what happens at a camera club?

I grew up in single speed bikes and back pedal braking. They are the best! Oh and a nice upright seating position as well.
 
I tried a camera club, can see why the youngsters would be put off, but so was this reasonably youthful 55 year old ( I do wear more modern attire than some of my years and still have a liking for loud rock music)

Some of the oldies were pleasant enough, but just so ancient in their ways, my arse went to sleep sat watching a slideshow of some blokes trip to Prague, highlight was the halftime break to take tea and suck a biscuit. Went again to see if it was always that dreadful, even worse and another two hours bum numbing while some hitherto unseen pompous old git gave his "expert opinion" on assorted slides and mounted prints.
Really didn't like this judge character, not sure if it was his sanctimonious attitude or the way he bullied and bossed his timid missus (assistant) about that gave me the hump most, in hindsight it was definitely the latter.

I'm not interested enough to try and form my own community, guess that's the problem although not sure what happens when all the olds pass away and take their care home clubs with them.
 
Not very great feedback on camera clubs! Ours in Belfast is fab. Yes there are competitions if you're interested. There's practical sessions, banter, different outings, a variety of speakers, a wide age range and hardly an anorak in sight. And all for £40 a year. You couldn't beat it in terms of what we get out of it
 
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My club (Kilmarnock) is excellent, mainly geared towards training, sharing knowledge and experience and improving everyone's photography. We have practical nights throughout the year, trips, guest speakers and a good few competitions but there is no pressure to enter and they too are used to improve technique. Lovely friendly, welcoming atmosphere and a big spread of ages etc. All digital photography now, and competition format is digital, print or a combination. Can't fault it at all, lucky to have such a good club close to me :)
 
Techy Guy said:
Can't fault it at all, lucky to have such a good club close to me :)
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Me too, but my goodness they are a rarity it would seem from the input to this 'thread'.

From looking at their web-sites, as I did when looking for a modern forward looking club, most all of the clubs in my area (South Suffolk), fit all the negatives described in this 'thread'. An all encompassing description would be 'stuck in a time warp', and obsessed with competitions, at the expense of everything else photography.

So yes, I was very lucky to find a fresh, up to date, and forward thinking club, with a varied and interesting program. However, it was only two years old when I joined last year, and those that created it, were clearly aware that a fresh approach was needed to break away the stereotype camera club image that prevails, and puts a lot of people off, both young and old, from joining.

Dave
 
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drounding said:
Why do camera clubs have a 'season'? Don't members create images all year round?
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I've wondered this, too. I just joined a local club (east Kent) and next week is our last meeting until September.... just when I was getting into it! I belonged to some camera clubs in the US (Texas and Colorado) but they went all year round.
 
It is a good question Jane, and one that I asked at my club.

The answer was, that during the period end of May to the beginning of September, many members will be away on holiday, and as such the attendance at meetings would likely be low.

I guess it does also makes life a bit easier for program secretaries, who have to organise the program of events. The break gives them a 3 month window that they don't have to worry about it.

Dave
 
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I looked around in my area some time ago to see what was around. Found Ely photographic club's website and had a good nose around. Looks friendly enough but judging by the pictures, the youngest member is probably long retired and the calendar was just full of self praising competitions and awards, of course it's possible their website doesn't represent them very well, but it was enough to put me off.
 
Ian-Highlander said:
of course it's possible their website doesn't represent them very well
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It probably does Ian, in keeping with the majority of them.

I had to venture into the next county to find a good one. albeit its not too far to drive.

Dave
 
not sure what happens when all the olds pass away and take their care home clubs with them
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and the wind cries mary......

still wearing sta press eh.. gosh
 
Camera club - the essence of the name is totally wrong and sums up everything it shouldn't be. "Mines bigger and better than yours" you need this because.... It's all going to end up in a c*** waving exercise!
 
Blank_Canvas said:
Camera club - the essence of the name is totally wrong and sums up everything it shouldn't be. "Mines bigger and better than yours" you need this because.... It's all going to end up in a c*** waving exercise!
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How about Photographic Society, as most of them are called ?

I think you'll find that 'Camera Club' is the generic term that most people use, probably because it's both quicker to say, and quicker to type. :)

Dave
 
That's better ! Anything with photographic or photography in the title but 'Camera' - No !

It doesn't bode well if someone that thinks that Camera Club is easier to annunciate and is a better title because it's easier to write !
 
