Tell us about your local photography club
Apr 28, 2017 18:33:04 #
I haven't joined a photo club yet, but I'd sure like to find the time to do so. Tell us about your local club: Membership, meeting frequency, what do you do at meetings, what other activities do you do that you really enjoy, public service aspects and anything special you like about your club.
Apr 28, 2017 20:16:03 #
I went to a local club, I saw how some people tore apart others photos, I saw how those same people almost never showed one of their own. I saw how certain brands of cameras were made fun of , ( like the teasing we do here) but much more vicious.
I saw how there was a click that ran things and if another made a suggestion it was tabled.
I never joined , I dont need the aggravation. Im sure there are 1000's of great clubs, just my local one sux....
I'm gonna visit another that I just learned of, I'm told it has a lot of members that dropped out of the other club, we'll see.
The club met once a month, they did photo walks at least once a month and often twice a month. They had speakers every month, usually a club member but at times someone from the outside. The had biyearly sales of equipment ( wasnt there long enough to see that)
They had classes where u brought the camera and took shots of items and they explained lighting etc and you of course took home the pix to examine them and see the differences etc. It all sounded great till I met the people running it , or ruining it may be a better word.
I saw how there was a click that ran things and if another made a suggestion it was tabled.
I never joined , I dont need the aggravation. Im sure there are 1000's of great clubs, just my local one sux....
I'm gonna visit another that I just learned of, I'm told it has a lot of members that dropped out of the other club, we'll see.
The club met once a month, they did photo walks at least once a month and often twice a month. They had speakers every month, usually a club member but at times someone from the outside. The had biyearly sales of equipment ( wasnt there long enough to see that)
They had classes where u brought the camera and took shots of items and they explained lighting etc and you of course took home the pix to examine them and see the differences etc. It all sounded great till I met the people running it , or ruining it may be a better word.
Apr 28, 2017 20:44:45 #
Summary re: our camera club:
Congenial bunch
25-35 members
meet on first and third Tuesdays year-round
refreshments at each meeting (members sign up to provide cookies/donuts and beveredge.)
First Tuesday is a program, presented by a member or by an invited speaker
Third Tuesday is critique night, bring up to 3 images on a thumb drive for projection. Critique is carried out based on the Impact/Technical/Composition basis used by the North Central Camera Club Council (N4C) of which our club is a member.
Special "walks" and other events may take precedence on either a first or third Tuesday.
Two Competitions per year, judged by members and awards presented at the Holiday Banquet in December and the Summer Basnquet in early summer. The "Banquet" is in a meeting room of a local pizza restaurant.
Members are eligible to participate in the monthly contests of the N4C (divisions include Pictorial, Nature, Photojournalism, (and some others...mental lapse!)
By the way, it's 85 miles away, and I consider the trip well worth the effort and gas. (winter weather sometimes prevents my attendance)
Dave
Congenial bunch
25-35 members
meet on first and third Tuesdays year-round
refreshments at each meeting (members sign up to provide cookies/donuts and beveredge.)
First Tuesday is a program, presented by a member or by an invited speaker
Third Tuesday is critique night, bring up to 3 images on a thumb drive for projection. Critique is carried out based on the Impact/Technical/Composition basis used by the North Central Camera Club Council (N4C) of which our club is a member.
Special "walks" and other events may take precedence on either a first or third Tuesday.
Two Competitions per year, judged by members and awards presented at the Holiday Banquet in December and the Summer Basnquet in early summer. The "Banquet" is in a meeting room of a local pizza restaurant.
Members are eligible to participate in the monthly contests of the N4C (divisions include Pictorial, Nature, Photojournalism, (and some others...mental lapse!)
By the way, it's 85 miles away, and I consider the trip well worth the effort and gas. (winter weather sometimes prevents my attendance)
Dave
Apr 28, 2017 20:49:32 #
GregWCIL wrote:
I haven't joined a photo club yet, but I'd sure like to find the time to do so. Tell us about your local club: Membership, meeting frequency, what do you do at meetings, what other activities do you do that you really enjoy, public service aspects and anything special you like about your club.
No can do. No have one.
Apr 28, 2017 22:13:41 #
Dave, that is one active club. Sounds like they have something for everybody.
Apr 29, 2017 05:45:00 #
I am very happy with the jovial learning environment of the Tampabay Camera Club. www.mytbcc.com
Each month there is a learning session where topics are discussed by TV or individual. The competition night has a theme for "assigned" eg. April was Autos, May is Music. There are also General and my favorite Altered-Reality where modifications are obvious. There are three judges, the main judge owns the studio where the meetings are held and is a constant, other two may vary.
