Should I Join a 'Camera Club? '

pentaxpete

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I did a Video ' Should I join a Camera Club?' about UK Clubs -- it is 'cut off' slightly as I was finishing as memory card ran out -- sorry !
I give a 'Link' to all Clubs in UK in the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain '' have a look at YOUR area Federation and click and it will give all Clubs in your area -- for example -- BRENTWOOD is in ESSEX ,part of the EAF ( East Anglian Federation)


www.thepagb.org.uk/about/federations
 

choiliefan

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They've been called camera clubs for as long as I can remember.
 

MattKing

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dmr said:
Why are they called "Camera Club" and not "Photography Club"?
Click to expand...
Some are, many have changed in recent years.
There is an umbrella orgination in Canada called the Canadian Association of Photographic Art - CAPA - with about 90 clubs who are members, as well as about 1,000 individuals who have memberships outside of their club affiliation. . Some info here: https://capacanada.ca/what-is-capa/
Looking at a list of about 22 clubs in my area, there are three that have "Camera Club" in their names, nine that have Photo Club or Photography Club in their names, and a bunch with Society or Association and some sort of Photographic reference in their names.
 

railwayman3

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Had several great years in membership of a local club in the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain, and also a postal Circle. When I started there were quite a few "old-timer" members, always willing to give expert help and advice to newer ones. I only discontinued in the 1990's due to changes in personal circumstances.....I've since seen several first-class public exhibitions by local clubs, though, I guess inevitably, most, if not all, work has been digital.
 

RalphLambrecht

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a big yes from me .While living in Essex, I was a member of the camera club in Brentwood and made it to an ARPS in the end; very rewarding!
 

Sirius Glass

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One can learn a lot from a good camera club, but a bad camera club will provide bad information and poor criticism.
 

MattKing

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Sirius Glass said:
One can learn a lot from a good camera club, but a bad camera club will provide bad information and poor criticism.
Click to expand...
Not unlike the internet .
For me, the benefit of Photo/Camera Clubs is the community. If one is not careful, photography can end up being an insular pursuit.
I am a member of two active groups, and find that my relationship with the people in them really enriches my life.
From a recent outing - with identities obscured!

 

RalphLambrecht

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I agree; it's stimulating to be in exchange with people of similar interests.
 

Alan Johnson

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Very interesting, Pete. I belong to a couple of clubs and am glad to say there are quite a few younger members as well.
Would just mention that anyone needing a window mount can often get one cut from a piece of card by taking the print to a picture framing shop.
The print and the backing card can both be stuck down with masking tape to produce the mounted print.
 

Bikerider

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In my time I have been a member of a number of camera clubs (or photographic Societies) and have mixed feelings about them. I have been with 3 large ones and 2 smaller ones. and to be honest the smaller ones were by far the better. The large ones tended to become clique and leave new members out in the cold for a while, until they have proved their worth. As I mainly choose to use film as a personal choice and the VAST majority of members of the last club I was a member had no idea about film so I fell victim to...….their ignorance! (I use that term unreservedly) If you didn't have the latest cameras, processing programme or a printer you were not in the running.

So there you have it warts and all (My view but not necessarily every one else's)
 

winger

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I've been in a few different groups over the last 15 years. Back in MA, I was in the Stony Brook Camera Club - I haven't been in the group in 12 years, but am still in touch with members there. Here in Pa, I was in a group in Pittsburgh and am now in one called the Westmoreland Photographers Society. The WPS does lots of group outings to shoot and we try to come up with new things to learn at meetings. Each group has its own identity, so you sometimes have to go to a few meetings and just see if you mesh with them. Not all groups work well for all people.
 

Arklatexian

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Our local organization, that is over 50 years old, is called a "Society" as is the Photographic Society of America. I am sure someone will call "Society" too "formal" but as I said the one here is over 50 years old. Every earlier organization that had "club" in its name folded after five or ten years so the use of "Society" has not hurt. It should be noted that not all photo organizations are created equal and you get out of them what you put in to them. What did hurt locally was when the organization went all "Digital", leaving no place for reemerging film users to go....Regards!
 

