Photography clubs
 

As a newcomer to the photography world the jargon / equipment / technique are very daunting to me.

Would it be worthwhile joining a club, are raw beginners welcomed or viewed as a pest.

Any viewpoints will be welcomed, in birding i found that when i started a few local lads took me under their wing and my progression was fast so would a mentor be the best route.

Of course just getting out there and having a bash might be fun, as making mistakes is a good way of learning.


Regards Brian.

Cuddy,

WPF is a large photograph club in itself. Here newcomers are welcome and not viewed as a pest.

Please feel free to post photos, ask questions or critique.

Photography is taught often at evening classes, but is not that hard and jargon is quickly picked up.

I've never been a member of a photo club but I've read numerous comments on clubs in the photographic press over the years.

Some clubs are obviously better than others at encouraging newcomers - others seem more concerned with competitions (usually won by the same few names!) or 'slide-battles' with neighbouring clubs!

So it's probably down to whereabouts you live whether there'll be a good club, locally.

I agree that going out and learning by your own mistakes is often the best way of really learning 'on the job' so to speak!

Perhaps we could have a 'Sticky' thread with regular photographic terms defined...

A great idea, a glossary of photographic terms

I'll see what I can do!

I've been a member of various clubs for over 35 years. They are variable, some are run by a bunch of techno freaks who are obsessed only with winning competitions, others are more like social clubs where people with similalr interests meet. I am currently programme secretary for my current club and believe me, putting together something that suits everybody, is a right headache.

I have always taken the view that new members often join to learn the basics of photography and we do run digital evenings quite separately from the normal club evenings we also have separate small group meetings to teach everything from digital to how to gain RPS and PAGB disitnctions, but all clubs don't have similar views. The best thing is to go along to a club evening and introduce yourself and see if you like it, nothing ventured nothing gained :-)

PS meant to add this link to the PAG web site which lists most camera clubs in the UK if you follow the various area links

http://www.pagb-photography-uk.co.uk/

Brian you will be able to get lots of help here. Post questions on any topic you like and there will be someone out there who will be able to help.

Duncan under the name of yelvertoft is posting info with newcomers to the hobby in mind in the General Photography Techniques.

I am doing a similar thing with flash.

As the Forum has only been going for a couple of weeks, and these things take time, these info threads will grow over the next few weeks.

So if you cannot find an immediate answer to your question do a post, we are all here for each other.

Don

My own experience with a local camera club was rather mixed really. Yes, I was made welcome but it's a fairly small club with less than 20 members and the most that ever attended was about 10 or 11. My major crib was with the competitions. One member used to come in with a large portfolio of photos, have a look at what every one else had put up and then decided what he would put up. The other case thing was with another member who entered a photo that I felt sure I’d seen before but couldn’t remember where. A few days later I was looking at a holiday brochure (or dream mag as I call them), and there it was – a picture taken to so one of the places for a Norwegian cruise. The next meeting I asked the guy if he enjoyed his visit to Norway and he said that he’d never been there … opps … … … …

As it was Jan and I were due to move away from the area just after that so that was the last time I attended the club.

Ron

My own experience so far has been quite good. I was made to feel welcome and as a complete novice encouraged to bring in photos for the competitions whether I thought they were good or not.

As for learning techniques, it's not really geared up that way, though having said that we are having a meeting soon on portraits and still life. It's a bring you camera and tripod and have a go session.

I am one of those people who want to just get out of photography as much as I can and be happy with the photographs I produce. So I use the club for criticism both from members and from visiting judges ( dont take what they say to heart or you'll never take another photo again!).

I must say I dont take it too seriously, or put another way I take it as seriously as I want to! I aim to enjoy the experience and not enter photos for the competitive aspect.

Having said that I find the WPF the best way to discuss all matters simple so I can understand why things are done in a certain way or not and to hear everyones' views.

I have certainly learnt so much since joining the WPF.

Nogbad

Are photography clubs mainly made up of men or are they a mixed bag of people? I am interested in joining one but get the impression that it will be mainly middle aged men, not that i have a problem with middle aged men but i prefer a good mix of people.

On many occasions I have visited the local clubs annual exhibition and have been tempted to join. Last year I plucked up the courage to go to one of their meetings as a free trial. I would say the mix was 65% men. The ages ranged from late 40's to 70's. A few were under the age of 30. The old "Generals" seemed to rule the roost if you know what I mean. It was not really my cup of tea so I decided not to join.

Hi LindyJo,

Just noticed this is your first post, I'd like to extend a warm welcome to WPF. My own experience of camera clubs is very limited but I did find it was mainly middle aged men, that was nearly 20 years ago and things may well have changed a lot since then. WPF is a club of sorts, we have all sorts of members, any age, any gender, we have them all!

Duncan.

I am hoping to attend a meeting next week at a local photography group.

I have waited till now as the topic is wildlife orientated, something i have experience of, as opposed to photography biased which i am a total novice.

