What is a photography club for?

Vass

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What is a Photography club for?

Why do club members of many years still have no idea how their camera works?
If you have a studio night, at least 75% of members first question is
"what settings do I use?"

If you've been a member for many years, it is just a social outing for you?

Learning seems last on the list.

Discuss.......
 
It's different things to different people in my experience,

For quite a few of the elder member in our club, it is literally just a social night out, where they have company, can have a couple of pints and they are entertained (or bored) by someone talking about photography for a few hours.

For others, there is the desire to get better, learn and improve. Several times a year there are day long workshops, primarily to help people going for RPS distinctions, but basically for anyone who want to improve.

One young lady managed to get onto the degree course at Blackpool as a result of her LRPS portfolio and competiton images, mind you she is very very good, shooting completely different photographer to what you'd normally find in camera clubs.

For some who have been there, done that, it is a chance to spend some time dedicated to their hobby and appreciating the work of other photographers.

It took me a while to realise that everyone at the club had different reasons for going, it's not all about competitions, heck it's not even all about photography!
 
Local camera club down here is just a load of Equipment snobs to be honest

" Oh I see you shoot with a Sony a65, thats a good image for a Sony"

That was the the 1st comment I received on entering a local club competition for Dragonfly shots,( my first visit by the way) and I actually came 1st- needless to say I have not been back since.....................the guy who made that comment was sporting a Nikon and he came 4th :lol:

Camera clubs, you can keep them as far as Im concerned

Rant Over :bang:


Les :D
 
An ideal club for me would be where everyone turns up with a few of their latest photos and gives open feedback about them. I would appreciate this face to face discussion and it would help me improve more than anything else I think. Critique sections on forums are okay but not as instantaneous, lead to proper discussion etc,.

I am not interested in the social aspect or the technicalities as I am very bad and good at those respectively due to my Aspergers issues...
 
The purpose of a camera club is so that the ageing members of the committee can win competitions judged by other ageing committee members.

It's so that the middle-aged members can sneer at new member's cameras and any photograph that isn't HDR or taken with a 10x ND filter, while they grow older and wait to become committee members.

It's so that new members can pay a membership fee to support the established cliques and then ****** off and stop interfering in things that don't concern them such as the running of the club they paid to join.

It's so that the new members who do stay on end up being brainwashed into churning out images to please the judges rather than being creative with their own photography. So when you look at the club's annual exhibition you just see variations on the same idea.

Been in three clubs over the years and that just about sums them all up. :)
 
Vass said:
What is a Photography club for?
Click to expand...

Provoking arguments.

And noone's yet invented anything more efficient for that purpose.
 
gm43uk said:
The purpose of a camera club is so that the ageing members of the committee can win competitions judged by other ageing committee members.

It's so that the middle-aged members can sneer at new member's cameras and any photograph that isn't HDR or taken with a 10x ND filter, while they grow older and wait to become committee members.

It's so that new members can pay a membership fee to support the established cliques and then ****** off and stop interfering in things that don't concern them such as the running of the club they paid to join.

It's so that the new members who do stay on end up being brainwashed into churning out images to please the judges rather than being creative with their own photography. So when you look at the club's annual exhibition you just see variations on the same idea.

Been in three clubs over the years and that just about sums them all up. :)
Click to expand...

I must be really lucky as my local club has none of these traits. New members are encouraged and are also invited to join the committee when places become available (and they do). I joined the committee after only a year and I shoot with a Sony! :p

Competitions are judged by outsiders and anonymously so it's not posible to have any bias.

No-one gives a toss what camera you are using, they're only interested in the resulting photographs. In fact, some use compact and some use bridge cameras and probably less than half use DSLRs. In fact, quite a few competition winners have been taken with non DSLRs.

It really is a case of different clubs being, well, different.
 
fabs said:
I must be really lucky as my local club has none of these traits. New members are encouraged and are also invited to join the committee when places become available (and they do). I joined the committee after only a year and I shoot with a Sony! :p

Competitions are judged by outsiders and anonymously so it's not posible to have any bias.

No-one gives a toss what camera you are using, they're only interested in the resulting photographs. In fact, some use compact and some use bridge cameras and probably less than half use DSLRs. In fact, quite a few competition winners have been taken with non DSLRs.

It really is a case of different clubs being, well, different.
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+1 - and we don't go to the same club!

Les and gm43 seem to have drawn very short straws. I'll agree that clubs vary, but they are only as good as the members. There's always a few die hards who haven't changed their style since the 1970s, but as long as there is new blood and younger, creative members, the club will thrive. My club has attracted some new, younger members, one has just recently got his LRPS after only a short time as a member. He wouldn't have even thought of doing that but for the more senior members who mentored him. I enjoy the banter and competitions if only because it makes me go out and take pictures!
 
