Joined a photo club last night

[Clovishound]

Last month the Pup and I went to an "art" show at Magnolia Plantation, knowing that there would be some photographers displaying/selling their work. There was a representative of the Carolina Nature Photographers Association there. We decided to attend a meeting and last night we thought it would be good to try it on for size. I was a little intimidated by the talent many of the members displayed. That's probably a good thing, as I'm more likely to learn from those who are more talented, than being able to show off my own skills, such as they are. The local chapter has local outings once a month, and the larger org has weekend outings at different locations throughout the Carolinas. The Pup has already decided she wants to go to one in North Carolina.

I can already tell that the majority of the members have a lot more disposable income than I do. That gives them the opportunity to travel to exotic locations to shoot. The presentation last night was about an African safari that one of the members took, along with the amazing pictures he took. I will add it wasn't a "look at what I did" type of presentation, but rather what to expect on an a safari. I would be traveling to some of these places if I could, but I also believe that if you aren't able to get good images in your local area, you need to learn and grow more as a photographer.

Anyway, looking forward to the experience.

 

[BF Hammer]

Good on you. In the past 2-3 years I have found the websites for the Madison, WI astronomy club and an art-photo club. I've not reached out to either yet. Admittedly I primarily am interested in the astronomy club to access their dark sky campsite. The photo club looks very interesting as they have studios, darkrooms for members to process film and make prints. And they display works from other photographers around the midwest. I am unsure that I could dedicate enough time in to bring value to the cost of membership. So I continue doing my thing.

 

[Clovishound]

Don't know what the club dues are for the photo club are, but this club is fairly reasonable. $75 a year for a family membership. I've had experience with another hobby club. It was a great learning experience, but escalating dues and other costs priced me out of the market at the time.

 

[Clovishound]

I went on my first club outing this weekend. We went to the Swan Iris Lake in Sumter SC. Lots of swans, geese and a few ducks. They had 7 different kinds of swans. Since they feed them regularly, and there are lots of people coming through the park, the waterfowl are not afraid of people. They even tolerate the crazy ones with long lenses and three legged props.

The Pup and I had a great time. Got a chance to get to know a number of the club members better, and talked shop over lunch.

Heck, I even got a few nice pictures.

 

[blackstar]

Hey, This is the kind of photo club I like to join (low cost, friendly members, good outing places, etc). Unfortunately, I found none at my location and neighboring areas...

 

[Whiskeyman]

Now that you've joined, participate to the fullest extent that you can!

In addition, if you can find a local photography group that is affiliated with PSA, and has regular opportunities for you to have photos (prints) judged according to PSA criteria, do so. At first, the judging and critiques can seem harsh, but if you heed the advice of those judges, your photos, and prints, should improve.

 

[Clovishound]

They do have an annual contest, although to be honest, the talent I see in our local club alone would make for some stiff competition. I don't believe they give any feedback, in the contest, however. The rules are pretty strict about what is allowed, as far as subject, editing, etc. My daughter is at the main organization's photo weekend in Asheville right now. I would have loved to go with her, but one of us needs to stay here with my wife. She has had a good time, and got some great opportunities to shoot. My daughter that is, not my wife.

The presentations I saw for the two meetings I've attended so far have been very good, although they were subjects I probably won't have either the opportunity to take advantage of (African safaris), or the desire to explore (adding textures in Photoshop). Still, it's great to be exposed to different things in the medium. You never know what will open a new aspect of photography.

At the local meetings they do allow everyone to bring 3 photos on a thumb drive. They are presented to the group and comments are given. Mostly it's complimentary stuff, but you can tell the ones everyone is impressed with, and those they are not. I don't mind brutal negative commentary, as long as it's not personal.

 

[Whiskeyman]

They do have an annual contest, although to be honest, the talent I see in our local club alone would make for some stiff competition. I don't believe they give any feedback, in the contest, however. The rules are pretty strict about what is allowed, as far as subject, editing, etc. My daughter is at the main organization's photo weekend in Asheville right now. I would have loved to go with her, but one of us needs to stay here with my wife. She has had a good time, and got some great opportunities to shoot. My daughter that is, not my wife.

The presentations I saw for the two meetings I've attended so far have been very good, although they were subjects I probably won't have either the opportunity to take advantage of (African safaris), or the desire to explore (adding textures in Photoshop). Still, it's great to be exposed to different things in the medium. You never know what will open a new aspect of photography.

At the local meetings they do allow everyone to bring 3 photos on a thumb drive. They are presented to the group and comments are given. Mostly it's complimentary stuff, but you can tell the ones everyone is impressed with, and those they are not. I don't mind brutal negative commentary, as long as it's not personal.

I've witnessed plenty of "People's Choice" competitions that I strongly disagreed with. That's why I recommend joining and participating in print competitions at a PSA sanctioned photography club.

These print competitions use standardized scoring criteria conducted by judges who have likely finished several PSA classes concerning photo production and standardized photo judging. The judging criteria are standardized and published. Typically, there are three judges scoring prints, and if there is a discrepancy of a certain amount between the scores of any two of the three, the photo is rescored and further discussion is held if the discrepancy stands. For most of the prints I've seen judged, any difference between any two judges is no more than one-half of a point, out of a five point total, which is permissible in the contest rules. The final score of a print, or photo, is the sum of the scores of the three judges.

After the competition, the photographer can usually ask for critiques of their photos. To be effective, unless a photo scores a perfect fifteen points, any one or all of the judges can offer their opinion of the photo by breaking down their score, and offering advice on what they believe would have improved the photo. Comments are kept "professional" and pertain to the photo, and often include praise for what the judges like about the photo. Often, the photographer is the one who gets personal with the score, and takes what they consider a poor score as an insult.