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“Forrest is as fearless a Street Photographer as they come.” – StreetHunters.net
Hello!
My name is Forrest Walker (f.d. walker) and I’m a photographer from Portland, Oregon, USA, but currently based around the world working on a 5 year photo documentary covering over 100 major cities across 70+ countries and most major regions of the world.
Five years ago I decided to give up everything in order to pursue something big. While I’d already recently left the corporate world to move across the ocean and follow my real passion as a full-time photographer, I still wanted to tackle something more. I wanted to take on a photography project that had never been done before in a way that hadn’t been done, either. So, I sold most of my belongings and gave up almost everything else, including relationships and most of my life, to give it my complete focus.
This 5 year project focused on photographing over 100 Major Cities in over 70 countries covering all major regions of the world doesn’t mean just photographing them, but intensely exploring all areas and layers of life they hold, solo on foot, walking an average of 20km per day year-round. This includes the more dangerous and local areas people don’t go or photograph, in order to get a wider and truer picture of each city. Then, I find the connections and observed themes of daily life in cities around the world, no matter the place, while all possessing their own unique character. Major Cities hold the most variety of life, but also tend to get passed over for photography. They can be more challenging to photograph with interest, but also can have more to offer with some effort. Another primary focus is to capture all the life intimately, but candidly, completely unposed and uninfluenced by myself, in every city. No shortcuts, only the authentic. And only myself, my camera and any risks that came with it. A 100% dedicated photography project on major cities around the world that will become a book connecting a variety of life’s themes.
Photography, and this work, was my only focus, but after a few months into it, I realized not only how unique my experiences and knowledge gained from the work was, but also how it could be useful and interesting to others. And so came Shooter Files.
So, Here’s What Shooter Files Is About
Shooter Files is separate from my work, but started as a byproduct of what came from the work photographing these 100+ major cities around the world. Tackling each city like I do has given me a unique variety of knowledge and experience that I couldn’t find anywhere online. While my photography work stays completely separate from the blog in focus and importance, this blog is a place to give back from its experience in a unique way. I don’t take myself too serious, but I do take my work serious. I am a photographer first, not a blogger with a camera, but my unique experiences from my photography work is where I draw its content from.
My work and this blog centers around photography of uncontrolled life. Street photography would be the most common name for that, but that can cause its own debates I’m not interested in. I have a wider interest than street photography in my work, but I’m 100% committed to the unposed, honest and genuine. This is what drew me to photography as much as anything so it remains as important as anything to me too. No photos shared here in my work were posed or influenced by me in any way other than pointing and pushing the shutter button.
The true mystery of the world is the visible, not the invisible. – Oscar Wilde
Not everyone is interested in photographing sunsets and monuments. Shooter Files is a blog for people who are more interested in capturing the people and life of a place. You want to get impressions and thoughts on hundreds of cities around the world from a street photographer’s perspective? What’s this city like? How is the life for photography?
You’re traveling to a new city with your camera, but want to know where some good spots to shoot are? What the city life really looks like in different areas? Not just the polished, boring travel mag version of life, but real with some real life interest?
These are just some of the topics and questions that I’ll try to provide for here, on top of a variety of other others, including connecting to other local photographers’ work in cities around the world. While obviously travel related, Shooter Files is more of a unique look at life around the world through the eyes of photography and photographers. Less travel fluff and more real world stuff. Like…
- In-depth city guides, with a street photography interest, for over 100 major cities around the world.
- A variety of other city related features from the project.
- Personal Stories from the road and project. A lot happens when you go to the places I have alone, especially with a camera.
- A down to earth look at Street Photography, on both a small and large scale.
- Inspiration, information and tips for traveling photographers who focus on capturing life.
- A place to see the many aspects of day-to-day life in a variety of places the way only candid photography can, through myself and a diverse mix of street photographers visions.
- And a variety of other post series and evolving features.
