{"id":58898,"date":"2026-08-19T23:40:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-20T03:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.keh.com\/expert-advice\/?p=58898"},"modified":"2026-08-19T15:11:57","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T19:11:57","slug":"gear-up-and-get-out-prepping-for-the-keh-x-vsco-atlanta-photowalk-with-branden-may","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.keh.com\/expert-advice\/photography\/news-and-culture\/gear-up-and-get-out-prepping-for-the-keh-x-vsco-atlanta-photowalk-with-branden-may\/","title":{"rendered":"Gear Up and Get Out: Prepping for the KEH x VSCO Atlanta Photowalk with Branden May"},"content":{"rendered":"\n[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]

There is nothing quite like the unpredictable, fast-paced energy of street photography\u2014especially in a city as architecturally rich as Atlanta. To help you capture the streets like a pro, we are thrilled to announce the upcoming <\/span>KEH x VSCO Photowalk<\/span><\/a>, led by internationally exhibited street and architecture photographer, <\/span>Branden May<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

With over 15 years of experience, Branden has an unmatched eye for how buildings interact with people, and most importantly, how they manipulate light and shadow. Ahead of our event, we sat down with Branden to talk about his journey, his favorite spots in the city, and what you need to bring\u2014whether it’s your trusty smartphone or a KEH Certified\u2122 pre-owned setup\u2014to get the most out of our upcoming walk.<\/span><\/p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/keh.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/q=80,fit=scale-down,format=auto\/expert-advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/20210702-DSC_1341-scaled.jpeg” title_text=”20210702-DSC_1341″ align=”center” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” width=”52.4%” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]

Meet Your Guide: A Quick Q&A with Branden May<\/b><\/h3>\n

How did your relationship with the camera begin, and how did it lead to you pursuing photography as a full-time career?<\/strong><\/p>\n

My dad put a camera in my hands when I was around twelve \u2014 an old Olympus 35mm<\/a> he loved, that he let me borrow a few times. I\u2019m pretty sure I broke it not long after, but it didn\u2019t put me off. If anything, that\u2019s the first time I remember really looking at a scene and thinking about how to frame it. I grew up in Stone Mountain, so a lot of my early hours with a camera were just walking around metro Atlanta, paying attention to buildings I passed every day on the way to school. Also, a hefty dose of Hitchcock films didn\u2019t hurt either. It had been building toward that for years, but photography stayed in the background for a long time; the pandemic pushed me to go full-time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You have a distinct eye for Atlanta’s architecture. What makes this city so special for your style of photography?<\/b><\/p>\n

Atlanta is a city still figuring out what it wants to be, and you can see that tension everywhere \u2014 glass towers going up next to buildings that have sat quiet for decades, kudzu working its way up an overpass, shadows falling in ways that feel almost accidental. That in-between quality is exactly what I’m drawn to. I’m not chasing the postcard version of the city. I’m chasing the version caught mid-transformation, where the light and the structure are doing something honest.<\/span><\/p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/keh.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/q=80,fit=scale-down,format=auto\/expert-advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1BBB4A0A-F034-4059-9707-D34E25F7F1E2-scaled.jpeg” title_text=”1BBB4A0A-F034-4059-9707-D34E25F7F1E2″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/keh.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/q=80,fit=scale-down,format=auto\/expert-advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/20260501-FC8984ED-1D02-4EA5-8192-FF396C491773-scaled.jpeg” title_text=”20260501-FC8984ED-1D02-4EA5-8192-FF396C491773″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]

You shoot both film and digital. How does your approach change depending on what’s in your hands?<\/b>
<\/b>Digital is where I move fast \u2014 I can work a block, react to changing light, and not think twice about shot count. Film slows the whole rhythm down. I have to be more deliberate about what actually earns a frame, and that discipline usually sharpens the digital work too. I don’t think of them as two separate practices so much as two different speeds of the same eye.<\/span><\/p>\n

Street photography can be intimidating for beginners. What is your #1 piece of advice for someone who might feel nervous about capturing strangers or everyday life on the street during our walk?<\/b><\/p>\n

You’re not stealing something from a stranger \u2014 you’re paying attention to them. Most of the fear around street photography stems from treating it as an intrusion rather than a form of respect. Move slowly, let eye contact happen naturally if it does, and don’t be afraid to lower the camera and just talk to someone if the moment calls for it. The nerves usually disappear once you stop worrying about permission and start worrying about the photograph.<\/span><\/p>\n

When you sit down to edit your shots, what is your general philosophy for post-processing?<\/b>
<\/b>Same rule as on the street: don’t add anything that wasn’t already there in spirit. I lean hard into contrast and black-and-white because that’s how I actually experience light and shadow in the moment \u2014 the edit brings the image back in line with what I saw, it doesn’t invent a new version of it. If I’m reaching for a heavy effect to save a photo, that usually means the photo wasn’t there to begin with.<\/span><\/p>\n

Are there any “rules” of photography you love to break when you are out exploring?<\/b>
<\/b>Rule of thirds, mostly. I’ll put a subject dead center more often than any photography class would approve of \u2014 there’s a directness to it that a lot of “balanced” compositions lose. I don’t mind blowing out a highlight or crushing a shadow to black either, if it serves the mood. Technical perfection was never the goal. The feeling of the image is.<\/span><\/p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/keh.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/q=80,fit=scale-down,format=auto\/expert-advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/20211018-DSC_3284.jpeg” title_text=”20211018-DSC_3284″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/keh.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/q=80,fit=scale-down,format=auto\/expert-advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/D48CA04B-98A1-494F-AAD1-51EF9600B349.jpeg” title_text=”Processed with VSCO with al3pro preset” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]

The Photowalk Checklist: 3 Tips and What to Bring<\/b><\/h3>\n

Let’s talk about getting ready for the photo walk. What should our attendees bring to this photowalk?<\/b><\/p>\n