Local Camera Club - Should I Give It A Try?

candlestick

candlestick

Suspended / Banned
Messages
1,461
Name
The King Of Prestwich
Edit My Images
Yes
Morning all,

I spotted an advert in our weekly free paper for an open day for a local Camera Club, which due to other commitments I couldn't attend. Anyhoo, I've contacted the secretary who has given me details of when they meet etc

Should I give it a try, or will it be full of old duffers who'll sneer at my digital technology?? If I do decide to try it, do I take along all of my kit, or is it more like a meeting??

Thoughts???
 
I'm a member of my local camera club and really enjoy it. A real mix of ages and ability (and outlook). Most are now digital and there is very little film. I wouldn't take your kit along if you go for a look around. Our club is more about the images and inspiration behind photography than the kit.
 
What have you got to lose? Pop along, at the end of the day if you like the people you will enjoy it no matter what their photographic preference is.
 
blazzar said:
What have you got to lose? Pop along, at the end of the day if you like the people you will enjoy it no matter what their photographic preference is.
Click to expand...

Exactly.
 
Give it a shot, if you don`t go how will you know whether it`s for you? I tried my local one and it really didn`t click for me, but I`m going to try a few others.
 
Go for it, there is one local to me that I couldnt join as my college class clashed with it, but I might look at joining again. Its more about making friends with similar interests than the size of your kit :)
 
Give it a try and see what the situation is. It may be just what you want. Hope it works out for you.

My local club couldn't have been more uninterested in me as a new member. Took along my camera (400D) to the first meeting and was told 'nobody brings a camera to meetings' None of the officials of the club welcomed me or even spoke to me. A lot of the members only 'do slides' Three of the members didn't own cameras! The club forum had a total of 17 posts in two years (and three of them were down to me). At the last meeting I went to I was told I should have brought some images on a pen drive despite no one mentioning it to me.
So after three meeting I didn't go back.

There is a new club opening up in the vicinity I'll def. give it a try.

Paul
 
Hobbytog said:
My local club couldn't have been more uninterested in me as a new member. Took along my camera (400D) to the first meeting and was told 'nobody brings a camera to meetings' None of the officials of the club welcomed me or even spoke to me. A lot of the members only 'do slides' Three of the members didn't own cameras! The club forum had a total of 17 posts in two years (and three of them were down to me). At the last meeting I went to I was told I should have brought some images on a pen drive despite no one mentioning it to me.
So after three meeting I didn't go back.
Click to expand...



Sounds like something out of the League of Gentlemen.

This is a local club, for local people.....:D


There was a few people that spoke to me at the Malden one, it`s just that I wanted something more hands on than just looking at pictures for two hours.
 
Thats a shame hobbytog, that would certainly put me off too :(
 
It's a difficult balancing act running a club, if you've only got a small membership you can't pay speakers and the like and you only need a few people 'unable to attend' one week and the numbers start to look silly.

Larger clubs have bigger budgets and can thus organise bigger events, but you personally have less chance of changing anything.

Go along - don't take your camera, and just watch for couple of weeks, if you don't feel welcome don't go again. Most clubs will make a fuss of you as they are so short of members.

But remember just because someone is on the committee doesn't mean they have any interpersonal skills, they may be dreadfully shy, they could of course just be rude.
 
Hey Hobbytog, sorry to hear about your experiences with the club. As a matter of interest, which one was it? (PM me if you don't want to tell the world.) I'm not sure which part of Norfolk you are from, but there is a new club recently started in the Bunwell area. We have about twenty members after only a couple of meetings, with a few more "visitors" turning up as well. There is a wide range of skills and abilities, but the absolute beginner is most welcome - we all had to start somewhere!
 
First post so be gentle,

I would say pop along and have a look see what you think. You have nothing to loose!?!

While i am on this subject does anyone know or can recommend a club in Sunderland as i am clubless and looking.


Snooch...
 
i will be going to my local club in september to see what its like,ive got to do some thing cant keep the camera in green all the time:'(
 
i went to my local club, was not that impressed, stuffy, clicky and out of touch. seemed to be full of (mostly) single men with questionable social and communication skills (too long in the dark room???)

they had a photography competition and the winner was.... a piece of digital art, a very false surreal image (i'm not calling it a photo) made from three separate images, i dont have a problem with digital art - but it was a photography club...

not been back...
 