I believe photography shouldn’t be restricted by many rules, but I most appreciate the work that keeps it real and honest, with the photographers own twist and feel. And I believe the same for this blog. I’ll also be expanding and evolving it to include a focus on other photographers around the world as it grows so many can add their own stories from their work.
Passion is an overused word, obsession is better. I’m obsessed with photography and my work, but I’ll be putting everything else I can into this blog, so any and all interaction is both welcomed and encouraged. For starters, you can go to the Introduction Page and introduce yourself or go to the Requests Page and tell me anything you’d like to see done or featured on here. Start Here if you’d like to see most of my posts organized into categories.
It’s all about connecting with people and the world around you through photography here so I hope you can join me on this journey and get something out of it at the same time. Thank you for reading this whole thing and feel free to shout me a comment below.
Have a great morning/day/evening/night wherever you are. Cheers!
– Forrest Walker
Thank you for the introduction and overview of Shooter Files, I’m looking forward to learning more about the art of street photography and it looks like I have found the right place. Your photos are superb and depict the people and place through inquisitive eyes and respect for the people you photograph. Thanks for sharing your insights and art with the community.
Thank you Mike for all your kind words, I really appreciate it! I’m looking forward to a busy year of photography and travel, and putting out a lot of content here. So I hope you can follow along!
thanks
Awesome candid work and great website. Looking forward to combing through and reading/viewing more. Your philosophy and approach are similar to what I strive to stay true to myself. Keep shooting!
Many thanks, Tony, appreciate the kind words! Look forward to have you follow along and keep shooting too!
Hey! I’m an aspiring street photographer as well (what a big word though!) and this page might be exactly what I’ve been looking for. I’ll be back for sure with a ton of questions! Thank you for putting it out there, Walker :-)
That’s great, I’m happy to hear it! Please come back and share any questions you have!
F.D! Great site, I’ve been looking for something like this to help decide which place to visit next to practice my photography. Your 100 cities will most helpful. I’ll be in Lisbon this September and appreciate your perspective.
thank you from Alaska!
RC
Thanks for the message, RC! I’m happy you find it useful. Lisbon is great and September might be the best month to go, so enjoy!
Just found your site and surprised to read you are from Portland, as am I. Will be following your adventures from now on.
Hey, Gretchen, thanks for the message! Yes, I’m from Portland, as well. I’m actually visiting family there now before I get back on the road. Thanks for following!
Damn inspiring work walker!
Who are some of your favourite street photographers?
Thanks, Abhishek! Too many to name them all, but when it comes to photographers that come to mind first, Alex Webb, Harry Gruyaert, Richard Kalvar, Josef Koudelka, Robert Frank, Tony Ray-Jones, Constantine Manos, Gueorgui Pinkhassov and the list goes on.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and creativity here, your writings are so clean, informative and meaningful, and i love your pictures, too! :)
Thank you for the kind words, I appreciate them!
Hello! I’m looking for to see your street pics from my native city: São Paulo (big challenge!) and after my beloved city : Osaaaaaka:) All the best,
Roger
Hello, Roger, thanks for the comment! São Paulo was my favorite city in Brazil and one of my favorites in South America during the project. I loved it and found it one of the easiest major cities to shoot in the Americas, actually. It’s packed with big city interest, life, characters and neighborhoods. Osaka is coming up later in the year so I’m looking forward to it. All the best to you too, Forrest.
Forrest:
Your work is the best I have ever seen. There is not a street photographer, living or dead, who can equal your work. Truly amazing. But I need to ask a question: is any of your work staged, meaning do you ever set up any of your shots? Or are they all unrehearsed and spontaneous? I ask because of the woman in Istanbul, Turkey, walking in front of the police line. She is wearing a hijab, covering her face and head, but she is in a mini skirt and showing a lot of midriff. I have traveled extensively through that part of the world and have never seen such a contradiction. If she were liberated and Western leaning then surely she would not be so pretentious and provocative as to wear a hijab. She would only court disaster by doing something so bold. And for you to be there and capture that spontaneously invites some suspicion. Not accusing you, for sure, but just inquiring. Even the famous photo of the boy sticking his toy gun in William Klein’s lens was staged, by his own admission, so there isn’t anything wrong with staged shots. Just wondering. Thanks. Be well.
