Camera Clubs - what do you want from them ???

DG Phototraining

DG Phototraining

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10 months ago, while VERY frustrated with my very 'traditional' and frankly boring camera club I helped start a new one, in a new style - we've embraced Facebook as our means of communication & sharing, and that is working fantastically, mini-meets are organised weekly, and big meets monthly or so (this weekend's in Leeds has 19 attending)

This week we signed up our 50th Member making the newest club around the BIGGEST club around to me (Barnsley, South Yorks)

We are MASSIVELY focused on talking about, teaching about and shooting PHOTOGRAPHY - and hence the club has grown quickly - I've already been asked to go help new clubs form elsewhere, but that's another story

The point of this post then is... IF you were joining a photography club WHAT would YOU want from it ???

Please post ANY ideas, for anything, we've tried to get our new members to tell us what they want but with limited success - shy? No idea? Apathy? Who knows - but to keep the throng happy we need to plan hence I'm hoping you lot can help :)

ALL and ANY ideas welcomed - from what works for your camera club to non-club members' (newbies even) thoughts on what may attract you to join one - cheers :)

Dave
 
planetjamez said:
Maybe some photo competitions.
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Yes, but not using the same, boring, camera club approved judges for which everyone produces pictures to a standard judge pleasing formula,

I used to go to a local club which had a feature which I preferred to competitions. Photographs would be shown and club members were invited to say what they thought about it or ask questions. The photographer would then say a few words about it. It was much more informative to hear many peoples opinions than to hear why a judge thought it was no good and how he would have done it differently.

And camera clubs - stop referring to photographers as authors!


Steve.
 
planetjamez said:
Maybe some photo competitions. People of all ages are also good. Im 15 and I get put off because a lot of people are more experienced and older
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In a Poll 19 of 21 didn't want comps - inc. me (and yes I have previously won everything inc. POTY at club level), its just too easy to alienate newbies or those less talented or with less time/opportunity. In my previous club comps meant only winners and everyone else, there was no time to discuss images and hence losers didn't know why and didn't improve - we now have proper critique both on Facebook and on meets (every 2 weeks) so people are not compared to others, but do get help on their own photography

Dave
 
Steve Smith said:
Photographs would be shown and club members were invited to say what they thought about it or ask questions. The photographer would then say a few words about it. It was much more informative to hear many peoples opinions than to hear why a judge thought it was no good and how he would have done it differently.

And camera clubs - stop referring to photographers as authors!


Steve.
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'Liked' and agreed with, its what we do now - but my red stripe here as OP says 'Author' lol - take that up with the MODS :D

Dave
 
I would suggest some sessions for absolute beginners - the biggest Issue I found with local clubs many years ago was being made to feel inferior by experienced members and I had owned cameras since being a kid, but never really learnt about them properly. It can be very daunting, even for the most confident personalities, to meet and try and learn when it feels like everyone around you knows so much more. So, maybe every 4-6mths or so, run a 'newbies' meet - 'if you know what aperture is, you are not welcome' kind of thing :LOL:
 
Yv said:
I would suggest some sessions for absolute beginners - the biggest Issue I found with local clubs many years ago was being made to feel inferior by experienced members and I had owned cameras since being a kid, but never really learnt about them properly. It can be very daunting, even for the most confident personalities, to meet and try and learn when it feels like everyone around you knows so much more. So, maybe every 4-6mths or so, run a 'newbies' meet - 'if you know what aperture is, you are not welcome' kind of thing :LOL:
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Very much along the thinking of me there hun :)

We do have a full on night of basics booked soon (guess who's doing that lol) - but I also thought we could do a 10-15 min sess at every in-pub night covering something 'basic' - so not long enough to bore the know-it-all types, yet not too long to confuse the WTF types :)

Dave
 
Don't break over the summer... I'm a student and the time I want to go to camera clubs is over the summer during the holidays... Not all photographers are middle aged with kids. :)

And please... why always the female glamour models at 'model nights'? It's always either a female glamour model or an old guy with 'character'. Nothing like fulfilling the stereotypes there.

Other than that, low membership dues, trips to *interesting* places that you can't afford to do on your own, a younger membership and a lack of pretentiousness.
 
For me it would be a club that is orientated towards nature/wildlife/landscape photography. I find too many focus on portrait/studio photography. Photo competitions also put me off. I've visited a few local camera club exhibitions and whilst the photos are good I think it wouldn't be for me. My main interests would be tutorials and days out with like minded people. Ive recently joined Andy Rouse's FotoBuzz, so far it gives me what I would like in a camera club, tutorials about wildlife experience rather than camera equipment talk.
 