We have a new 'Photo Club' - it went from 0 to 50 members in just under a year and we've repeatedly featured in local newspapers

One of the former largest clubs hereabouts now has about 8 members, and 6 of them are on the Committee !!!

Old style clubs are boring, ours works largely because of Facebook (though we do meet fortnightly too), and through the fact that there's a mini meet somewhere almost weekly taking photos. The last session I organised in advance had 26 people turn up, and that was for a wet nighttime in January :)

Dave
 
Photographic meet ups are a great idea and are springing up all over the place on forums (such as this) Facebook and special interest groups. It's a really good thing. It's now and it's happening. The image of the Camera Club is just so very 80s with the Chairman explaining that if you haven't used the rule of the thirds then the image simply can't work. Been there, done that and escaped from it ! Things have to move on and evolve.
 
The last one I was a member of had Camera Club in the title. I think that was more to do with it being started in the 1940s when the camera was more of a novelty than it is now.


Steve.
 
Does it really matter what it's called? Surely it's about friends, talks, outings, help and advice and fun?

Most clubs/groups in Northern Ireland have informal get togethers over the summer but have an open night early in September. I'd suggest going to an open night to get a 'feel' for it, chat to a few people etc. you can't properly determine whether it would suit you from a website.

Julie
 
GalJulie said:
Does it really matter what it's called?
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You CLEARY haven't experienced being at an 'old' club !!!

At my previous one, which had been going for 27 years, we managed to raise membership from 15 to 40 over a couple of years by getting in much younger folk, even some teens. Several of us then decided it'd be great to update the look of the club by changing the logo from a 90 yr old bloke operating a box camera on a tripod with a cable release to something much more modern. It led to a whole series of heated committee arguments and when it went to a members' vote the new style won massively - this led to 3 old boys LEAVING THE CLUB !!! :runaway::runaway::runaway:

So "Does it really matter what it's called?" you ask - well to some of them DAMN RIGHT it matters !!! Silly old gits :ROFLMAO:

Dave
 
I tried a couple of local clubs to me, but with much the same results as others here. Too many older principles and thought processes shall we say. :D

I did look at the option of finding out a few people on Flickr and the like locally to try and get a weekly meet going for those under 50, but no-one could really be arsed to join anything or help get it going.
 
No, Dave. I haven't experienced the older clubs. Our club is great and has managed to balance the needs of young and old. The committee change regularly at the AGM which I guess keeps things fresh.

If everyone in this thread is saying the same thing, could a few new clubs not be set up?
 
@wibbly - why the age restriction? Do you honestly think that once you get to a certain age you suddenly switch off? I am 60 in three weeks time and can't bear "traditional" clubs, and I know that there are many similar people out there. A lot of those photographers pushing the boundaries on photography wouldn't be allowed in your club.
 
Bythesea said:
@wibbly - why the age restriction? Do you honestly think that once you get to a certain age you suddenly switch off? I am 60 in three weeks time and can't bear "traditional" clubs, and I know that there are many similar people out there. A lot of those photographers pushing the boundaries on photography wouldn't be allowed in your club.
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Well said Brian. :clap:

I'm 71, and had kept away from the traditional, refusing to change, stuck in a time warp clubs for years.

Last year I found a fresh new club (then just two years old), that had not followed the 'been that way for ever' stereotype clubs. Just completed my first year with them, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

As for age, its just a number, and you don't have to be under 50, to think and act under 50.:wave:

Dave
 
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DaveS2 said:
As for age, its just a number, and you don't have to be under 50, to think and act under 50.
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Totally agree Dave, and to turn that on it's head, you don't have to be over 50 to think and act over 50! ;)
 
I'm over 50, but certainly not over the hill!

I think the traditional camera clubs stem from the fact that photography was a mostly technical pastime years ago. Now that the digital world is well established and camera technology has moved on considerably, photography is (can be) more of an art form than ever before. You don't need any technical ability to make great images.

I would love to find a local camera club that meets every week or so throughout the year. There doesn't need to be much arranged, just a topic of the week for discussion and a bit of participation perhaps.

I also think the majority of people who are members of the 'old style' camera clubs would be very unlikely to be members of internet forums such as this, I see nobody has come out in favour of them.
 