Thank you very much for the kind words, Rob. All of my photos are unstaged and unposed. Although, I don’t believe in telling anyone how to photograph, as long as they’re honest about it, I personally take this candid part of my work very seriously. The candid reality and authenticity of this type of photography is what attracts me the most so I make sure to follow it, as a personal thing. Staged shots just lose something for me. The particular shot you mention is from the 2015 Pride Parade in Istanbul, Turkey. I can’t speak for her, but it was my impression that her outfit was basically in defiance. There were many bold people at the festival, it was their chance to express themselves in a region where it’s not easy. Many were from outside of Turkey visiting just for this chance. The police were there slowly pushing back with tear gas every once in a while, but due to the size of the festival, there wasn’t much they could do, and they didn’t try all that hard, either. Cheers!
Looking forward to learning more about photography.
Your information is priceless!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and knowledge.
Can’t wait to learn more!
Thanks a lot for the inspiration,guides,photos and tips that helps me in my travels. In return I provided you a modest donation .
https://www.instagram.com/_oliva_javier_/
Hello, Javier. I’m glad you find the website helpful and many thanks for the donation. I really do appreciate it, it doesn’t happen often so it means a lot. – Forrest
I learned of you on Burn My Eye. After first studying your photographs and then closely reading your interview, I came away with a similar connection as a documentary photographer. Where you chose to explore the world, I explored my native community, Harlem, NYC. Unlike your being able to travel the globe, my job limited my time for my project. In 2008, I started documenting Black American life, initially, under the then worrisome specter of gentrification, that myself, and the majority of this community feared forced displacement from rising rents and new faces. Primary white faces. I gave myself, initially, five years, at that time Mayor Bloomberg, was relaxing rules for the power of rent stabilization laws, giving landlords untold power to evict tenants for the smallest infractions. 10 years later, I was still working on it. It is now 2020, and I am still seeking projects, but there is less and less to capture as my focus was not street photography but the “old guard” who were dying out. I relished your passion for creating images, your experiences integrating yourself into the norms of the countries not as voyeur tourism. I don’t know what it is like to travel outside of the U.S. let alone pursue a project of your magnitude. But we both share an uncommon respect for the people we photograph, for without them, we have no pictures. What we do not have in common, is exposure for our work. I have tried and tried and have tried some more to gain the attention of many photography organizations, you name it, and can’t get any traction. I have spent a boat load of money out of pocket to do this project, and to not be able to honor all those people who entrusted me to share their lives, not commercially, through photo stock agents, is against my morals. Any ideas?
just came across whilst going on an Eggleston search quest. I really your singular obsession and devotion. Look forward to following this page and your adventures.
Thanks, Alejandra, I appreciate it!
Also found your site whilst going on an Eggleston search quest. Love your list of photographers, fantastic. More so the list of cities. Being myself a passionate travel documentary photographer, I appreciate the enormous dedication and monumental work you put into writing up all your experiences for the benefit of others. Love your many street pictures which are great juxtapositions in the style of Elliot Erwitt. Keep up the good work and may all our travels restart once we control the virus.
Forrest, I found you by accident looking for information on Rob Capa. Your street photography is very interesting, almost “in your face” (in a good way), similar as Capa was going straight on people. Your style is definitely humanistic and profound in its unique way.
I was wondering: some of your shots are really close up. Do you use a single lens for your work? Like a 35mm?
All the best for your work!
Hello, Peter. Thanks for the comment and kind words!
For most of my major city work, I used an 18mm(27mm equiv.) lens, but I do use a 23mm(35mm equiv.) at times.
All the best to you too,
Forrest