Unique Photography Experience With Foto Ruta in Buenos Aires

A while ago I met Becky Hayes when I visited the Spanish school she works for, Expanish. When she invited me to check out Foto Ruta, her latest project that she started with another expat, Jocelyn Mandryk, I happily accepted.

The idea behind Foto Ruta is to have an urban photo experience instead of a typical tour where a guide tells where you should be pointing your camera. For me, Foto Ruta was a mix of a scavenger hunt, traveler meet up and photography crash course. Each event is held in a different part of Buenos Aires. Becky and Jocelyn choose neighborhoods with lots of character and interesting photo opportunities.

The map and clues

I was lucky enough to attend a Halloween themed event along side my friend Stephanie of The Travel Chica. We showed up dressed up as a ninja and cat, ignoring all the weird looks we got on the bus ride to the cafe where the event began. Once everyone got settled, Becky explained how the evening would work. She handed out maps of the area, which were printed especially for the event. I appreciated that Foto Ruta had gone through the trouble of marking interesting graffiti art or buildings on the map. The map also listed to “clues” that were meant to be prompts for the photos we would take during the event. The prompts were simple and vague, leaving plenty of room for you to be creative. We were told we would pair up in teams of two, armed with maps and cameras and take to the streets to try to find the best photos to match each clue.

Photography crash course

Once we got the game plan from Becky, Jocelyn stepped up to help us with some photography tips. As a trained photographer, she was more than prepared to give us some helpful tips on how to get some interesting photos. She had a powerpoint and handouts that showed us how to play with light, perspective, shadows, etc. She also made herself available to help anyone with their camera settings or any photography questions.

Hitting the streets

Stephanie and I took off and decided to turn in all of our photos as a team, so I only have a few of them, but I am pretty happy with how they turned out. It was fun to walk around in costume, trying to be creative with the clues we were given. The added pressure of a time limit and teams made it feel more like a game even though the photos are in no way competing against each other.

Why I liked this event

I never go on tours because I am a local and a snob. I’ll just be honest about that. What is great about Foto Ruta is that it isn’t a tour. Becky and Jocelyn give you maps, clues and photography tips, but they do not tell you where to go or what to photograph. Stephanie and I both loved that we all took off into teams instead of traveling in a giant mass of people holding cameras. I enjoyed being left with just 1 teammate to run through the city with without other people’s photos there to influence my interpretation of a clue. I thought the clues were an awesome idea because at the end of the event, we all get to check out each others photos and really see how far the imagination can stretch. Lastly, I appreciated the photography tips. I was lucky to be paired with Stephanie who knows a lot more about photography, but I still took Jocelyn’s tips seriously and appreciated the guidance.

Once you get back from your city exploration, everyone checks out each others photos on a projector. A photo discussion over the snacks and glass of wine that are included in the price of the tour makes for a relaxing wind down from running around the city.

To wrap it up

1. Not a tour.
2. Working in teams instead of groups is way more fun and safer than traveling in huge groups.
3. A social gathering that allows for more interesting conversation than “So where are you from?”.
4. The feel of a scavenger hunt makes the experience much more competitive and exciting.
5. The event is well organized.

Rease is a US citizen who fled the Midwest in favor of ex-pat life in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She is bilingual and is very capable of cussing you out in Spanish. She loves gaining and sharing knowledge of local cultures, customs and adventure, and she especially loves getting sassy with anyone who gets in her way. Her favorite place in the world is any artisan ice cream shop in Argentina.