When I was looking for work this summer, I noticed a post by Ray Larose on Twitter about his second New England Photo Walk (or, NEWLK, as I’ll refer to it). I had just sent out a job application to a web development agency in Portland, Maine, and I told myself if I got the job, I’d sign up for one of the spots tout de suite.

I got the offer and promptly signed up for the walk. A few weeks later, I was making friends while meandering through the impossibly crowded streets of Salem, MA in late October.

The walk was everything I hoped for and more. I didn’t expect to see many other film photographers in attendance, but of the eight-or-so people participating, there were three Leica M2’s, three Rolleiflexes, a Hasselblad, and a handful of other medium format and 35mm cameras. Everyone was excited to be there, and it was inspiring hearing stories and seeing shooting styles in action.

As a recent graduate who just moved to a new region of the States, I really valued having an event that put me in touch with precisely the people I hoped to meet. There were no tuitions or fees, and the structure was relaxed and easygoing. We were all there because we love our craft, and Ray organized this because he wanted to strengthen our community. It was genuine and sincere, and I can’t wait until the next one.

All of these were from the single roll of Ilford HP5+ I put through my Leica M2.

Thanks again to Ray for organizing, and thanks to all of the awesome attendees and sponsors, especially Matt for giving me a ride to and from Portland, and Tim from Hunts Photo for helping me get a great price on some Zeiss glass for my Leica.

Sam made an awesome list of attendees and their work in her NEWLK post, so head over there to see more Salem.