Photography clubs/societies

[jonwoad]

Hi all,

I have found a photography club near to where I live and was thinking about popping along to see what goes on.

Are they a good place to pick up and practice new ideas and techniques?

TIA

Jon

..........

[windrider86]

Heck yea!!! I used to travel to Colorado Springs to attend one but it got tiresome to drive 2 hours one way and get home at 11. Most of the time it was well worth it tho!

[Elmo]

They are definitely worth the time and effort if they are a "photography" club and not a "Camera" club. And often the name does not describe the club.

[Barry Jackson]

I would say check them out and see.

I competed in the monthly contests at the Huntsville Photographic Society for ten years.

www.huntvillephotographicsociety.org

The experience definitely made me a better photographer. I made several friends for life there.

We have since formed a photographic society in Lawrenceburg and have from 15 to 20 people show up and compete each month. It is listed on Facebook.

My drive to Huntsville was 68 miles one way and there were times when a group of us would stand around and discuss photography until after 2:00 am.

[Hill Country Hack]

I live in a smallish town with a camera club. I am 49 years old and the youngest member! I'm guessing the average age is 65+. Needless to say they are rather cliqueish. I do enjoy the entertainment of some not being able to hear squat and several of the other members all yelling out the repeat. I've only been to 3-4 meetings and it is more of a SYS than anything else. I've yet to go on a sponsored field trip (usually the middle of the week at 9:00 am and I work full time). Some produce very nice work. I'm trying to horn in and pick some brains. The bonus of the older crowd is last meeting we were able to watch some old 8mm stuff from one member while stationed in Korea during the war. He had converted the film to digital. some of the color was lost in the converstion, but a good job all the same. I'm going to give it a few more meetings to see what happens. Dues are only $20 US a year, so it won't break the bank.

[R lake]

[QUOTE=Hill Country Hack;1392014]. I am 49 years old and the youngest member! 49 year olds rule

[jonwoad]

Thanks for the replies I'm going to give it a go and see what it's all about.

Thanks

[Captain]

I joined a camera club last year. It was sponsored by the local parks department. The club president gave me a flyer with info about the club and having a passport type photo taken for an ID card that allow me to enter parks department functions at no charge to photograph the participants. After 6 months of asking who to see about the photo with no results, I gave up. Many of the members were retired and their photo outings were mostly during the week...I work a full time job. When they did have an outing on the weekend, the leader/organizer didn't show up...he forgot! WTF?

Another day, one of the self appointed macro "experts" had a seminar to teach us about macro photography. The location was at his wife's catering business. He said refreshments would be served and if we wanted to partake it would cost $5 per person. The 10 people in attendance all paid the $5 thinking we were getting some home made goodies. The seminar consisted of him showing slides of his macro work without any explanation of how the shot was done and the refreshments consisted of coffee. Nothing fancy, just plane old Maxwell House coffee. To me, it was a quick $50 for his wife's business.

I never really felt like I fit in with this group. Out of the thirty or so members that showed up for the monthly meetings, only one lady spoke to me on a regular basis. As it turns out, she was a widow lady looking for husband number three...
After the first year, I just quit attending. I gained nothing from them with the exception of meeting my future second wife. LOL!