All being well i will give a few impressions of how it went.

For what it is worth Lindy i have similar apprehensions to yourself, hope i am proved wrong.

I've just done a survey for my own club and found that the membership is ~70/30 men to women with ~50/50 single/married & ~50% 60+/retired

This is a bit of the case at our club although I'm trying to change that. I joined the committee 2 yrs ago on the basis that you can't influence things from the outside. One of the drums I keep banging is we need more new younger menbers, both men & women. I'm also trying to get a "mentoring circle" and beginners basis pack/workbook off the ground. Having said all that, as I'm in my late 40s I suppose I fall into the "middle aged men" category - I just don't feel that I subscribe to the connotations that go with the tag ;)

Had my first visit to a local group on Tuesday and i was made to feel welcome at the door, good start.

I had picked this as my first visit as one of the evenings subjects was Nature in close-up, something i have a little knowledge of (as opposed to photography).

A visiting judge gave a critique of each photo, awarding points and eventually a winner emerged.

My time on Birdforum had given me a decent background in wildlife pictures and i found myself at ease with the comments made by the judge,all of the photos were slides.

Part 2 of the evening was Portraits, i have no experience of this kind of subject so i sat back and listened carefully to all that was said.

The range of photos was extremely good one gentlemen had photos taken in the 1920's he is 84, and i learned he has just bought a digital camera.

All of these photos were prints, viewed by use of a light box, and the judge did a good job of explaining his thoughts, plenty of humour made his more telling points seem less harsh.

Afterwards refreshments were served, and a chance for a chat and the opportunity to close inspections of the prints helped round-off the evening.

The club are not really geared towards digital photos, so the only way to view this work would be through a print.

Members were 98% male, and predominantly aged 60+ most seem to be using film but are experimenting with digital.

I will attend a second time and i will try for a members night, hopefully seeing a greater range of images.

I also hope to find a few other local society's to check them out before i decide if this is for me.

Regards brian.

Thanks for that informative report, Brian, very interesting. I hope you keep us updated on your experiences at the local photographic club. 'Experimenting with digital' seems to conjure up visions of these people secretly indulging in something prohibited ;)
cheers,
Andy

Sounds quite promising, Brian, though the fact that both topics covered were 'judged' and a winner declared means you might want to check that they do other things than purely compete with one another - over 60s ought to be taking it easy rather than getting stressed over whether so and so has scored more points than they have!

Brian it sounds like your experience was much the same as mine. The club I visited did do a weekly photoshop night on the local schools PC's which were pretty clapped out and old versions of PS. This was not an area I wanted to expand as they were into major manipulation of images. Another regular feature was portrait nights. The other factor was the elitism of film over digital that most had. To be honest I have learnt far more from BF and WPF about digital than reading books or going to the club. I think if you enjoy the social aspect of the club then it has that in it's favour.

Hello i will try to report any future ventures and experiences i have.

Rob i think the social aspect will be important to me and a broader range of ages and a better male / female split would be favourable.

The positive aspect is the club are meeting through the Winter months and this fits well with my Birding calender, this will allow me to build a portfolio of images that can be explored through club activities.

Of course i have got to take some photos that are worthwhile but that's in my own hands.

My own experience of joining a photographic club has been quite good.

They meet throughout the winter, and there appears a good split of male/female members. The qulity of images and degree of experience is quite broad.

There are regular competitions and new members are actively encouraged to enter prints slides etc for comment, experience etc.

There is a new members only competition towards the end of the winter programme and is encouraging.

There are regular talks and slide shows, outside judges to judge the various competitions, and also a chance for members including new ones to judge the internal competitions. I have judged twice (quite nerve racking I can tell you!) but a good chance to look closely at images for what they are composition, lighting, content etc. It is quite enjoyable.

There is a huge range of diversity of what people take photos of and it is interesting to see what others consider a good image.

Also there are regular workshops re still life, portraits etc including tasters on Photoshop manipulation.

The social side of it is quite good. Especially as I'm not particularly good at mixing, I have made a number of friends, and look forward to the evenings.

All in all I would say my experiences have been good, especially as a complete novice with an expensive camera who was'nt sure what a good image was.

I would encourage any newbie to attend.

Like all things in life there are always those who have an exagerated opinion of something, i.e. film or slide over digital, B&W over colour, etc.

However if you have an open mind and take from the experience that which you need it can only benefit your photography in the long run.

As an inexperienced photographer and a newbie to this fascinating discipline I hope those of a similar experience continue to get the most from a club or especaily WPF which is an ideal medium to get experience and advise in an subjective and non judgemental atmosphere.

Enjoy the experience!

Nogbad

Much as i'm hoping Nogbad , glad you have found somewhere you are comfortable with.

That is quite the most positive, constructive thing I've seen in ages, thank's Nogbad. You have cheered me up.

Duncan.