I looked into joining one to get back to using film in the hope that there would be a darkroom/developing solutions.

I was told by one in very short order "No...why don't you use digital they are much better" when I suggested that film was every bit as good and can sometimes be better at certain things I was laughed at.

The second one asked what kit I would be using - i replied my old Minolta 35mm bodies but most likely just B&W stuff. To which they (unbelieveably) replied "oh that's a shame we only have facilities for Nikon and Canon users". I didn't even begin to ask what they meant by that as anyone who thinks that there is somehow a difference really shouldn't have been the chairman of a photography club.

From the replies I have had the answer to "what are the clubs for?" appears to be spreading rumour, lies and other mis-information.
 
gm43uk said:
The purpose of a camera club is so that the ageing members of the committee can win competitions judged by other ageing committee members.

It's so that the middle-aged members can sneer at new member's cameras and any photograph that isn't HDR or taken with a 10x ND filter, while they grow older and wait to become committee members.

It's so that new members can pay a membership fee to support the established cliques and then ****** off and stop interfering in things that don't concern them such as the running of the club they paid to join.

It's so that the new members who do stay on end up being brainwashed into churning out images to please the judges rather than being creative with their own photography. So when you look at the club's annual exhibition you just see variations on the same idea.

Been in three clubs over the years and that just about sums them all up. :)
Click to expand...


Kind of sum it up for me :D

Sorry not a club man :)
 
Vass said:
What is a Photography club for?
Click to expand...
Additional motivation to go out and take photos!!
Chance to meet others and discuss hints and tips.
Opportunity to see presentations/talks by pros/semi-pros

But it depends on how the club is run, and how much the members can choose what the club does. Also helps if you're not expected to attend every meet!
 
Well, I saw an article in this months RPS journal about the Chichester Camera Club and I am thinking of heading over and joining as its not too far from me, and I could do with something to do on a weekday evening...
 
jamesoliverstone said:
Well, I saw an article in this months RPS journal about the Chichester Camera Club and I am thinking of heading over and joining as its not too far from me, and I could do with something to do on a weekday evening...
Click to expand...

Be prepared for the waiting list.

......and quite a few don't meet in the summer.


Heather
 
I added an apt comment to my reply on another thread:

From The Complete Photographer by Andreas Feininger in 1965 published by Thames and Hudson.

He warns against "being part of that society for mutual admiration, the photo-club." :)
 
I joined my local camera club to try and encourage me to take more photographs. I enter the competitions if I have something suitable and put images forward for stock which competition entries are taken from.

I cannot attend every meeting due to work commitments and I have met some nice folk there.

However I do have a feeling that a small group of members run the club in a way that benefits their own interests in the way competitions are organised. e.g. There is not a competition for sports photographers. When I asked why not I was told not many people bothered with sports photography. I don't really bother with landscapes but I will try and take something suitable for the comps.

But all is not lost because the new competition sec is trying to broaden the scope of competitions to encourage more members to enter.
 
to compare beards and prostate exam results :lol:

Vass said:
What is a Photography club for?

Why do club members of many years still have no idea how their camera works?
If you have a studio night, at least 75% of members first question is
"what settings do I use?"

If you've been a member for many years, it is just a social outing for you?

Learning seems last on the list.

Discuss.......
Click to expand...
 
I think it's sad that so many people have had poor experiences of camera clubs and I'm happy to report that my own experience has been entirely positive. I'm a member of two very different clubs. One is the traditional, well organised club run by an elected committee that has a programme published 12 months in advance. They run 5 internal competitions each year and enter several inter-club and regional competitions too. We have regular trips out and they run a training course each Spring (which I help to deliver).

The other is quite new (less than 12 months old) and has no committee, no programme and no fixed competitions. What is does have is an enthusiastic membership who are full of ideas that offer to organise events, talks, studio sessions, etc. They are not affiliated to any umbrella organisation and rely on members taking laptops and projectors along to meetings.

Chalk and cheese these clubs may be but they have some important commonality: no brand snobbery, a mixture of abilities/experience and friendly, welcoming members.
 
I joined my local-ish camera club last year and it has been a really enjoyable and positive experience. Everyone is so helpful and friendly and I've learned loads. The speakers have been interesting and varied. I'm firmly on the side of clubs.
 
Vass said:
What is a Photography club for?
Click to expand...

