I've joined a camera club.....

[candidrachel]

but I'm the youngest member by DECADES! I'm no spring chicken myself at 41 but its ever so much the over 60's club! Also very middle class with their expensive 4x4's and me with my little modest Starlet (she's good to me and goes like a rocket!). They are all very friendly though and I've learnt so much in the 2 weeks of going. On Thurday this week there was a competition between photos from the club vs the local arts club so prints vs paintings and even looking at the paintings I learnt about angles, perspective, texture etc it was great!

I'll keep going although it only runs from September to May.

The first time I went I got the timing wrong and thought it was from 7pm til 9pm when in fact its 8 - 10 ish and didn't I get in to trouble with hubby when I got in!! Huh? What's he going to do ground me?? He was going to get the kids out of bed and go look for me.He does worry! I haven't been told off for coming in late since I was a teenager

[dawnwithacamera]

Too funny Rachel! I would love to join a camera club, but the nearest one is an hour away, not all that convenient, even it is only once a month. One of my friends said I should start my own club, but I am not a take charge type of person, so I have live vicariously thru all the photography forums I can find!!!
Have fun.

Dawn P in Michigan
Canon EOS Rebel XSi
Flickr: Dawnwithacamera.

[candidrachel]

I'm lucky our camera club is only about 15 mins from where I live. Its held in one of the pubs in one of the local villages.

[ZannieGirl49]

It's awesome that you're having a great time even though you're the baby of the group. There's a club pretty close to me and you've given me a little nudge, maybe I'll actually join!

[AndCity]

Enjoy it Rachel, I too, am one of the youngest in my club but it is a great way of learning. One thing I have noticed and my advice to you regarding judges is to remember if you like your own image, that's good. I have seen one judge criticise an image, so the person went away and made alterations and then another judge at a later competition didn't like the image and suggested things that would take it back to the original! Have fun and enjoy it though!

[SoxAddict]

Clubs are always fun to join in with! I had a similar age issue years back when I was living in Edinburgh - joined a Scottish dancing club as I was new to the area and wanted something fun to do and meet new folk at the same time. I was literally about half the age of the majority of folk! Had heaps of fun though! I'm a member of a photography club at the moment & there is a wide age range, which is nice. Fun how you got into trouble with the hubby, hehe!

[BEGM83]

Have to say the age thing is why i wont join a club just yet. If you're in your 40's and are saying you're the youngest by decades, well..... eek

Im you'll have a blast and learn heaps

[candidrachel]

Week 3 - Wow! Every week I come away feeling even more inspired than the week before. Honestly I was in awe! The quality of these photographs were extraordinarily extraordinary! Some of the photos I saw were taken at locations I can only dream about like a village in Africa with everyone going about their daily lives with children playing in the street to a village in Outer Mongolia to a scenic desert shot. It seems that some of these photographers could make some thing boring look interesting like a simple pair of red stilettos or a spriral staircase going down, down, deeper and down and two red chairs at the bottom. Some photos looked like water colour paintings and one photo was of a jigsaw puzzle (I'm a jigsaw puzzle fan) and there were tiny minature children holding up the pieces. I said to the guy next to me "how the heck did he do that??" and he said its photoshop, with a nod and a wink but HOW did he do it??

I said to the guy next to me that each week I look forward to the next and he said thats great as there is a huge turn around with members because when they see the quality of the photos they feel intimidated and unsure of their ability so after a couple of weeks they don't come anymore. Thats a crying shame as on the contrary for me its given me even more determination and drive and enhanced my enthusiasm.

Looking forward to next week.

[Raoul Isidro]

I know exactly how you felt, being the youngest...
I went to a concert of "The Platters" and found myself being the only one with dark hair... all the rest had white hair, complete with canes and walking sticks.
It's good nobody smoked when they sang: "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes"....