Saturday was Scott Kelby’s Worldwide Photo Walk. One leg of the international walk was through Blendon Cemetery, then on to the township’s Motorcycle and Car Show and then on to Inniswood Gardens the more sturdy of the group.

We gathered for snacks and much need liquid refreshment at Carsonie’s about noon.

Follow out Flickr pool for photos from today.

A thin layer of fog sits at the base of Alum Creek Dam minutes before sunrise. If you’d been on our Photowalking Ohio expedition this morning you’d have ths moment for yourself. Maybe next time?

Take a look at the rest of the photos uploaded to Photowalking Ohio’s Meetup Photo Album.

Sunset lights the edge of trees along the creek leading to Hoover Reservoir at Galena.

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Several years ago the water level on Hoover Reservoir appeared to be its lowest in years and many people speculated about the weather having changed resulting in higher temperatures, lower rainfall, water shortages.

In truth, the city lowered the lake level so construction crews would have dry land upon which to sink pilings for a birdwatcher’s boardwalk into the northern end of the lake at Galena. Since the completion of the boardwalk, lake levels have been seasonably normal with lower levels during dry parts of the year and higher during late winetr snow melt and spring storms.

Now the boardwalk has been opened to anglers in addition to birdwatchers and it’s become a busy place.

Along the edge of the northern tip of the lake numerous birds of prey including juvenile Bald Eagles and hawks can be seen.

PhotoWalk Galena Ohio
Saturday, June 19, 2010
6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

We’ll begin our walk in Galena (Wikipedia) in front of the U.S. Post office, 70 West Street. With older homes, a collection of antique shops and statues, the city is very photogenic. Its people are friendly and welcoming. We’ll spend some time walking through the city and along the bridge spanning the creek running into Hoover. Sometimes there are numerous anglers wading in its waters and along its banks and the overhead view is a different angle than normal.

Photographers interested in shooting farm fields can walk about 2/3rd a mile along Columbus St. to Vans Valley Road or County Road 30  for fields of corn and soybeans.

About the same distance along North Walnut Street is Galena Cemetery with a small park and unusual water tower.

A little shorter distance up Harrison Street is a city park with ball fields and access to the creek that runs under  the Columbus Street bridge.

The sun sets at 9:01 p.m. that night so everyone whose interested in sunset photos along the boardwalk  should move into position early enough to find a good spot. Expect the anglers to stick around until after sunset, depending upon the fishing, mosquitoes, and weather.

Bring along an off camera strobe if you want. There will be plenty of human light stands to assist. That also means you can add your photo to the Flickr Strobist and Ohio Strobist pool in addition to the PhotoWalking Ohio pool. I suggest a monopod or modified lightstand if you want to place your strobe off the boardwalk and over the water for a different angle light source. Unless you can convince the HLS to jump the railing.

We’ll finish at The Mudflats Bar and Grill in Galena, where Ricky Gene Hall and the Goods are scheduled to appear.

A few reminders.

Bring liquids to hydrate. You can buy liquid refreshment at Mudflats but that may be a long walk back for cool sip of water.

Respect private property. Privacy laws allow you to shoot anything you can see from public property. That doesn’t mean you can trespass and be protected. Ohio’s trespassing statue does not require No Trespassing signs for you to have violated the law. If you’re not in the public right-of-way, generally 14 feet from the roadway, you’re trespassing. I am not a lawyer so take this as practical, not legal, advise. I do know fighting a trespassing citation is costly and not worth the trouble. Ask to go on private property.

If you partake of certain beverages at Mudflats, have a designated driver. Galena has a small police force that might not take kindly to drunk photographers behind the wheel.

Questions? Put them in the comments and I’ll try to find the answers. Or, discuss at Flickr.

Car owner wipes away water after a brief rain shower at the 2009 Blendon Car and Motorcycle show - Photo by Gary Gardiner, SmallTown Stock

As of today there are 4 Scott Kelby Worldwide PhotoWalks set up in Central Ohio. One in Westerville (mine), and one each in Powell, Worthington, and Columbus. Other PhotoWalks in the state include one in Huber Heights, another in Cincinnati, and three in the Cleveland area, one at the Cleveland Zoo, on  at the Cleveland Flats (already full), and one Downtown.

Flag decorated grave at Blendon Township Cemetery at sunrise - iPhone photo by Gary Gardiner , SmallTown Stock

Here’s the text from the Westerville WorldWide PhotoWalk.
Begins at Blendon Township Cemetery. The cemetery, originally called Old Church Pioneer Cemetery, was founded in 1832 as a one-acre plot for “church and burial purposes” of the Blendon Presbyterian Church. The township received a similar donated plot of land across the road. That area expanded into the current cemetery covering with more than 10,00 graves. Look for the gravestones of the founders and early burials, some recently damaged in a drunk driver car wreck.

Stock around for the Blendon Township Senior Center with its Car and Motorcycle show. This annual event attracts a great selection of hot rods and awards 57 trophies to category winners. The show begins at 10 a.m. but the cars begin arriving much earlier. This is always a fun event to shoot and the car owners are pleasant and eager to please photographers who don’t touch their vehicles.

After you’ve tired of shooting cars, and their great owners, we’ll walk over to Inniswood Metro Park just up the road where we’ll finish the photowalk portion the day at 1 p.m. If you’ve been to Inniswood, you know all the possibilities. If not, this will be a great treat.

We’ll then meet for libations at Carsonie’s at the corner of Westerville and Dempsey Roads. The restaurant has wireless for anyone who wants to connect.

From the 2009 car show From the 2008 car show From Inniswood: 1 2 3

Mother and childe at Field of Heroes in 2009 - Photo by Gary Gardiner, SmallTown Stock

The Westerville Rotary Club displays 2,000 flags at the Field of Heroes at Cleveland Avenue and County Line road. Added to this years display is The Moving Wall, a smaller version of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington. Opening ceremonies are at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, May 29. The flags will remain through Monday, May 31.

American Legion Post 171 in Westerville will be placing American Flags on the graves of military veterans in Otterbein Cemetery and Northlawn Memorial Gardens and  Olde Methodist Cemetery. The placements begin just after the troops gather at their headquarters on College Ave. The first flags will be placed in Otterbein Cemetery.

The Westerville Fire Fighters’ Memorial Bike Tour begins at 9:00 a.m. at the Westar Urgent Care Building Parking Lot, 444 N. Cleveland Ave. The bike ride bvenefits the Westerville Fire Fighters’ Memorial, Inc.

The American Legion’s Memorial Day parade is Monday, May 31, 2010. It begins in Uptown Westerville at 9:45. It ends with ceremonies and speeches in Otterbein Cemetery with a brief stop for a wreath laying at the old National Guard building memorial site on State Street.

Show us your photos!

Every time I begin talking to other photographers I’m always being told about the wonderful places where they found unique and unusual locations for great photos. We typically exchange verbal directions with a few additional details such as the best month and time of day to get the best photos. Sometimes we trade e-mail addresses with a promise to make contact about future trips but that never seems to work out with any regularity.

Photo Walking Ohio is a place where that will change.

Please read the About PWO page for more details about how Photo Walking Ohio can be the greatest way for photographers to learn about new locations and have a sharing experience doing so.