CharlotteM said:
Don't break over the summer... I'm a student and the time I want to go to camera clubs is over the summer during the holidays... Not all photographers are middle aged with kids. :)

And please... why always the female glamour models at 'model nights'? It's always either a female glamour model or an old guy with 'character'. Nothing like fulfilling the stereotypes there.

Other than that, low membership dues, trips to *interesting* places that you can't afford to do on your own, a younger membership and a lack of pretentiousness.
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Have to agree with this, or rather rephrase it to 'how to take interesting photos of 'normal' people' ;)
 
A CAMERA club that also showed how to use the facilities in a camera menu to the best advantage.
For example lighting- studio setup -how to get the best out of available props -best backgrounds to show of people and their clothing etc etc

Otherwise it would be a photographic club aimed at showing off each others photos and having competitions
 
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What do I want from a camera club?

Exactly what I found last September, a club that is more about photography, than competitions.

The two clubs local to me, which have been in existence for 'donkey's years' are obsessed with competitions, and very little else. Great for those that thrive on such things, but not for me.

Eventually I found a club in the next county, albeit only about 20 mins or so drive, that was quite different. Looking at their programme was a breath of fresh air. A camera club that was actually about photography first, and competitions second. Only two competitions during their September to May season of meetings. One print based, and the other DPI.

The rest of the programme was based around tutorial type talks, practical evenings, and finishing up with a group trip out to a local beauty spot in May.

Next meeting is a practical evening on home studio lighting setups and portraiture, under the guidance of an expert in this field. A bring along you own gear and use it session.

I should add, that this club is only in its third year, and although in a small country town, has around 35-40 members.

Having always been put off of camera clubs by their obsession with competitions, and committees stuck in a 'time warp', I ventured to join this club last September, and have enjoyed being a member of it.

A new breed of camera club IMO, as is yours Dave. Long may the trend continue.

BTW, I should add that although I am retired, I don't wear cardigans, or smoke a pipe, so am not your stereo-typical camera club member (lol).

Keep up the good work, and I wish your club, every success in the future.

Dave
 
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All clubs have problems... the main one being repetition.
Things repeat after a while an become an annual cycle.
What they rarely do is mentor... where a new photographer teams up with an experienced one.
and to stop that becoming boring, partners could be changed every few weeks.
Show and tell sessions are also good.

Rather than competitions I would prefer open criticism sessions of unnamed recent work ( but not set topics )
 
It would appear that many of the camera clubs offer the same structure. I joined my local club in Sept.2013. I was hoping it would be friendly, informative, covering all different topics such as various techniques employed to get the best out of your camera, practical evenings showing studio set ups etc. creative techniques. Days/ evenings out to local places. Guest speakers showing photos explaining how the shot was captured, settings etc. What I didn't want was for the club to be competition focused.

So far I have found way to much emphasis on competitions. To date we are on the 4th round of the league comp, 2 mounted prints and 2 DPI for each league. NEMPH comp, themed comp, annual comp, and some other comp. I can't keep up with all of the competitions! I am not new to photography and like to think I have a basic understanding of the topic, I'm also placed 5th out of 50 so far in the league so it's not sour grapes. I just find that so much emphasis is placed on competitions to the detriment of everything else. Photos are judged but there is no feedback ie how it was taken, Exif etc. I'm sure people new to photography would find it all too much.
A few of the committee members are aloof and not very friendly. I made the mistake on my first time of sitting in the seat where a particular committee member usually sits...she was most put out and hasn't spoken to me since! :eek:

I guess you are wondering why I keep going? :thinking:

1. My friend recovering from cancer is a member and she thrives on competition ( we joined together)
2. We have met some really nice folk who joined the same time as we did and a quick visit to the pub after the meeting is enjoyable.
3. I was losing interest in photography, even thought of selling my gear at one point. I have a renewed interest.
4. It gets me out of the house once a week.

BTW, I should add that although I am retired, I don't wear cardigans, or smoke a pipe, so am not your stereo-typical camera club member (lol).
 
