The thought of a walkabout inspires and scares me: What do I document? Buildings? People? What if there are no interesting people around? Will my photos be reminiscent of those taken by an Indiana tourist circa 1998? Or worse, will they look like I’m trying too hard? Am I going to come home disappointed, finding I just wasted an afternoon in the city?

Spontaneity reduces pressure. So with an hour to kill before the National Portrait Gallery opens and Ali with her camera by my side I navigated my first walkabout.