Starting photography club! Day3: IT'S GOING WAY TOO FAST! :D

[DocFrankenstein]

This year, I am starting photography club at my campus. 8) I already have the constitution written down and with a few minor changes, the club will be recognized by the university.

Getting the club to exist on paper was the easy part.

Now I need your help guys. I have never been a member of a photography club. I don't know what kind of stuff people do there.

My idea was to do 2 meetings a month. Come y'all... Digital, film, slr, point and shoot... throwaway cameras... as long as you want to do this stuff, you can join.

Like here, there's gonna be a photo challenge each month... with a different topic. We're gonna gather, look at the pics and vote on them.

The other meeting is gonna be a lecture/seminar explaining the photography basics... composition, shutter/aperture... some other basic stuff...

Then I'll try to develop some kind of relationship with the campus newsletter and see if they could use our pictures...

And there are thoughts on publishing a collection of photos of our campus.

This is the first year of the club. I don't want to set unrealistic expectations, cause I have to study also... There also has to be a site of some sort... I am rambling...

Do you have any suggestions/comments/opinions? Has anyone been involved in stuff like this?

[robertwgross]

Resources!

Assume that photos get shown in one of four ways:
(1) On the web
(2) Photo prints
(3) Transparencies (slides) projected onto a screen
(4) Digital images projected onto a screen

If you are going to routinely look at these things, then you have to be able to do as many of those four ways as possible.

(1) easy... get some web space
(2) easy... make prints anywhere
(3) slide projector and screen... cheap
(4) digital LCD projector >>> that is the tough one

LCD projectors can be very cheap and the photographers will hate them for resolution and brightness. They can be expensive, but then who is going to pay?

If you could find some campus resource on that, it would save you a lot of club treasury money.

---Bob Gross---

[gillyworld]

Have a look at some camera club web sites for ideas. The one that I manage is for Bracknell Camera Club

www.bracknell-camera-club.co.uk

alan

[aam1234]

Great photos there gillyworld.

[Arnie]

i suggest as part of your club activities, you conduct on-the-spot photo contest. club members goes to a particular place on a given date and spends a day or two in that place taking photos. each participating member will submit their best shots for the on-the-spot photo contest. club outings like this is the best time for the members to bond with one another.

assign a point system on your photo contest and rank members based on the points. my club has a "photographer of the year" and "rookie of the year" awards. it may sound cheesy but its the best way to gauge the performance of your members.

i suggest that you invite judges for your photo contest who can do some critiques and give suggestions.

hold exhibits.

its easy to form a camera club, the hard part is to keep its existence.

[MediaMagic]

Along with these other great ideas already posted:

Contact local pros and see if you can arrange for them to attend meetings as "guest hosts" or something, where they can give a brief lecture or question and answer period, show and discuss their work, etc. Perhaps even having "themes" of the month, e.g., this month focuses on landscape photography and the guest host at one of the meetings is a pro landscape shooter, next month it can be nature or wildlife, then portraits, etc.

Good luck with it.

[Andy_T]

(4) Digital images projected onto a screen

(4) digital LCD projector >>> that is the tough one

LCD projectors can be very cheap and the photographers will hate them for resolution and brightness. They can be expensive, but then who is going to pay?

If you could find some campus resource on that, it would save you a lot of club treasury money.

---Bob Gross---

There should be some auditoriums equipped with state-of-the-art digital projectors (e.g. medialab) that might be available at a certain time when no other courses are held...

Best regards,
Andy

[robertwgross]

Once you get the club up and functioning, then make up some flyers to have distributed around the women's dormitories.

"Model Tryouts"

You'll have a line of gals waiting to have their photo snapped.

---Bob Gross---

[Andy_T]

Good idea!

Might also increase membership by male photographers.

Best regards,
Andy

[DocFrankenstein]

LOL!

I was thinking about making a calendar! :twisted:

Thank you all for the suggestions. I've received temporary status. Tomorrow it begins :twisted: :lol:

[darwin]

Let us know how it goes!

[stopbath]

Workshops:

Once a month, get together at a location to shoot photos in regards to a specific workshop theme. The workshop itself would even be optional, could just be an outing for some...

Then at the next meeting, members can show photos and remark on the workshop (no contest, just sharing). Later, the next workshop could be brainstormed (location and objective.)

Store Discount:

Canvas some of the local stores and see if one or more of them will provide the club members with a discount. This might be nice for the members shooting film.

Web Site:

If you can get a web site hosted, add a calander of events. Special outings, monthly meetings, special get togethers. This could help bring in new members as they can see when and where the group meets, plus see when outings or special events take place.

Beer time:
Besides the formal meetings, outings and such, an unwind time might be nice. In short, once a month a table at a local pub is open for any photographer (member or not) to drop in and share a story or two over a beverage of choice. No agenda and no photos.