It's a large stick for beating cub photographers senseless as part of a cull to prevent photographers becoming too numerous and getting into each others' shots. Preferred over the use of a hunting rifle, since it leaves the photographers' pelts (camera bags and their contents) intact, thus retaining their resale value.

Especially popular in Canada, but has been the subject of criticism because cub photographers are so cute. Opinion of celebrities on the practice is divided.
 
Vass said:
Why do club members of many years still have no idea how their camera works?
If you have a studio night, at least 75% of members first question is
"what settings do I use?"
Click to expand...

So if you walked in to a studio shoot where someone else had set up all the lighting, you'd know what settings to use without asking?

I'm impressed. :D
 
Vass said:
If you've been a member for many years, it is just a social outing for you?
Click to expand...

Hell yeah - but mine is a Spanish one, so it generally involves long lunches with wine and beers too :shrug:

But we do have serious talks and lectures too ;)
 
Scarecrow said:
So if you walked in to a studio shoot where someone else had set up all the lighting, you'd know what settings to use without asking?

I'm impressed. :D
Click to expand...

ISO 100, f11 200th/sec, check histogram, adjust if ness.
 
On the Huh said:
ISO 100, f11 200th/sec, check histogram, adjust if ness.
Click to expand...

200 might hit the curtain, but they'd learn which is kind of my point.

some excellent positive responses here. :thumbs:
 
Vass said:
200 might hit the curtain, but they'd learn which is kind of my point.

some excellent positive responses here. :thumbs:
Click to expand...

Ha! Yeah, my disclaimer: adjust if ness.:D

My own experience with a camera club was both positive and negative.
Were a few cliquey people there, and some who just took record shots, some technical brilliance, but boring. 1 0r 2 were very artistic, esp the guy who kinda run it. He did some great images, took a long time on the computer for the finished works, and not probably what a lot of us call photography, but as I say great images, and not just down to photshop, the guy had a vision and recreated it on paper.

The critiques were sometimes good, sometimes bad depending on the judge.

During my time with the camera club, I won quite a few comps, but was always disheartened cos some older, more established member would questin the judges decision.

Some nights were boring and others were great fun. Loved the odd days out that were planned and seeing everones pics a week or two later...comparing what each and everone shot.

Not been a member for a good few years now, but would like to go back one day...maybe.
 
Daryl said:
It's for retired folk to show slide shows of their trip on the Queen Mary..... Joy to behold!
Click to expand...

:razz::razz::razz:
 
fabs said:
I must be really lucky as my local club has none of these traits. New members are encouraged and are also invited to join the committee when places become available (and they do). I joined the committee after only a year and I shoot with a Sony! :p

Competitions are judged by outsiders and anonymously so it's not posible to have any bias.

No-one gives a toss what camera you are using, they're only interested in the resulting photographs. In fact, some use compact and some use bridge cameras and probably less than half use DSLRs. In fact, quite a few competition winners have been taken with non DSLRs.

It really is a case of different clubs being, well, different.
Click to expand...

And they let you stay :eek:

Les :lol::lol::lol::lol:
 
Clubs are for people who like to join things... not all of us do.
Much the same as joinining a local political party.
Like minds doing things together....

If you are not a "like mind", you do not fit in... and you leave.
This is how people function.... It is neither good nor bad.
 
Lez325 said:
Local camera club down here is just a load of Equipment snobs to be honest

" Oh I see you shoot with a Sony a65, thats a good image for a Sony"

That was the the 1st comment I received on entering a local club competition for Dragonfly shots,( my first visit by the way) and I actually came 1st- needless to say I have not been back since.....................the guy who made that comment was sporting a Nikon and he came 4th :lol:

Camera clubs, you can keep them as far as Im concerned

Rant Over :bang:


Les :D
Click to expand...

Quite astute observations, for a Sony user....
:exit:
 
Photodiva said:
Err - try using a light meter? :)
Click to expand...

And all these people in camera clubs with their digital cameras all have a light meter? Ah yes...the one inside their light box :p

DIVA! ;)
 
My experience of the one camera club that i have joined and am still an active member of is very good (well at least IMHO!!)

Yes we have a few "old farts" but generally on the whole the membership is young and vibrant (young in the mental attitude if not in the physical!!)

We hold comps, internally and externally, critique nights, studio nights, hands on evenings, social events and days out

there is a lively debate (but friendly) that centres around the canon/nikon and the pc/mac options but is it recognised for what it is .. a bit of fun and I am not aware of any kit snobbery ... comp winners have taken images on their iphones before ...

We have a flickr group and a facebook page and generally the members have a very positive, helpful and ready and willing to share ....

shame they are not all the same perphas someone should set up a board to regulate camera clubs ha ha ha
 
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