Meet Saba, PhotoWalks Founder + Creative Director

Many moons ago, I worked as a travel agent and sold airline tickets, tours, cruises, and vacation packages long before online booking upended the travel industry. I had a fabulous time traveling around the world and capturing pictures of my amazing adventures. Eight years later, my globetrotting days came to an end. I left my job to pursue my lifelong dream of becoming an entrepreneur. 

A serendipitous walk in Boston Common on a mild day in December 2001 changed my life and shaped my career path. As I walked along the park’s meandering pathways with my camera, I saw photo opportunities everywhere I looked. I wondered, do locals and visitors take the time to really observe the details of our historic city? Or do they just keep walking and overlook their immediate surroundings? Suddenly, a burst of inspiration struck! I’m going to start a walking tour business and teach locals and visitors how to compose beautiful pictures of Boston using their own cameras (and now, smartphones!).

Long hours of research, marketing strategies, building content for a website, and mapping out itineraries followed. My entrepreneurial wish became a reality on May 1, 2002. PhotoWalks opened as the first photo walking tour company in Boston. From that time on, my tours and photography classes have empowered people of all ages and skill levels from all over the world to become better observers through photography. 

One of my greatest joys is meeting many wonderful people from all over the world. It’s so exciting and rewarding for me to see clients discover that a PhotoWalks tour revealed their hidden talent as a photographer!

As a photography instructor, educator and Boston tour guide with 20 years of experience, I feel fortunate to share my knowledge and passion for photography while helping participants develop a photographer’s eye and learn how to see creatively — something that will last a lifetime.

Hope to see you — and your camera or smartphone — on tour!

Saba Alhadi

PhotoWalks Founder + Creative Director