Photography friends?

I see a thread on here talking about talking behind other photographers backs. And I read in threads all the time about people meeting up with photographer friends or just seeing them at events, and having a good old chin wag and catching up. It all makes me realise that I have no photography friends. No friends who share this interest or passion. The only person I talk to about my photography outside of the internet is my girlfriend. She loves seeing my photos, and the end results, and I love her for it, but she is not interested in cameras or photography as a hobby or profession.

How do you meet photography friends? Is there some sort of trick to this? I'm starting to think it's maybe because I live in a below-par culturally town. Or maybe i'm past that age where you meet people into the same hobbies. (I'm 24, I met the best chunk of my friends in my teens, many through other hobbies I had).

I'm relatively new to photography, so maybe I'm just being impatient, but it would be so enjoyable to have some friends who were into photography. I know it's sad, but I got excited by going into Jessops and talking to one of the assistants about cameras Pretty ridiculous, but this is something i'm going to stick with. Maybe I just need to approach other photographers while out and about?

How did you do it?

I'm just curious because it's important to me to have friends within a hobby.

TL;DR: I have no friends in photography, that makes me sad. How did you make friends in this field?

I don't have any friends, let alone photo friends.

How about taking a class at your local community college?

I belong to both a loose association of aviation shooters and a flesh and blood photography club that meets once a month.

That gives me both some aviation buddies (despite the fact a few of them are professionally-speaking, direct competitors) and the photo club gives me some people to hang with for general shooting.

I can't imagine a location where even a small camera club couldn't be cobbled together. FWIW, on average, my camera club friends are older than I am (a few are much older and I'm 50!)

@CJ, that's pretty sad if serious. Why is that, if you don't mind me asking?

@FlyingPhotog, just looked at your website. Fantastic photos on there. I'm a massive aviation fan myself and frequent many boards for that too. (Another interest none of my friends share). I would love to go hard at aviation photography when funds allow one day (i already attend airshows, so i'm halfway there). Your photos are something to aspire to. Maybe i'll check my local newspaper for a photog club then, but one of my concerns is that most/all of the members will be a lot older than myself (as you hinted at) and I won't have a connection with any of them. I don't know. Part of my wants to be pro-active, the other part is so cynical it tires me out. I'm hoping to one day have a group of aviation photographer friends to meet a few times a year or more. Sounds like the life.

I have often thougth the same thing. I dont have any friends that are really into photography either. One day I'll join photography club of some sort. I need to get back into Archery first though.

I met a couple of photographers by accident once by walking in their studio. They had a big sign that referred to weddings and I was trying to drum up some business looking to talk to a wedding planner. Instead I ran into one of the photographers and talked to him for a while and have second shot with them and still talk to them from time to time. It can be a healthy relationship where you can share with each other ideas and things that are working and things that are not. I learn a lot from them and share whatever I can which feels like not much. I will meet more as time goes on.

I met all of my photography friends through Meetup.com, there are a few dozen photography meetup groups in my area and I just started going to them and started to see the same people over and over.

I then started taking workshops where I met a lot of great photographers. We are all over the world but now whenever I travel near one of them I will drop them an email and we will get together. Or as happened a few months back one of them commented that they were heading to Death Valley and the next day 3 of us ended up flying and and joining her.

I also joined a local photography club, which has been great, not only for the friends, but for critique of my photos and getting to hear critique about every one else's photos.

And 24 is not too young at all. I started meeting all these people at age 48.

Craigslist, actually. Kind of a funny story. I had met her 20+ years ago through a mutual friend and completely unrelated to photography. We reconnected about 10 years ago through her husband. Again this was completely unrelated to photography. Then our paths parted again 6 or 7 years ago and I lost track of them. This summer I was looking on Craigslist and saw something (a flash) that I was not interested in buying, but I opened the link anyway. She only listed her first name and a phone number, but it was enough to jog the memory. It turned out to be a posting from this same person. So I dropped a quick note to say "hi" and that led to me buying some equipment, her giving me some lessons, and a reconnection with her and her husband which is worth more than the photography connection.

She is encouraging me to attend a weekly get-together with photographers from around our city. I haven't had a chance to go, but am looking forward to meeting others with an interest in photography.

Google+ have been the real turning point for me. I now know probably 20 or so photographers in the area. People that I meet up with on a regular basis (Fitzgerald Marine Reserve last weekend, Death Valley the week before).

Perhaps you can meet some like minded folks here.

I'll be your friend... On flickr!

Besides a few I don't have much photog buddies...Would be cool to find some around where I live...

One nice thing about friends into photography is they can be an assistant time to time... however, you need to establish rules that they cannot comment on your work. That is annoying.

If you spend some time here you will most likely find someone that lives close to you (unless you are isolated to begin with) and that you share common interests with.

When I joined this forum I lived in Montreal, a city of some 4 million. There was another person who also had the city in their profile and we chatted and bantered on here for awhile until we decided to go for a coffee one day. We literally lived just a few blocks apart and I could get from my place to his in under 5 minutes. He has turned out to be the best buddy that I have ever had. It happens, it sometimes takes time and perseverance.

Photo clubs are your best bet. Take some photo classes. We have a local thing called meetups where people get together for all types of hobbies and events. Check for that in your city. You could start a group.

http://www.meetup.com/​cities/ca/mb/winnipeg/