Camera Clubs - how does yours work?

Effjay

Effjay

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Sorry if this is a contentious issue or anything.

I am a board member of a local camera club, and things are becoming a bit stale in it. We have a few good amateur guys on board and a few ego's too, just the usual mix. I was approached by a pro togger who would have liked to have joined purely for fun, landscapes and wildlife stuff (a break from his portrait bread and butter) but this was frowned upon as he was a "pro". I think the ego's in the club felt quite threatened. I thought he would have been a great asset for the club in such things as workflow talks etc.

What way do you guys recruit into your clubs at present? What constitutions do you use if any? Have you any criteria or vetting process carried out?

Sorry for all the questions on this, but I thought if anyone knows, TP knows!

Thanks

Effjay
 
I am chairman of Malden Camera Club. The club membership is skewed to the older age range. But we have now managed to recruit a number of younger members. Another problem is getting members to contribute to running the Club and not to rely on the few. I am putting a strategy together to increase membership in the younger age range e.g. under 60. To make more use of online resources to promote the Club (Flickr, facebook, blogs).
 
Fred Dawson said:
I am chairman of Malden Camera Club. The club membership is skewed to the older age range. But we have now managed to recruit a number of younger members. Another problem is getting members to contribute to running the Club and not to rely on the few. I am putting a strategy together to increase membership in the younger age range e.g. under 60. To make more use of online resources to promote the Club (Flickr, facebook, blogs).
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Fred, I tried MCC a few years ago and found it didn`t really work for me. I think it was the 2 hour slide show of someone`s underwater photo collection (as beautiful as they were...):lol:

I think for a younger audience (I`m only 34....) you`ve definitely got to get involved in the net more (something you obviously recognise!), I was surprised that the Flickr group only has 3 members.

I really hope your new drive works out for the club, I`ll have to make a point and try it again.
 
I was put off by my local camera clubs because from their websites it seemed all they did was meet once a week and look at each other's pictures. Which was not what I was looking for.

Then I found the London Photographic Meetup Group, which was much more what I was looking for; a good sized group of people who regularly go places together to take pictures. Since I joined in May, there's been an all-night london event, a trip to Hastings, a trip to the Royal Gunpowder Mills with jousting, two photo gyms where a professional comes in and does a talk/demonstration and we then go try it ourselves and come together at the end of the day to show off what we've done, plus regular social meetups.

It's a very successful group and well organised, and I think all camera clubs could learn from the way they're doing things. :thumbs:

Link here http://www.meetup.com/lpmg-org-uk/
 
I tried my local club, it's been runnng for 50 years and I think I lowered the collective average age of the membership to about 130 on the evening I popped in.
They meet once a week for two hours and to be honest I've only been twice and never seen the same faces. Last week was 'practical night', 3 shots were set up and I couldn't get near any of them. I'm too polite to be a togger and nearly t***ted one guy after he kicked my tripod and camera over in his excitement to photograph a bowl of fruit !!
I won't be going back, which is a shame because I'm sure I could learn a great deal from one or two of the guys I met.
 
Our Camera Club as a wide range of subjects people shoot and also a wide range of age group. From 13, 30s,40s,50s,60s, we have two pros who do not think the are god they enter compsin the club and have won the odd one just like any other member. Members meet up through the week & go off somewhere. We have a long weekend away in May Thursday to Sunday & 7 comps a year also two or three comps with other clubs.

http://www.ttlcameraclub.com
 
Our club, Maidenhead CC has been running since 1800 and something.
There is the usual mix of amatures, keen togs and a couple of pros.
Ages range from about 20's to very old!!!
We have a comp night once a month, external speakers a couple of times a month and internal speakers. The committee do a fantastic job keeping things fresh, and thers always some trips going on to somewhere.
I dont find much evidence of egos (except my huge one:p) in the 3 years ive been a member.
Dean:)
 
we had pro's all the time..as judges
if they wanted to throw their weight around we invited them to exhibit and we would judge
those with studio lighting would do a workshop
and one evening we even had wet developing a colour film and printed shot that evening

of course the pro's were either members or honorary and entered comps but didnt always win...you may ask why...they stuck out like a sore thumb

i know my place
 
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