I went to my l;ocal camera club and yes they where all older than me and I figured been doing photography for years and years... But they where all (wlel mostly) going from film to digital.. they did do slides and used film but most (inc the very old) where embracing the digital age.

Small club with probably most members on the committee... someone for everyhting. Including someone whos job it was to meet new users and introduce everyone and give them an overview of whats what.

Your right no one brings a camera unless its portrait night hehe.. all in all i found it a great experience.. I was expecting a sort of class.. but its generally informal with somehting different to do/see every week.

Long term not for me as most weeks the subject matter was not my cup of tea.. But I would encourage anyone to try one out if you ahve one near you... they cant make you come back if you dont want :)
 
sportysnaps said:
i went to my local club, was not that impressed, stuffy, clicky and out of touch. seemed to be full of (mostly) single men with questionable social and communication skills (too long in the dark room???)

they had a photography competition and the winner was.... a piece of digital art, a very false surreal image (i'm not calling it a photo) made from three separate images, i dont have a problem with digital art - but it was a photography club...

not been back...
Click to expand...

that local club didn't happen to be N***H camera club,did it....?

i went to a few of their meetings and found them okay,but their meetings clash with my karate training night,so i'm looking for another that doesn't clash.........
 
Is there a list of local clubs anywhere on the forum? That would be useful as I have no idea if there are any local to me.

Chris
 
My girlfriend got me to join her camera club which she had just joined and we both really enjoy it, the club has separate digital and studio groups as well as the main club, we get to do something photographic at least there times a month sometimes more. The members are a good mix of people with a real interest in photography, who are keen to pass on tips and help when needed.

Most of the photography is digital print or digital projected and we have a fair number of competitions a year. We have invited judges and they are generally very good and you get the judges breakdown of the photo and a mark. It’s really good when you get others opinions and can see yourself improving (better framing/content etc).

The club has completions which cater for manipulated photographs as well as pure photographs. The club is very open minded to computer modified images and there is no restrictions (except marks received in competitions, if the result is just to much!) as to what can be done to images. So from removing dust and hairs to adjusting the sky colour it’s the result that counts not the method. This neatly gets around any possibly arguments about processed images, as this has been going on for years with conventional developing and printing just in a different way.

To demonstrate the success of the club, membership is limited to 45 and there is now at least a year wait to join. This has the benefit of keeping it to a small friendly group without to much trouble finding venues for meeting's. We pay £20 pounds a year membership and a couple of years back got a grant from the National Lottery to buy a digital projector which apart from display high quality images automatically totals scores etc. during competitions.
 
This thread makes me laugh as I first attended a club back in the early nineties and was a bit put off by things like the average age/slow proceedings/endless natural history/etc but eventually found that I only got out of it what I put into it. After a period of time I picked up a good working knowledge on composition/exposure control/ hyperfocal focusing and all manner of other things photographic.

I only returned two years ago and found that I still had a load to learn but could also give a little back. We run workshops (I am doing three next session) and I even joined the committee as I felt some of my skills would be useful to the club.

All in all a great investment in my time - even if it did not always feel that way!

Stick it out, work on what it is you want to achieve and ASK QUESTIONS!
:thumbs:
 
tappilappi said:
Hey Hobbytog, sorry to hear about your experiences with the club. As a matter of interest, which one was it? (PM me if you don't want to tell the world.) I'm not sure which part of Norfolk you are from, but there is a new club recently started in the Bunwell area. We have about twenty members after only a couple of meetings, with a few more "visitors" turning up as well. There is a wide range of skills and abilities, but the absolute beginner is most welcome - we all had to start somewhere!
Click to expand...
Hi Thanks for the post. I did see an article in the Wymondham & Attleborugh Mercury last week re the Bunwell Club and have kept the details. I think I will give the secretary a call.

Paul
 
Hi Paul, I take it you are local then? As I said, the club is very new, still finding its feet. Mostly beginners, with a few of us "old hands" who have been taking pics for years.........Doesn't mean we are very good though! Liz is the person to speak to, she is very keen and has basically started the club on her own, with help from a few others she has roped in......... But it is good fun, no ego's floating about (yet). Come along and give us a look, either give Liz a call or you can PM me for more info.
 