Scores are 0-9 never have I seen any thing lower than 12;I saw too many 12s my first year; perhaps charity! I posed the question WHY... ouch I found out... I having been a science guy documentation was the reason for photography. Assignment glass; OK, I went to a glass blowing studio and did perhaps 20 good quality shots. You could tell how many trash cans, ovens, tables... well documented, a great documentation... but it did not focus on a simple told story and should have been narrowed down to the woman blowing the glass and the glass. The photo was a projected one so the judged, on screen, cropped down to what I should have presented.. OH! That is easy... At most there are 3 related elements, impact to grab the eye. Things like color general exposure, saturation, bokeh background, are also important of course. The big lesson for me was to CROP to tell a story.
After my "hay what did I do wrong," photos were critiqued on request, yes at times brutal, but with humor and on screen mods, at times audience suggestions. For 3 years now, every photo is critiqued. [perhaps 40 in one night] As a result of critiquing, the members have learned to self critique or use the buddy system. Quality of all photographs have improved greatly. I won 3rd place three years ago, decided OK I can win, but now I am going to have fun. Fun is "Altered Reality" off the wall stuff. To my surprise it is generally well accepted and expected by both judges and audience. We live in a digital age where we can spin our photos to another world.
Often in UHH I give advice [generally not asked for ] based on "if I were a club judge" generally that advice is almost always, Crop, Crop. Crop. What does not add to a photo detracts.
I hope most of you enjoy and learn from your club as much as I do from the TBCC. If you want a change politic for it, stand up and make a proposal the leaders of the club will listen.
Each month there is a learning session where topics are discussed by TV or individual. The competition night has a theme for "assigned" eg. April was Autos, May is Music. There are also General and my favorite Altered-Reality where modifications are obvious. There are three judges, the main judge owns the studio where the meetings are held and is a constant, other two may vary.
Scores are 0-9 never have I seen any thing lower than 12;I saw too many 12s my first year; perhaps charity! I posed the question WHY... ouch I found out... I having been a science guy documentation was the reason for photography. Assignment glass; OK, I went to a glass blowing studio and did perhaps 20 good quality shots. You could tell how many trash cans, ovens, tables... well documented, a great documentation... but it did not focus on a simple told story and should have been narrowed down to the woman blowing the glass and the glass. The photo was a projected one so the judged, on screen, cropped down to what I should have presented.. OH! That is easy... At most there are 3 related elements, impact to grab the eye. Things like color general exposure, saturation, bokeh background, are also important of course. The big lesson for me was to CROP to tell a story.
After my "hay what did I do wrong," photos were critiqued on request, yes at times brutal, but with humor and on screen mods, at times audience suggestions. For 3 years now, every photo is critiqued. [perhaps 40 in one night] As a result of critiquing, the members have learned to self critique or use the buddy system. Quality of all photographs have improved greatly. I won 3rd place three years ago, decided OK I can win, but now I am going to have fun. Fun is "Altered Reality" off the wall stuff. To my surprise it is generally well accepted and expected by both judges and audience. We live in a digital age where we can spin our photos to another world.
Often in UHH I give advice [generally not asked for ] based on "if I were a club judge" generally that advice is almost always, Crop, Crop. Crop. What does not add to a photo detracts.
I hope most of you enjoy and learn from your club as much as I do from the TBCC. If you want a change politic for it, stand up and make a proposal the leaders of the club will listen.
Apr 29, 2017 06:09:16 #
billnikon
Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont
GregWCIL wrote:
I haven't joined a photo club yet, but I'd sure like to find the time to do so. Tell us about your local club: Membership, meeting frequency, what do you do at meetings, what other activities do you do that you really enjoy, public service aspects and anything special you like about your club.
The best ones give a challenge each month or so through an assignment and then everyone brings in and shows there rendition of it. Also individual members each have there own strengths and share them at various meetings. Etc, etc, etc.
Apr 29, 2017 06:27:54 #
I went to the local camera club but it didn't click for me, though I liked the idea of a club. It was too small to be viable (and is smaller now) so I went to another one which meant a drive but the larger membership and better accommodation mean I now know I made the right choice for me.
The club meets weekly for approx. 2 hrs., and throughout the year will have a no. guest lectures/shows, several technique evenings, and a no. of member competitions which include several annual cups in memory of past members who were notable snappers in their own right. There are sufficient member numbers for competitions to have novice, intermediate, and advanced entries and a visiting judge will score according to your grade. I'm a novice and to become Intermediate I need to score 200 pts., but only scores between 17-20 count toward my 200 - so I can't enter loads of 12-15 scores and get in through the back door. It's a system that works very well.
A good club for me will have a good membership. I think we have around 150 but only around 25-40 on a regular basis, often the same 25-40. You also need good accommodation. No good spending half the year in a freezing church hall (heating provided but not switched on outside of use) as you won't enjoy the evening.
Most clubs (over here anyway) will give you 2-4 weeks trial, and if you don't like what you see, try another. I'm sure you'll find what you are looking for.
The club meets weekly for approx. 2 hrs., and throughout the year will have a no. guest lectures/shows, several technique evenings, and a no. of member competitions which include several annual cups in memory of past members who were notable snappers in their own right. There are sufficient member numbers for competitions to have novice, intermediate, and advanced entries and a visiting judge will score according to your grade. I'm a novice and to become Intermediate I need to score 200 pts., but only scores between 17-20 count toward my 200 - so I can't enter loads of 12-15 scores and get in through the back door. It's a system that works very well.
