UK Region 'Should I Join a Camera Club ?'

If you need to be with like minded folks and socialize with them by all means give a camera club a try.

Is it patado or potato? Is it tomahto or tomato? One persons soup is anothers poison. That’s what I found out about learning photography with camera clubs. Everyone has an opinion and each one is correct what they say, you know. It just lead me to confusion.

What helped me the most with my photography journey is finding a successful and experienced photographer who had similar ideas about the world as me and was willing to become my coach and mentor. As I became better and better with my photography, successful with my business, he became more and more pleased and happy because of his help with my success.

Find someone, just one person, who shares your dreams and is willing to help you. And stick with that person.
 
I joined the local club, and it just didn't work out. Most of them had moved on to all digital, so a film guy like myself was sort of out of place.


PF
 
I did long time ago and it didnt work, I see camera clubs as "penis size comparison club", everybody looks at other's gear, endless talks about gear, who has the biggest, the longest, the most expensive... I used to tease them showing up with pocket or pinhole cameras 😀
I never took a single good photo during the club's meet ups and walks, I never learned anything new either so eventually I understood that photography for me is a joy by my own.
 
I've enjoyed a number of Peter's videos over the years, a real antidote to a lot of the analogue hipster ones. However, the only societies I join are my choir and the Bugatti Owners Club.

I hope to move to Plymouth later this year where there is an active film camera club. I might join that for fun.
 
An interesting video, charming guy! I've been in two photo clubs... The first was Boeing Employees Camera Club, very large with interesting presentations and events, bogged down I thought by adherence to a checklist of rules in judging. I expect those same rules were adhered to in other local clubs in the national association of clubs, for overall consistency in judging. I also found that the judges were overly swayed by exotic locations. I thought this was unnecessarily rigid, so I faded away...

Secondly in this smaller community we had a small photo club, emphasis on the "photo" not "camera", that was less rich in experiences and structure but moreso in personal associations. That was fun until IT faded away!
 
First, whether or not camera clubs suit your interests, by going to one you learn what makes a picture "work" and how to take a technically good photograph - composition, exposure, print-making... That's an essential grounding to have - like knowing about grammar if you're a writer. Even if you're not a rule follower, you have to know the rules to break them! (Example: see Picasso's early works!)

Secondly, there are camera clubs and camera clubs...! I used to belong to Brighton and Hove Camera Club, and its aim is to help its members with whatever kind of photography they're into by being open minded and catering to all tastes: traditional, contemporary, film, digital... To this end it avoids the judgemental, rigid approach of some clubs, and two ways it does this is by making its competitions less like contests and more of a learning experience (they have commentators, not judges) and inviting all kinds of speakers: recently, they've had two Magnum photographers (Martin Parr, Mark Power), photojournalists (Peter Dench), contemporary photographers (Jack Latham, Laura Pannack), sports photographers (Mark Pain), war photographers (Simon Norfolk) as well as presentations by many others on street, travel and landscape photography. Then there's workshops...!

I joined knowing very little about photography, having bought my first "proper" camera (a Canon digital SLR), and went from zero to starting a master's degree in photography in 5 years! (The university accepted me based on the photos I took while at the club - I had no art qualifications.) I personally know three others who started at the club and were inspired to do a BA or MA degree in photography!

Thanks to the strong grounding from the camera club in how to look at, understand and make pictures and how to use a camera, not only did I get my MA degree but I'm now exhibiting worldwide and was invited to join the MAP6 Collective!

I'm not saying that camera clubs are for everyone, nor that they're perfect, but don't dismiss them out of hand, even if they're not your cup of tea. I've moved on in my photographic interests, so no longer go to my local club. But I'll forever be grateful for the 5 years I spent as a member as I wouldn't have achieved what I have without the camera club.
 
Beemermark said:
Photography is photography. It shouldn't be about equipment. Maybe you can show them that film camera can still take magnificent photos.
Click to expand...


I tried, but they were too set in their ways. They all loved one member's over saturated greens in his photos, and most of the monthly presentations that were made dealt with digital photography.



PF
 
My camera club is focused on competitions , both national and international .
It`s very successful .
Weekly speakers are invariable judges , very traditional in their approach.
Main subjects are nature (birds and insects) ,landscapes and composite pictures.
So when people go out to photograph they generally just shoot elements which are later brought together by software.

It follows therefore that the occasional workshops are always about software manipulation.
Gear is not an interest and neither incidentally is film despite one or two having worked in the film industry .
One member being a recognised at a national level for his darkroom work.

So the answer to the question as far as the club I`m in is concerned is yes if you`re competitive and interested in software manipulation.
 
Gosh, the Brighton and Hove club RichC mentions sounds as I would expect something to be in Brighton - a bit different to the mainstream and all the better for that, but this stress on competition and rules for judging sounds awfully like your average classic car club. A car broker of former acquaintance said the problem with car clubs was that the same people who run golf clubs, masonic lodges, trainspotting societies etc get to run them, as anybody of any individuality runs a mile.
 
CharlesDAMorgan said:
Gosh, the Brighton club sounds as I would expect something to be in Brighton, but this stress on competition and rules for judging sounds awfully like your average classic car club. A car broker of former acquaintance said the problem with car clubs was that the same people who run golf clubs, masonic lodges, trainspotting societies etc get to run them, as anybody of any individuality runs a mile.
Click to expand...


If you`re ref to my post Charles …. its Blackpool not Brighton.
There are about three clubs on this stretch of coast.
The most successful club nationally is also up here in the north but inland ,Wigan Ten.
By invite only .
This is a sample of their work and the sort of thing other UK clubs aspire to.

http://wigan10.com/
 
Thirty five years ago I attended my one and only meeting of a local camera club, one which apparently still exists.
It struck me as an extremely hierarchical society run by some very stodgy old guys, not very friendly to newcomers.

Though I'm an old guy now I still wouldn't want to be a part of a group like that.
OTOH if I could find a camera club similar to the Danebury Metal Detecting Club I might give it a go... 😉

Chris
 
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