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I agree that there are TOO MANY COMPETITIONS but they are the evenings that are best supported ! When I organise 'Practical Evenings' members will not join in -- they sit around the edges of the room chatting and not USING their Cameras - -- they seem to be afraid to get their cameras out ! Then we used to have mini-bus trips out until the last one to a garden outside of Cambridge --- when we got back it had been broken into, window smashed, all the fare money stolen with the driver's sunglasses and phone -- so NO MORE trips like that. Then when 'Young People' pluck up courage to come to a meeting and see the serried ranks of Old Fogey Pensioners like me they never come again -- but I joined the South Essex Camera Club in 1952 when I was 16 and was the youngest one there but only saw 'other photography fans' NOT Pensioners!
 
It seems that Dave's newly formed club, up there in Barnsley, and the one that I found across the 'county line' into Essex, both being more about photography than competitions, are quite rare.

My club has a very friendly and relaxed atmosphere, with a forward looking committee, all of whom are very approachable. They can only hold office for a maximum of three years, and then have to stand down.

A good mix of members, ranging from outright beginners, to very experienced photographers, willing to spend time with, and help the less experienced members. A good spread of ages, from young people to 'old gits' like me, but not a cardigan to be seen. :D

Dave
 
I went to a camera club once. It was their first meet after the summer break. The club chairman and one or two others were keen to meet new members and find out more about me. When asked what I did for a living (professional photographer) the response was akin to me telling them I had leprosy.

Never again. But glad to here you're having some success Dave.
 
CharlotteM said:
Don't break over the summer... I'm a student and the time I want to go to camera clubs is over the summer during the holidays... Not all photographers are middle aged with kids. :)

And please... why always the female glamour models at 'model nights'? It's always either a female glamour model or an old guy with 'character'. Nothing like fulfilling the stereotypes there.

Other than that, low membership dues, trips to *interesting* places that you can't afford to do on your own, a younger membership and a lack of pretentiousness.
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Great points there Charlotte - to answer...

We don't break for anything but the Christmas/New Year period, but that's only stopping the fortnightly meets, mini meets to shoot something continue :)

I can't stand 'Glamour nights' there is never any teaching, the lighting is always crap and I always argue its just a 'soft porn' night for the blokes. I would MUCH prefer a portrait night, with teaching, and just shooting each other too - inc. blokes - and we do have one of those this year too :)

£15 pa and £2 per evening cheap enough? :D

I have tried for Group discounts into a few places but they are usually for coachloads of people and even then sod all of a discount, the 'cheap' option is merely filling a car and sharing fuel costs

Dave
 
rob-nikon said:
For me it would be a club that is orientated towards nature/wildlife/landscape photography. I find too many focus on portrait/studio photography. Photo competitions also put me off. I've visited a few local camera club exhibitions and whilst the photos are good I think it wouldn't be for me. My main interests would be tutorials and days out with like minded people. Ive recently joined Andy Rouse's FotoBuzz, so far it gives me what I would like in a camera club, tutorials about wildlife experience rather than camera equipment talk.
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I think online forums are great for this, but its far too specialised a field for a 'local' club

Dave
 
realspeed said:
A CAMERA club that also showed how to use the facilities in a camera menu to the best advantage.
For example lighting- studio setup -how to get the best out of available props -best backgrounds to show of people and their clothing etc etc

Otherwise it would be a photographic club aimed at showing off each others photos and having competitions
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Are we splitting hairs on the wording there ??? :D

Our is a 'Photo' club where everything that goes into creating a Photo is discussed, right from the on switch to image critique

Dave
 
DaveS2 said:
What do I want from a camera club?

Exactly what I found last September, a club that is more about photography, than competitions.

The two clubs local to me, which have been in existence for 'donkey's years' are obsessed with competitions, and very little else. Great for those that thrive on such things, but not for me.

Eventually I found a club in the next county, albeit only about 20 mins or so drive, that was quite different. Looking at their programme was a breath of fresh air. A camera club that was actually about photography first, and competitions second. Only two competitions during their September to May season of meetings. One print based, and the other DPI.

The rest of the programme was based around tutorial type talks, practical evenings, and finishing up with a group trip out to a local beauty spot in May.

Next meeting is a practical evening on home studio lighting setups and portraiture, under the guidance of an expert in this field. A bring along you own gear and use it session.

I should add, that this club is only in its third year, and although in a small country town, has around 35-40 members.

Having always been put off of camera clubs by their obsession with competitions, and committees stuck in a 'time warp', I ventured to join this club last September, and have enjoyed being a member of it.

A new breed of camera club IMO, as is yours Dave. Long may the trend continue.