A good club for me will have a good membership. I think we have around 150 but only around 25-40 on a regular basis, often the same 25-40. You also need good accommodation. No good spending half the year in a freezing church hall (heating provided but not switched on outside of use) as you won't enjoy the evening.
Most clubs (over here anyway) will give you 2-4 weeks trial, and if you don't like what you see, try another. I'm sure you'll find what you are looking for.
Apr 29, 2017 07:32:57 #
Sounds like Florida is the place for camera clubs! Here on the Atlantic Coast we have a very active club (Camera Club of Brevard) that meets monthly and has photowalks every few months. I have gone a few times - but the truth is a lot of the members are retied, and I get up early for work, and a club that meets until 9:30 which is thirty minutes from my house - I tend to fade out about 8:30 or so..... But I have enjoyed the meetings I have attended - the last one with a guest speaker probably had about 130 in attendance! I am sure there are cliques in this group, as in any - but then sometimes one of those cliques is composed of those who do most of the work! When I retire I will become a regular I think.
Apr 29, 2017 07:50:29 #
I joined for a 1 year membership and quit after 5 months. "New kids on the block" were not really welcome to the established clique. New ideas, new approaches, new anything were not welcome. You weren't a real photographer unless you post processed with Photoshop.
I then considered joining another club in a town 15 minutes away. In talking to others, I found out that it was virtually the same.
So, I have ended up joining UHH and am very happy!
I then considered joining another club in a town 15 minutes away. In talking to others, I found out that it was virtually the same.
So, I have ended up joining UHH and am very happy!
Apr 29, 2017 07:55:01 #
The camera club I'm in is affiliated with Photographic Society of America. The Photographic Society of America sets guidelines for the operation of camera clubs. Their Uniform Judging Practices document specifies everything about how judging should be carried out. I built a folding light box for the club for viewing prints. Their Uniform Judging Practices document specifies how the light box should be constructed. The paint is 18% gray except the inside of the upper and lower light compartments which is white. The fluorescent bulbs have a 5000K color temperature. The light level at the print plane should be 9-10EV.
Apr 29, 2017 08:11:51 #
GregWCIL wrote:
I haven't joined a photo club yet, but I'd sure like to find the time to do so. Tell us about your local club: Membership, meeting frequency, what do you do at meetings, what other activities do you do that you really enjoy, public service aspects and anything special you like about your club.
In two. One is really at the beginners level and I may be considered one of the "teachers" with a small t. The other is a much higher level of photography with 2-4 PPA members. Both do critiques but one with a very soft hand. Trying to transition people from auto. The critiques in the better club are an incredible learning experience. Unless you has a truly natural ability of composition, one will never get better(if that is your goal) unless you have your photos honestly critiqued. It's not just your own photos being critiqued but all of them. Over months and years, you absorb and get better.
Having all your friends on Facebook hitting the like key for a photo is friendship, not a quality statement.
Apr 29, 2017 08:24:31 #
Apr 29, 2017 08:53:40 #
I was in a camera club a few years back in Palm Beach County, Fl. The one I was in is no longer around. The rules were that a photo had to be mounted in order to be
critiqued, so I always did. Others refused to mount, yet still won. Most rules were broken and many of the judges barely knew an F stop from a shutter speed. We were later
asked by a local town to produce images for a calendar. The club leader took all the images a few of us produced, sent them to the town as if they were all his images, got full credit
and kept what little fee was offered to cover our expenses for film and developing. That was the end of my association with the group. There is a larger one in the area, but I've never gone.
Maybe one day, I'll join another. I've been a member of a couple of writers groups too. If the group doesn't have a strong leader, it's likely to flounder quickly.
Mike
critiqued, so I always did. Others refused to mount, yet still won. Most rules were broken and many of the judges barely knew an F stop from a shutter speed. We were later
asked by a local town to produce images for a calendar. The club leader took all the images a few of us produced, sent them to the town as if they were all his images, got full credit
and kept what little fee was offered to cover our expenses for film and developing. That was the end of my association with the group. There is a larger one in the area, but I've never gone.
Maybe one day, I'll join another. I've been a member of a couple of writers groups too. If the group doesn't have a strong leader, it's likely to flounder quickly.
Mike
Apr 29, 2017 09:03:21 #
Our club meets twice a month. We stress hands-on learning. Usually a topic is presented and then manned stations are set up where members and guests can practice with guidance available. We have critiques every two months. People do not rip apart others photos. We stress pointing out the good and the not-so-good so the person can learn and improve. We have 3 competitions a years. We schedule occasional photo walks. Our group is amiable and accepting. No put-downs. No making fun of others' equipment. With the focus on hands-on, our membership has tripled in the past 3 years. I love this group and I have grown dramatically as a photographer. Hope you can find a similar group.
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