
Dusk view of Manchester from the roof of the Arena by Aidan O’Rourke
Photographic Walking Tours in Manchester with Photography Tutor and Writer Aidan O’Rourke – as featured in Amateur Photographer magazine
To book, email info@aidan.co.uk or phone
Who is it intended for? | What People Say | About Aidan O’Rourke | Make a Booking

Introduction
The Manchester photo walk combines a lesson in photography with a walk through the city. Nowadays I prefer to work with individuals and very small groups. It’s suitable for photographers at any level of experience. All you need is a camera: compact or DSLR or film.
£35 per person for three people
£45 per person for two people
£75 for one person
For more than 3 people please contact.
- Meeting point: At the front entrance to Piccadilly Station, top of the Approach next to W H Smiths.
- Lesson in Exposure with free handouts and crib card.
- Lots of ‘over the shoulder’ feedback from Aidan.
- Ask any number of questions about photography.
- You will benefit from lots of individual attention.


Dates and times
Walks can be arranged on a variety of dates and times, generally Sundays, starting at either 10.30am or 2pm, though other dates/times are possible. To book simply get in touch via the contact form or send a message to my iPhone using the following number:
Feedback
Thank you very much, I had a great time on the walk. I have been out a couple of times since, and your tips have been a great help! The time taken to sit down and explain the basics of photography was very helpful, and the crib card is something that I will take with me at all times. I also appreciated your extensive knowledge of Manchester, it made the walk a lot more interesting and enjoyable.
Eugene Orpin


Day walks
Most walks start and end during daylight. There is no set route, we could head towards the Northern Quarter, or along Whitworth Street. We may take the Metroshuttle bus to another part of the city centre. We will find a quiet place or sit down in a cafe to do the lesson in exposure. This is a concentrated lesson in the simple but often misunderstood principle that is the key to photography. We will continue, taking photos as we go along. I will offer feedback, tips and suggestions. We may finish in the centre, or we may go back to the station. The walk lasts for three hours.
- Start times generally 10.30am or 2pm, acco. Walk length: 3 hrs.
- There are numerous routes we can take. We will decide at the beginning.
- We will stop in a quiet place to do the lesson in Exposure.
- Alternative routes: Northern Quarter, Whitworth St or we will take the Metroshuttle.
- Make sure you are dressed for the weather conditions and wear a good pair of shoes!
- A tripod is not required for the daytime walk.


Dusk Walk
We can arrange for the walk to start in daylight and finish after dusk. We meet at Piccadilly Station and then take the free Metroshuttle bus or the tram to St Peters Square. We may go to a cafe – for instance at the Manchester Art Gallery or Central Library – and do the lesson in Exposure, focusing on techniques for night photography and long exposures. As dusk approaches we do low light photography in St Peters Square, focusing on the relocated War Memorial and the Central Library. We will continue down Lower Mosley Street and take passing trams and the Bridgewater Hall. There is the option of continuing to HOME, the new arts centre and on the bridge over the Mancunian Way for light trail photography. If the moon is out we will photograph it!
- Meet outside the main entrance to Piccadilly Station.
- Free bus or tram to St Peters Square.
- Lesson in Exposure focusing on night photography.
- Subjects: War Memorial, Central Library
- Take photos practicing principles covered in the lesson.
- Plenty of ‘over the shoulder’ feedback from Aidan.
- A tripod is strongly advised.
- Always text me on the day.


Who is it intended for?
The walks are attended by many beginner, some intermediate and a few advanced level photographers. Participants will benefit from lots of individual attention! My goal is to help everyone at any level to learn, improve and achieve great things. The walk makes a great gift for people celebrating birthdays or as a Christmas present.
- Photographers at any level welcome to come on the walk.
- Participants will benefit from lots of individual attention from me.
- On a one-to-one photo walk you will have my complete attention.
- Any camera is okay – compact, bridge, DSLR or film.
- If you’ve recently bought a camera and don’t know how to use it, this course is for you!
- If you want to give a unique gift, the photo walk is ideal.


What people say
Craig Millar
Shirley Black
Tony Stanton
Geoff Featherston
Lucy Fenton
Brilliant afternoon with @AidanEyewitness seeing parts of Manchester I never knew existed and all through my camera lens 🙂
— Siobhan White (@SiobhantheHack) January 10, 2016
Carly Scott
Tony Dickinson


The Manchester Photo Walk was featured in the 2 Jan 2016 edition of Amateur Photographer Magazine next to a listing for an exhibition by Lee Miller, one of Aidan’s all time favourite photographers.
About Aidan O’Rourke
Aidan O’Rourke has been running his photo walks in Manchester and Liverpool since 2010. He has had a serious interest in photography since 1981 and is very experienced with film. He has been using Adobe Photoshop since 1995. He switched fully to digital capture in 2000. He has specialised in documenting the development of Manchester and the North West. His photos appear in a number of books including ‘Manchester Then and Now’, ‘Rebuilding Manchester’ and ‘Around the M60, Manchester’s Orbital Motorway’ which he co-wrote. His weekly ‘Eyewitness’ column appears in the Manchester Evening News on Thursday. He is a fluent German speaker with a background in teaching languages. This experience enables him to explain photographic subjects clearly. He is building a portfolio of e-books on photography.
- Seriously interested in photography since 1981.
- Highly experienced with both film and digital.
- User of Adobe Photoshop since 1995.
- He has a large photographic archive of Manchester
- Contributed photos to the book: ‘Manchester Then and Now’.
- Co-wrote ‘Around the M60, Manchester’s Orbital Motorway’.
- Author of e-book ‘Digital Photography Rules of the Road
- Background in education and languages
- His languages background enables him to explain photographic subjects very clearly.
- Always keen to meet new people and share his knowledge.


Contact and book
To enquire or make a booking, just get in touch via the contact form.
You can also text me on this number: