Camera Craniums: The Photography Community for Enthusiasts

General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: David Blandford on August 22, 2016, 07:31:05 PM

Title: Camera Clubs
Post by: David Blandford on August 22, 2016, 07:31:05 PM
I would like to ask people if they belong to any Camera Clubs and if so what they gain from membership?

I have been taking photos for thirty years just to put them in a box until I joined Flickr 6 years ago and discovered CC shortly afterwards. I am now thinking about joining a camera club and am lucky enough to have several around me to choose from. I am hoping that by joining a club I will be able to improve my photography be learning from its members and letting them review my work. Whilst I intend to visit some of these clubs to see what they are like and meet their members it started me thinking what do other photographers think of these clubs?  :-\   :-\

Title: Re: Camera Clubs
Post by: Oldboy on August 22, 2016, 08:00:57 PM
Good luck with that. I've never bothered with camera clubs as I'd rather do my own thing. Some clubs have cliques which can put off new members but there are clubs who are only happy to welcome new blood. I hope you find one of them.  :tup:
Title: Re: Camera Clubs
Post by: jinky on August 22, 2016, 08:09:56 PM
Depends if you`re lucky with what is local. I`ve dropped into 2 near enough to me but found them rather stuffy and into cliques with only one way of doing things and so passed on them. A friend further away has a great club that I have been guested into a couple of times and is totally different but just too far for me to go regularly. IO got what I needed from a local Flickr group for years but it has all but died a death apart from the odd meet up and annual Photocamp which we set up to share techniques/ styles in various workshops. Wish I could find a good local club to reinvigorate my photography as I have all but stopped recently but nothing going around here. Good luck.
Title: Re: Camera Clubs
Post by: ABERS on August 22, 2016, 10:38:16 PM
I joined my club back in the 80's  when I was starting out into serious photography.  The club is still going strong and membership keeps around 140. It caters for all genres with sections for Natural History,  Pictorial, Still Life, Studio and Portraiture,  Colour,  Monochrome. These groups meet on a monthly basis, share ideas and help those that are wanting advice and constructive criticism.
The weekly meeting comprises talks by recognised and usually  international and national photographers. The last meeting of the month is put aside for competition, split between  intermediate and advanced member, judged by accredited  judges from the PAGB  list.

The club holds an annual  exhibition  where every member takes part, if they so desire, so everyone's  work is seen by the public at large, usually some 900-1000.

The club encourages members to apply for and enter panels for the RPS distinctions and we have many members that have achieved their LRPS, ARPS and a few FRPS. But that's  another story.

Like any endeavour you will only get out what you put in, every newcomer is welcomed and made sure he/she is not ignored.

Club photography far exceedes distance learning  and stretches you  and I have seen raw and enthusiastic newcomers progress in leaps and bounds. Get in and join.
Title: Re: Camera Clubs
Post by: Simple on August 22, 2016, 11:19:36 PM
I am running a small club. The learners that used to come to my photography lessons (in Adult Education) formed  friendships and they wanted to keep on meeting and liked the idea of regular photographic topics to keep practicing with the camera. That is how the club originated and we have a regular attendance of 15-20 people once a fortnight. We also have a lot of people new to photography and they are being helped by the more experienced members. Membership is free and the meetings are held in an ex-servicemens club. They do not charge for using the hall and the drinks are cheap!
This is one of the reasons that I did not play along with the CC competitions before, because I had to find topics to photograph for 2 lessons every week I was teaching(Full terms) plus once a fortnight for the club. It all was too much photography. I have now reduced my courses to run in winter only and just have the club to run.
Title: Re: Camera Clubs
Post by: ABERS on August 23, 2016, 04:51:54 PM
I used to give talks to clubs and always found the smaller ones were somewhat "cosier", with a greater flow of questions.  Inevitably  the question came up, "What camera do you use?". I always answered "a black one", with a wink.

Have a look at www.rtps.org.uk. to see the sort of activities that are available to members.
Title: Re: Camera Clubs
Post by: StephenBatey on August 25, 2016, 11:44:57 AM
I don't belong to a camera club. Every time I look at the local ones, I find that they are heavily in to competitions (which I deplore), typically two per month. I also have a vivid recollection of one camera club member on another forum justifying competitions because comments from judges were the only time photographs were discussed.

My photography is for myself alone; I don't want or need to be encouraged to photograph subjects I don't relate to simply for a competition. I'd welcome comments on my photographs, but it seems that this isn't what many clubs are about.
Title: Re: Camera Clubs
Post by: ABERS on August 25, 2016, 12:54:01 PM
It's  obvious clubs differ in content, much as forums do. Our monthly competition is not based on a theme, each one is left to the entrant's particular  choice, the only imposition is one month it's  prints  the next  PDI's.  So it's  the quality of the image, its creativity, its presentation  and it's overall impact.

Annual competitions are split into genres, Colour,  B+W, Pictorial,  record etc.

I remember setting the weekly competition here once giving entrants a free hand, it roused a chorus of bewilderment as to what to post.The club approach encourages a wider spread of creativity and image type.

Everybody to their own.  :tup:



Title: Re: Camera Clubs
Post by: David Blandford on August 25, 2016, 03:03:08 PM
an interesting range of points of view, thanks for sharing your view. I will try some of my local clubs and let you know what I find.
Title: Re: Camera Clubs
Post by: StephenBatey on August 25, 2016, 09:59:08 PM
Given that you don't seem too far away from me, I'll be very interested in your findings/experiences.
Title: Re: Camera Clubs
Post by: jinky on August 25, 2016, 10:10:19 PM
[quote author=ABERS link=topic=4671.msg54104#msg54104 date=147212604

I remember setting the weekly competition here once giving entrants a free hand, it roused a chorus of bewilderment as to what to post.The club approach encourages a wider spread of creativity and image type.

Everybody to their own.  :tup:
[/quote]

I can imagine a discussion re: the purpose of themes but I cannot remember ever feeling bewildered by an open theme. I think the discussion was more about the issue of judging against how a photographer best meets a brief and some finding it difficult to judge a landscape v say a portrait. I think bewilderment is a bit strong and patronising. That said I'm on a phone so cannot look back at the debate
Title: Re: Camera Clubs
Post by: ABERS on August 25, 2016, 10:36:10 PM
 [/quote] I think bewilderment is a bit strong and patronising.[/quote]

Sorry about that. Bewilderment  is perhaps a bit strong., put outside their  comfort zone would be more apt.

Photography surely is much more than meeting a brief. If you want to become proficient in that area all well and good, after all  it's  a necessary string to your  bow if you want to become a pro.
Title: Re: Camera Clubs
Post by: Reinardina on August 26, 2016, 09:01:51 AM
I too have been looking at camera clubs in the past, but they all require a long public transport journey, as most are 'in the sticks,' and the one in my hometown, is in an area where I would not like to wait for a bus on a winter night.

Title: Re: Camera Clubs
Post by: Beaux Reflets on August 27, 2016, 08:20:32 AM
I often consider Camera Craniums as one of the best Camera Clubs online - more especially when it is lively :tup:
Title: Re: Camera Clubs
Post by: David Blandford on August 27, 2016, 09:11:21 AM
Quote from: Beaux Reflets on August 27, 2016, 08:20:32 AM
I often consider Camera Craniums as one of the best Camera Clubs online - more especially when it is lively :tup:

You are so right Andy, I have learned a lot from CC and enjoyed the competitions. Especially as it gets me out with my camera! ;) However one of the things I am now looking for is the social aspect of our hobby. The problem with any online club is it members are spread over such a large area.
Title: Re: Camera Clubs
Post by: Simple on August 27, 2016, 09:25:33 AM
Perhaps we could set up a meet somewhere? See who is willing to meet up and find a centralised location?
Title: Re: Camera Clubs
Post by: ABERS on August 27, 2016, 09:55:22 AM
That's  happened a few times in the past, but been limited to the S.E.  Richmond Park and Speakers ' Corner and Hyde Park, Osterly Park and Kingston for Sandy to add to her telephone box potfolio, spring to mind. It's  interesting to note that none of those that attended  (apart from one  ;)) now make any contribution to CC.

They all went well and a good time was had by all, perhaps it could happen again.
Title: Re: Camera Clubs
Post by: Simple on August 27, 2016, 06:44:50 PM
I remember the events. I never went because London is just too far so I had to look at an overnight stay. It all became a bit of an expense.
Title: Re: Camera Clubs
Post by: David Blandford on August 28, 2016, 09:38:56 AM
As it depends so much on where people live as well as their availability,especially with the cost of transport and accommodation these days. would it be better to arrange local meets rather than trying to sort out one central one??? At least that way people who live near each other would be put in contact even at the cost of have smaller numbers attending the meets.
We all know our local areas and where we like to take our cameras. I live in the middle of the Salisbury to Southampton corridor, If any one is nearby who fancies meeting up.

???      :legit:
Title: Re: Camera Clubs
Post by: jinky on August 28, 2016, 01:23:27 PM
Yes I might have made past meets if I'd been down south but I am Yorkshire based in Leeds. Happy to make any local meets to get me out shooting again.
Title: Re: Camera Clubs
Post by: David Blandford on October 12, 2016, 07:17:00 AM
Despite my best intentions after six weeks of trying I have still not managed to visit any camera clubs mainly due to shift work, ill health and not enough hours in the day! I guess this in another idea doomed to remain in the one day pile      :(