Camera Clubs - My Story
At this time of year its traditional for people to make New Year resolutions or decide to make a change to their life to enhance the experience or further a passion maybe. If you are interested in photography you may be tempted to join the local camera club, or photographic society as some are called, in order to meet like minded souls and learn some new techniques etc. When I started my photography journey there were no camera clubs near me in Glasgow but a new community centre was being built and a darkroom was one of the features that was to be included in its construction.
When the centre opened in the mid 1970s I noted that there was a “Photography Class” on a Monday night so I went along. The class consisted of everyone listening to a chap go on about how to take pictures, very basic and dubious stuff surrounding techniques and equipment was discussed. After a few weeks myself and another member got chatting at the break and said we had had enough of this so the plan was hatched. Over the next few weeks we did some research on camera clubs, visited a few to get advice and then we made our move. At the next Monday night class we invited the Instructor, as he called himself, into the darkroom for a chat. I told him that his services were no longer required and that Jim and I were taking over and starting a proper camera club. As you can imagine that went down like a lead balloon but it turns out he was self appointed into the “Instructor” role so we told him he could join our new club or leave. He left.
This was how Penilee Camera Club was formed and over the next few weeks we formed our first democratically elected committee, set subs levels, compiled a syllabus of weekly events and joined the Glasgow District Photographic Union (GDPU) and the Scottish Photographic Federation(SPF). It was onwards and upwards after that and I am delighted to say the club is still going strong.
In 1983 I got married and moved from Penilee to Houston in Renfrewshire. Again there was no really local camera club but a couple of years later I saw a notice that a photography class held in a local school had come to an end and that many of the class attendees were looking to form a camera club and were asking if anyone else was interested. I went along to the first meeting and the club was formed. It was nomadic for a few years and couldn’t find a permanent home until the old school in Houston was purchased by the community to be converted into a community centre. It was here that Gryffe Camera Club set down its roots and again, this club is still going strong.
In 1997 we then moved to live in Derby (work reasons). At this point my photography was moving from analogue to digital and although I brought all my darkroom equipment with me, I sold it all. Another thing I decided was that my camera club days were over, I had no intention of joining the well respected Derby Photographic Society. So what had changed?
Firstly I would like to point out that I enjoyed my time at the clubs that I was a member of. I had met some great people and many of those friendships continue to this day. I particularly liked the social elements to the clubs, days out and the pub after the meeting. I had however come to realise that my photography was stagnating and being dictated to by the camera club syllabus. Why should I force myself to take pictures of things I had no interest in just because the competition subject was set by the Syllabus Secretary? Although I tended to do well in club competitions, I realised that it was meaningless. Was my picture just the best of a bad bunch, or was I in first place just because there were only two entries in that section? I once proposed at an AGM that we scrap competitions and replace them with opportunities for members to display their work like in an exhibition format. That got shot down by the traditionalists as “we need to hear what judges say about our work”. Which leads me on nicely to my next issue.
Arranging club competitions and picking a judge was a role I used to have in the early days. Picking a judge was usually done from a list of respected individuals who were deemed to have the necessary competence to pass judgement on other’s work. I often wondered how you got on to the list so I enquired. Apparently the GDPU ran “Judging Courses” where you were taught how to be a judge. I had never heard so much nonsense so I told them, I will put myself forward as a judge but I refuse to be “taught” what it involves. I heard nothing more then hey presto, I was on the new list of judges when it came out. I was invited by a few clubs to come and judge their competitions and it was a challenge for me not to honestly say what I thought about some of the images that were presented to me, I always tried to be constructive. One night whilst I was judging a competition I thought “What the hell are you doing"? I had become exactly what I didn’t like about clubs and competitions. At that point I took my name off the list and never judged anyone’s work again. Anyone can judge, but I am content now in being the best judge of what I do.
My final gripe about clubs and societies (not just photography related), is the politics involved. Although I didn’t really have many issues around this problem I have seen some good people leave clubs or resign from the committee due to disagreements and personal attacks. A lot of clubs have committees that are effectively a “closed shop” and formed by traditionalists where its their way or the highway. A good example of this was when digital was emerging. Some clubs prohibited digital work from competitions and exhibitions and this took some time to resolve. The stress of club politics is something I don’t need in my life.