BTW, I should add that although I am retired, I don't wear cardigans, or smoke a pipe, so am not your stereo-typical camera club member (lol).

Keep up the good work, and I wish your club, every success in the future.

Dave
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Sounds FAB - and just like ours too :)

Though we do have a couple of cardigan members too lol

Dave
 
DG Phototraining said:
I have tried for Group discounts into a few places but they are usually for coachloads of people and even then sod all of a discount, the 'cheap' option is merely filling a car and sharing fuel costs

Dave
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Oh I meant like... for example... there's a great photographic studio in London. It's like, £800 a day to hire it as a single photographer shooting on your own. If you hire it with multiple photographers it goes up to like, £1200 BUT you can have up to five people shooting. So it comes down to like, £250 in price instead of £800. I didn't mean 'group discounts to the zoo'.

Or you could split the cost of hiring a hotel. Or a country house. Or all kinds of things. Good if you have a heavy bias towards people who like shooting people.

Were you at the SWPP convention btw?
 
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I joind the local club, the people were very pleasant, but so much emphasis on competitions and it all felt very old fashioned and way too serious.

Seems that most of these clubs could do with some younger blood, can't see that happening with the vast majority still aimed at and run by the older generation

Another problem I think is that younger people conduct their lives via social media and can't imagine them sitting listening to a talk in the local community hall

Perhaps these old style clubs will just naturally become extinct and not replaced with anything similar. Things evolve and if there is a demand something will emerge, but my opinion is that they will become more of a virtual online concept.

Personally find it hard being in the middle ground, too old for all the face book lark, but too young at least in mind for the traditional club.
 
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CharlotteM said:
Oh I meant like... for example... there's a great photographic studio in London. It's like, £800 a day to hire it as a single photographer shooting on your own. If you hire it with multiple photographers it goes up to like, £1200 BUT you can have up to five people shooting. So it comes down to like, £250 in price instead of £800. I didn't mean 'group discounts to the zoo'.

Or you could split the cost of hiring a hotel. Or a country house. Or all kinds of things. Good if you have a heavy bias towards people who like shooting people.

Were you at the SWPP convention btw?
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Ah - I get you now - these are Barnsley folk Charlotte, they don't like to spend move than £3 on a night out let alone share £1,200 in a studio day :D

Every year I mean to go to the convention and never do, 3 of my mates were giving masterclasses too this time - good then that I've heard it all before :)

Dave
 
tijuana taxi said:
I joind the local club, the people were very pleasant, but so much emphasis on competitions and it all felt very old fashioned and way too serious.

Seems that most of these clubs could do with some younger blood, can't see that happening with the vast majority still aimed at and run by the older generation

Another problem I think is that younger people conduct their lives via social media and can't imagine them sitting listening to a talk in the local community hall

Perhaps these old style clubs will just naturally become extinct and not replaced with anything similar. Things evolve and if there is a demand something will emerge, but my opinion is that they will become more of a virtual online concept.

Personally find it hard being in the middle ground, too old for all the face book lark, but too young at least in mind for the traditional club.
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Our average age is certainly in the 40s bud and we're all active on Facebook chatting & sharing images, the older end of 60s+ are the ones needing most help with their photography as they seemed to have picked up a camera post retirement, and they too are embracing Facebook as the way forwards :)

Dave
 
DG Phototraining said:
Every year I mean to go to the convention and never do, 3 of my mates were giving masterclasses too this time - good then that I've heard it all before :)

Dave
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Ah, It must have been someone else who was 'two-initials-phototraining'. Thought I recognised the name, that's all. :D
 
Steve Smith said:
I used to go to a local club which had a feature which I preferred to competitions. Photographs would be shown and club members were invited to say what they thought about it or ask questions. The photographer would then say a few words about it. It was much more informative to hear many peoples opinions than to hear why a judge thought it was no good and how he would have done it differently.
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+1.

I think it can be very daunting to join a camera club so a newbie session every few months allows those who turn up to be educated on the very basics.

Also agree that the best way of learning is to C&C a photo. Perhaps do a session on say portrait photography and then the next session, the photos that were taken are submitted and selected ones analysed (wouldn't expect you to go through them all!). But the idea is that you learn, you improve and the next time you do a portrait shoot, your photos are better because you've learned something and implemented it.

I would also vary themes/topics and have small trips out, even if very local, to cover topics like night photography or a club trip to a zoo for wildlife etc. Much more daunting to go on your own but more fun if there's a group.
 
omens said:
+1.

