Camera Clubs may not have entered your mind when you took up photography, it may not be your thing or you think that all camera clubs are maybe a bit clicky (excuse the pun)! I had never considered joining one as I felt I could get all the info I needed from books, magazines or the internet, and of course they weren´t my scene! After all, I was into skydiving, motorbikes and All Things Fast!
It was my wife who saw an ad in a local paper here in Spain that advertised some spare places on a forthcoming trip to Seville in Northern Andalucia. The reason my wife pointed it out was that I was planning a trip there soon anyhow, this would save the hassle of driving, parking, booking hotels etc.
I met with the chairwoman who was very friendly and explained a bit about most of their members, they all sounded nice and most with a common interest of course, photography. When she told me the charge, I was amazed. For the coach there and back, and a double room in a nice hotel in the centre of Seville, they were asking for €90 (£60), great!
The guys at the club were very welcoming and not so "clicky" after all and although I was one of the youngest there, the atmosphere was light hearted and fun throughout the stay. It was well organised and I got some cracking pictures for my library of stock photography images, in fact some have sold already.
If you ever considered joining a club but were too afraid to ask, go ahead, you will find that there are some great benefits to be had. If nothing else, it was nice to talk to people with similar interests for a change, so I didn´t have to bore the wife and friends for at least two days!!!
Have a look through your local paper or a quick search on the internet and use the link below to find a camera club near you in the UK. Pop along and see how things are run. They normally have competitions, regular, organised trips and some have discounted stores for your equipment. You will always learn something, but if you do happen to be a professional or very experienced photographer, then why not payback some of your knowledge to others...it all makes the world go round very nicely.
Nick
Check out the resourceful and handy site at Cameraclubs.Photopro to find a club near you in the UK.
Or go to The Big Club List for clubs in the USA.
Below are some pics from the trip to the beautiful Seville last week. If you are planning a trip to Andalucia in southern Spain, make sure you put this place on your agenda. It has an incredible fun park for the kids (and big kids ; ) too!
