Fed Up With 'Camera Club Judges' --

[Freakscene]

I refuse to belong to any club that will have me for a member. (With a nod to Groucho Marx.)

With bes regards.

Pfreddee(Stephen)

Absolutely the same for me. Thanks forever Groucho, and thanks for reminding us @Pfredee.

Marty

 

[Keith]

Never had the remotest desire to join any camera club or group. I'm a bit antisocial by nature ... photography is very personal for me and those camera groups that go on walks are the absolute antithesis of how I relate to a camera and photography! 🙂

 

[elmarman]

at Brentwood & District Photographic Club now I run a 'Small Group of ACTIVE Enthusiasts' who do not worry what 'Judges Say' on Competition Nights !! We do some Street Photography -- go on Coach Trips , meet up in Konch's Cafe for Pie & Mash and Photo Talk etc -- there are many members who no longer show any photos -- just SIT THERE to be Entertained !! One is 94 years old and has 27 Cameras including 3D ones but never shows an Image any more -- I am 85 now BUT ACTIVE ! The Club DOES have a Monthly On-Line Magazine and I am the main Contributor with Stories of my Trips out with Photos - also we have a Dreaded Facebook Page which I never see as I am NOT on Facebook -- it was done hopefully to attract YOUNGER MEMBERS but if a YOUNGER PERSON comes Gingerly to the Door - usually LATE when Meeting has started and sees the Serried Ranks of Us PENSIONERS we never see them again . All local Clubs are mostly Pensioners now -- no Young People will join 'Clubs' as I did when I was 15 and joined the South Essex Camera Club in 1952 and although all were 'Older' I never noticed -- just saw 'Fellow Photography Enthusiasts -- Fellows of The Royal Photographic Society used to help me -- one showed me Printing with Amidol Developer and his Wife fed me Marmalade Toast then I would Cycle all the way back to East Ham. Many years later in my 20's I joined the Royal and in 1970 got my 'ARPS Letters after my name !

 

[jszokoli]

At the New York City RFF meet-up while many have brought prints and books of their work nothing has ever been judged. To me judging images is somewhat pointless. Who is the judge? Why?

Seeing other’s images is always fascinating as they vary so much. When not being judged individuals are free to bring what they feel most satisfied with, not something to please a narrow group or judge.

Now it’s been the custom of the NYC RFF meet-up to hold a yearly camera beauty contest. Even then no Judge, the mob rules…


Joe

 

[elmarman]

Wish I could go to NYC to meet you all - my days of Overseas travel are about OVER due to Health --

 

[Coldkennels]

Wish I could go to NYC to meet you all - my days of Overseas travel are about OVER due to Health --

When was the last London RFF meet up - if there's ever been one at all?

 

[Pál_K]

… we have a Dreaded Facebook Page which I never see as I am NOT on Facebook -- it was done hopefully to attract YOUNGER MEMBERS but if a YOUNGER PERSON comes Gingerly to the Door - usually LATE when Meeting has started and sees the Serried Ranks of Us PENSIONERS we never see them again . All local Clubs are mostly Pensioners now -- no Young People will join 'Clubs' as I did when I was 15 …

Ah, yes. We live in different times.

As for Facebook, my impression is that most people aged 40 or less are not on Facebook in anything more than a superficial way; it’s now a social platform for parents and grandparents.

There was a “camera club” at work; I intuitively stayed away from it. A coworker had recently made a photo with his digital camera: a nice serene photo. Realistic. Pleasing. Good detail and colors.

The club didn’t like it. Someone actually made a remark like “it’s a disservice to nature”.

So my friend kept dicking with the photo. Changing the lighting. Adding stuff in Photoshop. The original photo was fine; the two-weeks-later manipulated version was a caricature. The club still didn’t like it.

 

[Bob Michaels]

My camera club experience began in 1981 and ended in 1983. I joined a new camera club looking to find a way to progress. I had my new Canon AE-1 (last camera I ever bought new) and a nice home darkroom. I really latched on to the monthly photo contests as that direction replaced my simply wandering around looking for interesting things to photograph.

Just over a year, I had a) figured out what the monthly contest judges wanted to see, b) learned how to deliver what the judges wanted and consistently did well, and c) determined that what the judges wanted was not what I wanted to do with my photography.

I spent the next year as program director for the club while doing everything I could to push the limits of the monthly contests. When the monthly theme was "churches", my photos were of a nighttime tent revival photographed with Kodak 2475 high speed recording film pushed a stop. Grainy as hell. When the categories were color slides or prints, I did reversal b&w slides. There was always the interpretation of the monthly theme "well, not what we had in mind, but Bob's interpretation could be .............."

40 years later, I am still skeptical of photographers evaluation of my work compared to the general public. I don't sell anything but always have a message I want to deliver so consider what the public wants to see.

 

[Retro-Grouch]

I refuse to belong to any club that will have me for a member. (With a nod to Groucho Marx.)

With bes regards.

Pfreddee(Stephen)

While my instincts are to agree with Pfreeddee, and his channeling of the genius Groucho, it just occurred to me that RFF is, actually, a camera club, just on-line. And thankfully, minus any mindless competitions!