Also, I must say that I agree with everything HIMUPNORTH said. You only get out of it what you put in: How can I expect people to help and educate me if I do not try to help people in return?
 
MKD said:
We pay £20 pounds a year membership and a couple of years back got a grant from the National Lottery to buy a digital projector which apart from display high quality images automatically totals scores etc. during competitions.
Click to expand...

Hi. I'm in the Bradford Photographic Society, and we would like to get some funding for equipment, as we currently user a member's laptop/projector for demos and competitions.

I understand that it's not simply a case of asking for money. You need to show that your grant will benefit the community. I also hear that the grant system has changed this year, with "Awards for All" being split three ways.

Can anyone offer any advice and experience on this subject? Much appreciated.
 
depends on wither you like sitting through 2 hours of other peoples photos, not much talking, landscapes, are over 60, and drink weak tea lol


candlestick said:
Morning all,

I spotted an advert in our weekly free paper for an open day for a local Camera Club, which due to other commitments I couldn't attend. Anyhoo, I've contacted the secretary who has given me details of when they meet etc

Should I give it a try, or will it be full of old duffers who'll sneer at my digital technology?? If I do decide to try it, do I take along all of my kit, or is it more like a meeting??

Thoughts???
Click to expand...
 
I go to a camera club in Bristol.

Ok, it's not really a proper camera club. A load of us from the Flickr forums meet in a different pub each month, play with each others lenses/cameras, drink beer, photograph beer, photograph each other, photograph each other taking photographs of beer, play with lego, photograph lego and swap moo cards :D
 
Weetobix said:
I go to a camera club in Bristol.

Ok, it's not really a proper camera club. A load of us from the Flickr forums meet in a different pub each month, play with each others lenses/cameras, drink beer, photograph beer, photograph each other, photograph each other taking photographs of beer, play with lego, photograph lego and swap moo cards :D
Click to expand...

Pity i live in Lincoln or i'd have popped along, looks like the sort of camera club i would like to get into, esp. the beer bit :D

Supplemental; And the lego....
 
POAH said:
depends on wither you like sitting through 2 hours of other peoples photos, not much talking, landscapes, are over 60, and drink weak tea lol
Click to expand...

And it's that sort of dumb stereotype which is stopping people joining clubs :lol:

There are clubs which fit that description, but they are in decline. The main obstacle stopping younger people joining clubs is themselves. They are too scared to be different, and too scared to be first.

The club I go to ranges in age from 30 to 70s. Half of the evening is structured, the other half is social. The vast majority shoot digital and do some sort of post processing. We take our tea quite strong, and some even drink beer.
 
I'm currently in the umming and arring category on wether to go to my local camera club or not, I know there are some members of it on this site.
 
Most clubs let you go to one or two meetings free of charge, so you can decide if you want to join.
 
Yammer said:
And it's that sort of dumb stereotype which is stopping people joining clubs :lol:

There are clubs which fit that description, but they are in decline. The main obstacle stopping younger people joining clubs is themselves. They are too scared to be different, and too scared to be first.

The club I go to ranges in age from 30 to 70s. Half of the evening is structured, the other half is social. The vast majority shoot digital and do some sort of post processing. We take our tea quite strong, and some even drink beer.
Click to expand...



not a stereo type though is it lol
 
You ought to read the dictionary some time! :)

"stereotype noun 1 a an over-generalized and preconceived idea or impression of what characterizes someone or something, especially one that does not allow for any individuality or variation; b someone or something that conforms to such an idea, etc."
 
Wow, thread revival! :D

As an update, I went along to my local camera club last september and have just completed my first year with them. There is a high percentage of over 60s withing the club but they are very encouraging of younger members and the club is about 90% digital. Last night was the AGM and they were encouraging younger members to join the committee for next season, I was duly elected! :thumbs:
 
Bloody hell, this thread resurrection is nearly as impressive as that of Jesus!!! :D

I didn't join if anyone is interested, though they are advertising again I noticed, so I might give it a whirl at some point! :)
 
Yammer said:
You ought to read the dictionary some time! :)

"stereotype noun 1 a an over-generalized and preconceived idea or impression of what characterizes someone or something, especially one that does not allow for any individuality or variation; b someone or something that conforms to such an idea, etc."
Click to expand...


except thats what the majority of camera clubs are like hence its not a stereotype its fact
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top