[Dave]

Last night I made my first visit to the Cheltenham Camera Club & have to say it was an excellent night

There were approx 80 people present, with I estimate 10-20 of those being new members. We were all made to feel very welcome & the whole night was proffesionally run. The evenings agenda was :-

- An Evening with Kusey presented by Malcolm Kus. DPAGB ARPS EFIAP/b

Malcom took us though some of his shots, with his unique sense of humour & wit, plus a wolverhampton accent Very entertaining & some great photography. So will I be going back next week.....you bet

For more details of the camera club please visit :- Cheltenham Camera Club - Dedicated to the Photographic Arts Since 1865

[Steve]

You are becomming a busy man in the evenings sir. It sounds like you had a good time though

[Angela]

I've found a camera club local to me and had a chat with one of the members last week and he was very enthusiastic about me coming along to see what they do! They meet weekly and I had hoped to go along last night but having been away for a few days and out at my first photography evening class on Wednesday, I really needed a night at home!

[Dave]

Is that this Weds just gone Angela for your course ? If so, how did it go ?

[Angela]

Originally Posted by Dave

Is that this Weds just gone Angela for your course ? If so, how did it go ?

It was Dave and it went OK. I think!! It was the first lesson so a lot of time was taken up with all the formal stuff such as Health and Safety, introductions and where the loos are etc!

The tutor is a really nice guy but I was a bit concerned that he was flitting between different subjects and not really saying very much about anything! We had a basic outline on shutter speeds and apertures with promises that he would be going into each in more details at a later date. Thanks to you guys here I have a very basic understanding and just as well because without that I would have been completely at a loss as to what he was talking about and there were a lot of blank faces about. I think he told us about three different things we'd be doing next week but finally seemed to settle on low light photography and those that have them should bring along their tripods. Seems a little cart before horse if you ask me, but hopefully it will all sort itself out over the next few weeks!!

But I enjoyed it and it was great to meet some other like-minded people in the area. What was interesting was that out of the 12 people on the course, 10 of us are female!

[Fangman]

Having joined the Ely Club last year I have learnt a lot and have been made very welcome.
Very interesting in seeing others work and even more what Judges views are! - Often very different to everybody elses! Prepared a print just to their rules and fooled them getting a "wow" response and maximum marks although I wouldn't want it on my wall!

I would recommend everyone to pay a visit to their local club.

[fionaB]

I was tempted to join our (Semi) local club, it being about 7 miles away. But my problem is that i already go out on wednesdays!!!!! (( boohoo........so i will have to do without a camera club

Fiona

[Dave]

I think they need to be weekly to be of any use though, as anything longer seems an enternity....especially when your used to Pixalo response time to queries

[fionaB]

yeah who needs a camera club when u got pixalo............ seriously tho it would be fantastic to be amongst people that share the same interest. i always feel like im being"humoured" if i talk photographs with my freinds! lol

[Dave]

My father in-law calls me an anorak for liking photography

[Sonsey]

Originally Posted by fionaB

seriously tho it would be fantastic to be amongst people that share the same interest. i always feel like im being"humoured" if i talk photographs with my freinds! lol

I often felt the exact same way Fiona, and still do sometimes... but some of it has gone since 1 or 2 of them got cameras

[Gary Bagshawe]

Originally Posted by Dave

My father in-law calls me an anorak for liking photography

Well in my local everybody keeps telling me to get a proper job

[fionaB]

i would love to have the "proper" job u do!! lol

mind you maybe not im not sure i would be as passionate about it if i HAD to go out and take pictures! lol but then agian i wouldnt mind giving it a go

Fiona

[Dave]

Well off to the club tonight for following :-

Aggregate Competition - Heat One: OPEN
judged by
Peter Young. CPAGB APAGB
Bring prints and slides for Battle with Cirencester and Stroud Camera Clubs

Never been to a comp at a club, so will be interesting to see the standard of shots

[Rob Barron]

LOL, I know what you mean about being humoured. I had a friend who was doing a trip and he had his 'nifty digital camera' and, looking down his nose at me, said 'If you have a camera, feel free to bring it along and grab some snapshots' and then, most obligingly said 'I'll be happy to help you if you are not sure what to take a picture of!'

I just had to rise to the bait didn't I? <g> I went along with my huge Lowepro backpack stuffed with L series lenses and insisted on sitting next to him on the coach where I said 'As I am just getting started, could you explain a few things for me?' I then proceeded to ask him about reciprocity, whether he felt the bokeh of his lens was giving good pictures and whether I should buy a book explaining the basics :o)

Fiona, you should have been there, you'd have wet yourself! The poor guy was sweating profusely and mumbling almost unintelligibly a lot of the time but he did eventually get the picture that I was having him on. We then settled down and had a good laugh.... while I explained reciprocity to him <g>

Condescending people are now my favourite, as you might have guessed!

Cheers,
Rob