I think the name "Camera Club" creates an image of an equipment obsessed organisation.
Ours is a "Photographic Society" and it's much more about images, in fact equipment is very rarely talked about.
When I first went along I didn't quite know what to expect.
I knew there would be competitions and I was not sure how I would feel about that aspect, but it's something I have enjoyed participating in.
However, I used to think "I'll take photos that I like, and if anyone else likes them it's a bonus."
After entering a few comps, and hearing judges comments on both my and others images, I now find I'm taking photos that I think judges will like rather than ones that I like.
So it's fair to say that taking part in comps has changed my approach to photography, which I don't think is a bad thing. since I now look for pictures differently than I did previously.
One thing that I find especially challenging is a Set Subject competition, and I find it interesting to see other people's interpretations of a set subject.

Our club has regular members evenings where members analyse their own images and explain why they took the shot, and what processing was applied to achieve the end result.
The latter is an important aspect to me, since I was previously unsure as to how much manipulation was expected, or allowed, to a picture.
It appears that for some judges the answer is "Quite a lot", and I've heard judges advocating all sorts of changes, ranging from a different crop, to "clone this out", or "move that from here to there."
As someone who has resisted Photoshop for many years I have now taken the plunge with CS6.

For me, I think club membership has been beneficial, and I shall continue membership for the foreseeable future.

As for "You don't need any technical ability to make great images." you wouldn't get far in a club comp with an attitude like that, since most judges are looking for the involvement of the photographer in making the image.
 
tijuana taxi said:
I tried a camera club, can see why the youngsters would be put off, but so was this reasonably youthful 55 year old ( I do wear more modern attire than some of my years and still have a liking for loud rock music)

Some of the oldies were pleasant enough, but just so ancient in their ways, my arse went to sleep sat watching a slideshow of some blokes trip to Prague, highlight was the halftime break to take tea and suck a biscuit. Went again to see if it was always that dreadful, even worse and another two hours bum numbing while some hitherto unseen pompous old git gave his "expert opinion" on assorted slides and mounted prints.
Really didn't like this judge character, not sure if it was his sanctimonious attitude or the way he bullied and bossed his timid missus (assistant) about that gave me the hump most, in hindsight it was definitely the latter.

I'm not interested enough to try and form my own community, guess that's the problem although not sure what happens when all the olds pass away and take their care home clubs with them.
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Yup, that about sums it up!
 
DG Phototraining said:
You CLEARY haven't experienced being at an 'old' club !!!

At my previous one, which had been going for 27 years, we managed to raise membership from 15 to 40 over a couple of years by getting in much younger folk, even some teens. Several of us then decided it'd be great to update the look of the club by changing the logo from a 90 yr old bloke operating a box camera on a tripod with a cable release to something much more modern. It led to a whole series of heated committee arguments and when it went to a members' vote the new style won massively - this led to 3 old boys LEAVING THE CLUB !!! :runaway::runaway::runaway:

So "Does it really matter what it's called?" you ask - well to some of them DAMN RIGHT it matters !!! Silly old gits :ROFLMAO:

Dave
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Just to recap.

You criticise the 'old gits' for caring about the name/logo of the club, and say does it really matter?

But you and others evidently cared enough to force through a change to said name/logo?

Have I missed something or is my irony filter broken?
 
GalJulie said:
Not very great feedback on camera clubs! Ours in Belfast is fab. Yes there are competitions if you're interested. There's practical sessions, banter, different outings, a variety of speakers, a wide age range and hardly an anorak in sight. And all for £40 a year. You couldn't beat it in terms of what we get out of it
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Which club is this ? I've been wanting to pop along to a camera club (even after reading this thread ;)) I spoke to one of the members of catchlight recently, I sold him a lens., but it seems that club is way oversubscribed. I'm in Lisburn so wouldn't want to travel much further than Belfast.
 
Belfast Photo Imaging Club (BPIC), Jim. It's on a Thursday night from 7.30-10pm. We're based at Morton Community Centre, Lorne Street (off Tate's Avenue - top end) so very handy to the motorway for Lisburn :)

Our open night is first Thursday in September but keep an eye on the website - bpicni.com - for the details. Come along and have a cuppa and a natter - hope to see you then!

Julie
 
GalJulie said:
Belfast Photo Imaging Club (BPIC), Jim. It's on a Thursday night from 7.30-10pm. We're based at Morton Community Centre, Lorne Street (off Tate's Avenue - top end) so very handy to the motorway for Lisburn :)

Our open night is first Thursday in September but keep an eye on the website - bpicni.com - for the details. Come along and have a cuppa and a natter - hope to see you then!

Julie
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Thanks julie, yeah I know Lorne street, I'll maybe pop along at some point !
 
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