As most of you know, I shoot the majority of my photos with a Canon DSLR. I’ve always shot with Canon, mainly because the two photographers who taught me everything I know — my dad and my late boyfriend Jon — used Canons and taught me to do the same. Their advice has never let me down.

Over the last few months I’ve been involved in a cool Canon project with multiple parts. I’m working on a Canon print ad campaign featuring an iconic Joburg building (more news on that in a future post), and I also helped to organize a Canon-sponsored “Iconic Joburg” photowalk this past weekend.

One of the iconic Joburg sights from Saturday’s walk, shot from the roof of the Protea Hotel Parktonian.

I’ve been on a ton of Joburg photowalks before, but this walk (actually it was a ride, as we covered too much distance to walk and hence rode around in vans) was special for a couple of reasons:

1) The walk was originally my idea and I chose most of the places that we visited.

2) Most of the walk participants were winners of a Canon photography contest — not part of my usual photowalking/instagramming crowd — and most of them had never done a walk like this before. Many of them weren’t even from Joburg. I was also allowed to invite a few of my favorite Jozi blogger/photographers to come along for the ride.

We visited a couple of great rooftops on different sides of town and also did some exploring on foot. I really enjoyed the opportunity to show off a few of my favorite spots in the city. Here are my best shots from the morning.

The Shadow Boxer, one of the most iconic pieces of public art in Joburg.

View from the top of Situation East, a building in Maboneng. Thanks to Bheki at Curiocity Backpackers for getting us access to this building — it’s one of my favorite rooftops in town. See the moon and the tiny airplane?

My friend Gail Wilson, one of the most passionate Jozi advocates I know. Gail founded a group on Facebook called “Joburg Free to Fifty”, which features things to do in Joburg for under R50 (about $4). Check it out.

Jeppestown rooftops, also shot from Situation East.

Another view from the top of the Parktonian Hotel in Braamfontein. The Parktonian offers an epic 360-degree vista of Joburg. Check out some more photos I took from the Parktonian here.

Looking up at the iconic Nelson Mandela Bridge.

Looking down at the colorful trains below Nelson Mandela Bridge.

Nelson Mandela Bridge glass, with what appears to be a bullet hole in it.

My friend Ang Lloyd of Jozi Rediscovered on Mandela Bridge, doing what bloggers do.

Here’s an interesting story about one of Saturday’s participants. Brian Van Hansen was one of the ten winners of the Canon #MyCity photo competition, which earned him a chance to participate in this photowalk. Brian lives in Cape Town; with the help of some friends he managed to raise the money to fly from Cape Town to Joburg, specifically for the photowalk. It was his first visit to Joburg in 20 years.

Brian received a loaner Canon 6D to shoot with for the day on Saturday (as all of the contest winners did), and it was his first time shooting pictures with any camera other than a cell phone camera. EVER. Brian shot amazing DSLR photos on Saturday (see some of them on his Facebook page) and had a ball exploring Joburg for the first time in two decades.

Brian  shooting pictures in the middle of Mandela Bridge.

We finished the photowalk at the Sheds @1Fox, where I chowed on some delicious barbecue from Black Sam Smoque.

Pork belly, beef brisket, cole slaw, baked beans. A delicious end to a fun, exhausting morning.

Then I went home and laid on the couch.

Thanks to Canon and everyone else who made this walk fun. It really meant a lot to me. I’ll have more to say about Canon in the future.

My last iconic shot of the day, of the new Obey mural in Braamfontein.