I think it can be very daunting to join a camera club so a newbie session every few months allows those who turn up to be educated on the very basics.

Also agree that the best way of learning is to C&C a photo. Perhaps do a session on say portrait photography and then the next session, the photos that were taken are submitted and selected ones analysed (wouldn't expect you to go through them all!). But the idea is that you learn, you improve and the next time you do a portrait shoot, your photos are better because you've learned something and implemented it.

I would also vary themes/topics and have small trips out, even if very local, to cover topics like night photography or a club trip to a zoo for wildlife etc. Much more daunting to go on your own but more fun if there's a group.
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Yep - doing all that :)

I've organised a 'Lifestyle' outdoor portrait shoot with 'Models' too as that seems to get people interested

What they don't yet know, and won't until the shoot, is that they are the models :D So I'm challenging them to shoot each other in small groups, then I'll go around and start to 'correct' if needed :)

Dave
 
DG Phototraining said:
What they don't yet know, and won't until the shoot, is that they are the models :D So I'm challenging them to shoot each other in small groups, then I'll go around and start to 'correct' if needed :)
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Oh god, don't do that. I would walk away and perhaps not bother coming back if that was sprung upon me.
 
A very interesting discussion indeed, and good spread of opinions from members contributing to it.

A common theme emerging does seem to one of over emphasis on competitions by most camera clubs, and it does seem to deter people form joining one. It certainly put me off from joining either of the two long established clubs local to me, and made me look further afield.

There is actually a third club, which is very local to me, that takes the competition thing to the extreme. They state that members are EXPECTED to enter both internal and external competitions, probably to feed their desire to be the top club in the Eastern Region. In fact I suspect that unless you have the relevant letters after your name, you wouldn't get in anyway.

I spent months thinking about joining a camera club, and wrote the secretary of three of them, asking for information about their programme of activity, or studied the website of others.

With the exception of just two, all of them were more about competitions than photography.

One the two with a well balanced programme, was unfortunately a 25 mile drive across country, and I mean 'across country'. The other, which I joined was in the next county, but an easy drive, and almost 5 months on, I have no regrets, and am still enjoying both the activity and the company.

They don't do any 'glamour shoots', and as far as I know, nobody has suggested that they do. I think I would have to agree with Dave, that they are probably 'soft porn' nights for the blokes, and the fact that the club has several lady members, I think that they would feel uncomfortable with it.

There is one member who is into nude lady models (oops!!, perhaps 'into' isn't the best word here :naughty:), and he goes off to various studios and pays for modelling sessions to satisfy his "photographic" needs. If that's what he enjoys, then fair enough, each to his own I say. However, IMO such activity doesn't sit well within a camera club, that has both young people and lady members.

Dave
 
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What I'm looking for from this club as the 50th Member is!
Mentor, Where a new photographer teams up with an experienced one. (can be good but not always practical) Rather than competitions I would prefer open criticism sessions of unnamed recent work too.
For beginners it’s hard to get critic feedback without been pulled to shreds. Feedback is awesome but we need to know what where we can change with the same equipment used. not you need to buy this lens that camera (budget everyone starts at the bottom we need to learn how to use the equipments we have first) Its hard for people who have not got the same equipments as experts full frame cameras top lens too etc we don’t get the same results,
I’d like to know how to process a photo too I have light room and elements but learn from U tube.
I joined this club purely on the fact it was not a competition type of club but an club about technique first. Which I feel will help me progress with my work, Using tips from everyone NOT just experts :) there is a strong set of experts in this club, in all fields of photography, who I feel i will get a lot of help from, I'm not a complete beginner but I’m self taught, Internet, U tube one two classes is all good but not the right way to learn bad habits. It’s a very friendly club, after only yes it’s very daunting to join a camera club but if all clubs was like this down to earth, We can learn about the photography first and make lots of new friendships along the way while having fun on a boring lonely Sunday night
Thanks
 
DaveS2 said:
They don't do any 'glamour shoots', and as far as I know, nobody has suggested that they do. I think I would have to agree with Dave, that they are probably 'soft porn' nights for the blokes, and the fact that the club has several lady members, I think that they would feel uncomfortable with it.

