They are social workers, students, retirees and software engineers.
They are equipped with everything from camera phones to digital point-and-shoot cameras, to professional-grade cameras with long, black lenses.
No matter what they do or how long they've been taking photographs, one thing they all have in common is a passion for photography and the desire to explore the city with microscopic intensity.
The group gathered outside Northern Light Espresso Bar on Sunday for a photography walk through downtown Scranton, organized by Shickshinny Lake resident Patrick Gensel.
Mr. Gensel was inspired to create the walk after participating in one in Austin, Texas, earlier this year. Gathering with a group of like-minded people can help foster creativity, and activity can help photographers look at regular objects with a new perspective, Mr. Gensel said.
"I wanted to take photos that actually captured what I was seeing," he said,
Mr. Gensel crouched on the sidewalk, angling his camera upward at a bike rack on the street corner, his counterparts zooming in on signs and building designs, door frames and manhole covers, capturing minute details.
First-time photo walker Cheri Sundra of Wilkes-Barre has been shooting urban exploration photography for at least two years, taking photographs and exploring abandoned buildings and ghost towns.
She said it's not only fun, but allows for a different way to communicate. "It's just something people don't normally do," she said.
Graphic designer and jewelry maker Cori Preston traveled from Bethlehem to support Mr. Gensel and his photo walk, using her Canon Rebel to take various shots of architecture and city happenings.
"I think it just makes you look at the city in a totally different way," she said.
Contact the writer: ksullivan@timesshamrock.com, @ksullivanTT on Twitter