Should I Join a Photography club

[stevewestern]

Great thread, thank you.

Are clubs primarily concerned with the dark winter evenings and close for the summer?

Our club has weekly meet-ups in the summer at local villages or a beach etc, all with a pub nearby. The idea is a stroll around with your camera while chatting with anyone (member or public) then a quick drink. They are some the best club evenings as you get to know other club members, and we've got some very nice people in ours.
I put off joining a club for years but am glad I finally did. I'm not really interested in competitions and seem to disagree with what most judges say (especially about my pictures......) but it's made me think a lot more about my photography and helped my confidence.
We've had winners who only use their phones, proving that expensive gear isn't essential and I've now got a couple of trophies which were a thrill to win, not least as one was voted for by club members instead of a judge.

 

[Marc1548]

Some really good points of view thank you all. I contacted my local club & they said I was welcome to just turn up at one of there meetings, looking at there schedule there not too much happening over xmas. So I will be going along in the new year just to see what its all about. Im keeping an open mind but tbh it seems a little regimented so not sure it would be for me. As mentioned above Im not really interested in competitions, sure, share your images for feedback would be great though.
I think what would be ideal for me is perhaps an informal group of local photographers who just want to get out with a camera & have a beer afterwards without the formality of committees membership fees etc etc.
After all I think it was the great Kieth Floyd who said,..."A committee is a group of well intentioned people who individually can do nothing & together decide that nothing can be done" How true, at least in most cases imo.

 

[tijuana taxi]

I think what would be ideal for me is perhaps an informal group of local photographers who just want to get out with a camera & have a beer afterwards without the formality of committees membership fees etc etc.

My daughter was a member of a group like that, mainly younger people that met in the lounge bar of a local hotel.
Went and did different things such as photographing spinning lighted wire wool and social stuff like meals out.

 

[swanseamale47]

Theres clubs and clubs. Many moons ago I started camera clubbing and my experiences was mixed. Some clubs were terrible, some just unfriendly, some only concerned with winning competitions, and eveyr now and then... a nice club. They sadly didn't seem to last long.

It's decades since I last went, I dont think I have the patience now to cope with the silly or petty camera snobs you often find. Over the years I've developed "honesty tourettes syndrome " I tend to say what I think......

They say honesty is the best policy, it's maybe true, but it doesn't half cause some fights......

 

[realspeed]

No clubs near me, not that I would join to hear others saying how good their photos are.