KenS

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Over the years (after many years as a "Pro") I had accepted numerous 'invitations' (as a non-member) to camera clubs to act as a 'judge' for their 'competitions'....a few times I was 'cuddled-up to' by numerous members in an attempt (I believe) to sway my 'decisions' . A significant number of those prints submitted were, all too often.. (in my humble opinion) prints that might have been better 'filed' in the waste basket.
Now 'retired (but still making photographs for my own 'pleasure'... as a means of staying out of the rocking chair
and 'away' from day-time television. ... I now print using (only) the 'archaic' print processes... much more time consuming... a little less expensive...but 'somehow' a much more 'SATISFYING'

Ken
 

AndyH

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These vary enormously in quality and purpose stateside,Peter.

I’m a member of Photo Hostoric Society New England, focused on vintage gear, and Vermont Center for Photography- also film centric. What benefits from membership are common in the UK?
Andy
 

BMbikerider

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choiliefan said:
They've been called camera clubs for as long as I can remember.
Click to expand...

A good number are not 'clubs' per se and in the past I have been a member of two that call themselves Photographic Societies, (Durham being one and the other Tynemouth.) Not to mention, I am a current member of the Royal Photographic Society.
 

David Lingham

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My experience of camera/photo club/society’s here in the UK has been pretty varied. Over the years I have belonged to a few, both large and small. Unfortunately I found that they never hold my interest for to long, and there does seem to be far too much emphasis on competition in clubs today.

Photography is not a sport. HCB.
 

faberryman

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I assume some camera clubs are good. I have heard some good things. I have attended a few meetings at camera clubs at the different places I have lived and they never clicked for me. Every month they hold a photo contest on a different theme. This promotes happy accidents rather than coherent bodies of work. Sometimes the monthly photo contest theme gives you an excuse to buy a new lens, so I guess it is not all bad if you are into that sort of thing.

My advice is to go to a couple of meetings and see if participation in you local camera club is something you might enjoy. Who knows, your local camera club might turn out to be one of the good ones.
 
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Andrew O'Neill

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It ended like the Sopranos....
I'm a member of a couple of groups, but I admit that I do not participate as much as I should (right Matt?)... That WILL change once I retire in a year.
 

snusmumriken

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Flocking together over shared enthusiasms is totally normal human behaviour, and can presumably bring real benefits. Personally, though, I’ve always avoided it, and I feel that’s ok too.
 

MattKing

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Andrew O'Neill said:
It ended like the Sopranos....
I'm a member of a couple of groups, but I admit that I do not participate as much as I should (right Matt?)... That WILL change once I retire in a year.
Click to expand...

Well, our mutual group is is a Darkroom Group, so that might matter. But cameras do come up for discussion regularly.
But the thing I would say in general is that people join clubs in the hope of engaging with people, not subjects or equipment or techniques.
And the three groups I've enjoyed (and enjoy) membership in have some interesting and friendly and generous and entertaining and downright nice people in them. Friendships have evolved, not least of which because we share some common interests.
One of those friendships was "rekindled" after the two of us hadn't seen each other for 40 years!
And if some of those friends like some thing as well that don't interest me, so be it.
The competition focus is an encouragement to get out with a camera, and/or to get into the darkroom and print, and it is always interesting to see how different people interpret different things. And in most cases you don't have to participate.
 

Nicholas Lindan

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MattKing said:
Well, our mutual group is is a Darkroom Group, so that might matter. ... Friendships have evolved, not least of which because we share some common interests.
Click to expand...

"The very condition of having Friends is that we should want something else besides Friends. Where the truthful answer to the question "Do you see the same truth?" would be "I see nothing and I don't care about the truth; I only want a Friend," no Friendship can arise - though Affection of course may. There would be nothing for the Friendship to be about; and Friendship must be about something, even if it were only an enthusiasm for dominoes or white mice. Those who have nothing can share nothing; those who are going nowhere can have no fellow-travellers."

C. S. Lewis The Four Loves
 

Sirius Glass

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When I was a teenager I went to my father's camera club and I learned a lot from listening to critiques of various photographs. I enjoyed the slide show or print competitions. But after a while I saw that there was a building of competition to win repeatedly by some and it got so bad that I stopped attending. I learned a lot up to then and not all camera clubs are the same. I expect that each club has its own personality, some quite good. Go to the meetings and observe to see what which club is good for you.
 
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