walk is different, every day is different.”

A Gig Harbor resident for the past 14 years, Norris said that every year’s photo walk provides different photographic opportunities.

“The weather plays into it,” he explained. “It’s always a new experience.”

The walk will take about two hours through the route Norris has chosen and is open to all skill levels of photographers. Following the walk, participants will gather to visit and share their photographs.

In addition to the walk, participants have the opportunity to enter their work into the Photo Walk competition. Gig Harbor winners are chosen by Norris and then move on to a bigger competition, with winners chosen by Kelby.

And all participants have the opportunity to share their work online and view the photographs from other Photo Walk participants around the world.

“Photo Walk is really a social event,” Norris said. “For one day a year, photographers are out in their cities roaming the streets around the world. It’s fantastic.”

For more information or to register for the Photo Walk, visit worldwidephotowalk.com.

This story was originally published September 22, 2016 at 10:28 AM with the headline "Photographers of all skill levels invited to join World Photo Walk on Oct. 1."