[DocFrankenstein]

Update: day2: Got 50 members!

I've made some posters, we are sitting in the lounge and members are coming in. Apparently, a 10$ membership fee is too much. :roll:

It's amazing! People have cameras and don't know what brand it is... let alone the model :roll:

One guy came up. He supposedly had "really nice pictures of sunsets" and wanted to know if my club can hook him up with national geographic. Upon further enquiry, he was shooting with some 3 mp point and shoot. He also had "that filter that improves colors" (a polarizer). I told him to talk to the VP about it after the first meet. :lol:

Q: How many mp does it have?
A: What do you mean? It can make 1 mp pics, 2 mp... 3 mp...
Q: Can it make 4 mp pics
A: I don't know.

We have 2 Drebel guys with kit lens. One guy with 10D and 35-120 or similar... 2 Elans... 2 rebel Ti... One guy's dad shoots some 6 mp Dimage from minolta. About 10 more with manual SLRs... Others are hardcore beginners (skill wise).

I will have to give basic photography lessons. I want to be prepared.

[Curos]

Update: day2: Got 50 members!
One guy's dad shoots some 6 mp Dimage from minolta.


That made me "giggle." Does he use anything, or just his dad? :D :roll:

[IndyJeff]

Doc you might contact the SID and ask if it would be possible for a couple people at a time be allowed to shoot some practices of the schools teams. Don't over look the cheerleaders either. Maybe see if the school newspaper has a staff photographer or 2 who will be judges/critics. Also don't overlook the local paper. Staffers may be willing to help with some judging/critiquing

Do some photo stories. Let the members pick their own story. How are you going to display images? Maybe since funds are limited you could do a slide show on the computer and let members judge. Just make it so everyone turns in a cd with their images on it and one member will be in charge of the slide shows. Nobody should know who's work is whom's so the judging can be completely unbiased with popularity, i.e. everybody won't be able to vote for the hot blonde because she is hot.

Having guest speakers is a great idea. I have done a couple of those myself. Just be sure to allow enough time because there sometimes can be a ton of questions.

Also check your PM's

[aam1234]

Doc, your project is so exciting that I want to join.

Keep us posted.

Wishing you the best with the club.

[aam1234]

Doc, your project is so exciting that I want to join.

Keep us posted.

Wishing you the best with the club.

[aam1234]

opps, double post...maybe I'm too excited :lol:

[IndyJeff]

I guess he is excited......3 posts to prove it! LOL

[stopbath]

If $10 (a year, a month) is too much, break it down.

Free to join the meetings, and in house events (contests and such) but $10 to also come to the workshops or outside events (photo shoots, field trips...)

This way, Fred and his camera that he doesn't even know the brand of, can join in, and work up to maybe joining the outings if he feels the need.

Perhaps the outings could be just $2 or $5 per head per outing. Not much, but it could help buy books for the club library (or other expenses.)

Glad you got a big turn out. Now to keep them coming back!

[aam1234]

If you manage to put up a web site, include an international section for people like ME!!!

[DocFrankenstein]

Update: day3: Way too much to do!

This is getting big! :shock: I've had 15 hours of sleep in the last 4 days... I need a lot of manpower for website, to sit in our booth... promote the club... make flyers... etc.

Now I have connections with the newspaper and am gonna be shooting for one of the departments who want to publish an album about what they do.

Fun stuff. :shock:

[psk4363]

Doc,

Keep at it - the club alone will be worth the effort you're putting in, let alone the off-shoots you're getting. :D

Barry

[Dixmith]

May I suggest that you do not make your meetings competitive to start with. This will reduce the risk of members new to photography being intimidated. The idea should be for the experienced photograhers to show the newbies how to interpret themes and topics and how to get the best results from their cameras.

Also it should not develop (no pun intended) into an "I've got a bigger/better camera than you" contest.

By all means have an annual competition and break it down into sections so that newbies get a look-in.

Be careful about privacy and intellectual property legislation too.

[BillsBayou]

May I suggest that you do not make your meetings competitive to start with.

He started 3-1/2 years ago.

This will reduce the risk of members new to photography being intimidated.

Or new members to forums.

The idea should be for the experienced photograhers to show the newbies how to interpret themes and topics and how to get the best results from their cameras..

They should all be experienced by now.

Also it should not develop (no pun intended) into an "I've got a bigger/better camera than you" contest.

Or "I have a more out-dated camera than you."

By all means have an annual competition and break it down into sections so that newbies get a look-in.

They could have had about three of those by now.

Be careful about privacy and intellectual property legislation too.

Then or now?

Oh, I'm just kidding with ya... :D I love old threads. Welcome to POTN!

[khernandez19]

"I already have the constitution written down"

Do you happen to still have that on file?