There is one member who is into nude lady models (oops!!, perhaps 'into' isn't the best word here :naughty:), and he goes off to various studios and pays for modelling sessions to satisfy his "photographic" needs. If that's what he enjoys, then fair enough, each to his own I say. However, IMO such activity doesn't sit well within a camera club, that has both young people and lady members.
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I can't see any reason why female photographers would feel uncomfortable with male photographers who shoot female nudes. I'd be pretty horrified if my male photographer friends felt uncomfortable with me shooting male nudes. And I'm a young person. Or at least, I've been shooting male nudes since my early 20's.

The problem is when it's *always* a female glamour model. If you're going to get female glamour models in (which is perfectly reasonable) then get a male glamour model in sometimes too...
 
realspeed said:
A CAMERA club that also showed how to use the facilities in a camera menu to the best advantage.
For example lighting- studio setup -how to get the best out of available props -best backgrounds to show of people and their clothing etc etc

Otherwise it would be a photographic club aimed at showing off each others photos and having competitions
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I'm in agreement with this. Unfortunately they all seem to be the latter.
 
DG Phototraining said:
Strange attitude - done it before and it works very well - I guess I'll just cancel your invite :D

Dave
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The reason is because I used to go to a camera club. Several times the model failed to turn up for the evenings shooting. The first time it happened the other members asked if they could photograph me instead. Fine, I thought, I don't mind them taking some head shots of me. They can buy me a beer afterwards. About 30 minutes into the session, two of the members came over and asked me if I'd take my top off and do some glamour poses because 'young girls look good that way'. As you can imagine, after that I refused to get in front of the camera again at the camera club. I found it disrespectful - I would not have asked them the same thing. Another club I went to see when I moved to a different place, I walked in the door and one of the members said 'I didn't realise we'd booked a model for tonight'. The assumption that because I was youngish and female that I was there to look pretty rather than talk technicals.

Unfortunately this *is* a common attitude amongst camera clubs. I have quite an extensive network of female photographer friends (I have particular interests as a journalist around encouraging women into the hobby/industry) and many of them have been to camera clubs. Many of them will simply not go back having been asked to be photographed nude etc by members at portrait evenings and so forth. I'm sure that they mean nothing by it and it's just a generation-gap thing, but as a camera club organiser I would be ultra careful if you were encouraging members to photograph each other that this kind of behaviour simply does not happen. If it does happen, to be honest, I'd chuck them out of the club. It sounds extreme, but it's the only way to create a place that women feel comfortable as photographers and that they're not there as eye-candy while the guys do the technical talk (something else I have experienced first hand - people assuming I won't get it because I'm female).

Now, I know I'm likely to get shot down for posting this. (Women speaking about women's issues on the internet can face some very vile reactions) But I do think that if camera clubs make the effort to make it inclusive and equal then they will open the door to a broader and more diverse membership. I know that lots of my female friends have looked for camera clubs that suited them in the past but have been unable to find anything. Instead we often all get together in the pub with a load of prints on the table and take turns ripping them to pieces. If you can understand the issues that many women (especially younger ones) face in the world of camera clubs, and successfully navigate it (which is sounds like you should be able to from your postings) then you're well on your way to creating a place that will really flourish. Honestly, I wish someone would do the same around here!
 
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Don't get me wrong Charlotte, I think the female form is a thing of beauty, and to be admired, but not in a camera club with a mix of some quite young people, and ladies.

There are plenty of studios that cater for those photographers, who want to pursue this aspect of photography.

As a bloke, the last thing I want to be seeing, is a nude man.

In the showers after sport, is neither here nor there, but posing for photo shoot, no thanks.

I am a strictly heterosexual guy, 50 years married, with grandchildren.

Out of interest asked my wife, my daughter, and my daughter-in-law, if they would enjoy looking at male nudes, and their answer was no thank you, I'd rather not. I could be wrong of course, but I suspect if I asked the same question of the ladies at my camera club, I would get the same answer.

However, as I said. "each to his (or her) own", and the freedom to choose without being discriminated against, is what democracy is all about. Live and let live. :)

Dave
 
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I think planning a once a year get away would be good , a bit like the 52ers on here do . You could keep it to the UK , or plan for further away like the Iceland trip in the meets section . I'm sure that if arranged early enough you'd be able to get good group rates , and folk could save weekly / monthly into a fund for it .
 
Nothing. Which is why I've never joined a camera club as such...

Instead I've joined Redeye which is a photographer's club not a camera club. They run interesting events where artists talk about their work and they offer portfolio reviews and talks from artists. They are more art focussed. They also have trips out. The Ilford tour was worth the membership fee alone.

A women and guardian reading men only camera club might do better at attracting more women.
 
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