[Kevin B123]

Second is still going. Haven't been able to attend since changing jobs. Club only has one official competition a year. The entries are displayed to attract attention to the club. No gamefication involved. Members are notified of 3rd party contests and presentations.

There's always a simple photo lesson and often a more complex one. These may be presented by members or guests. Members range from 20's to 80's and everyone gets along well. Usually about 35 people attend a meeting. Meetings are once a month. There is always a photo theme and we look at the images during the meeting, using thumb drives and downloads. Camera equipment is talked about and compared. There are other Pentax owners in the club. There are also Sony, Fuji, Ricoh, and Olympus.

The club also has connections with the Arts Council.

Thanks,
barondla ( I miss attending).

That sounds like an idea set up to my way of thinking, and avoids many of the judging problems others have mentioned.

[robgski]

While it is not part of a club per se, many local photographers participate in an annual photo contest to win placement of their submitted photo(s) of local places, personalities or events as the image for 1 of 12 months in a calendar produced by our local newspaper. While all of us hope to win, it's a friendly competition, which we all look forward to, and prepare for throughout the year. It's always interesting to see how each photographer will capture a familiar scene in a way that no one else has, or reveal a place no one else had explored even though it is in our neighborhood, so to speak. Best of all, the judge gives a critique of all the monthly winners, as well as the honorable mentions during a retrospective for the release of the calendar. WE all learn so much from that part, and it encourages a bit of camaraderie for all of us.

[ehrwien]

I'm not in a photo club and never have been, but a small group of friends and friends of friends, we're only 5 people, we try to tackle some of those Inspiracles Photo Tasks. We're having some time trouble and it looks like it's going to die down fully. We started with a shorter timespan for each task and gave each other points for the pictures, but we've gone to a schedule of a couple of those tasks in a few months and we don't give points any more, but try to just give some constructive criticism. We also try to meet every once in a while, but that was only twice so far and with only three of us... not so easy to find a time when everyone is available.

[bdery]

There's always a simple photo lesson and often a more complex one. These may be presented by members or guests. Members range from 20's to 80's and everyone gets along well. Usually about 35 people attend a meeting. Meetings are once a month. There is always a photo theme and we look at the images during the meeting, using thumb drives and downloads. Camera equipment is talked about and compared.

That seems like a pretty mild and pleasant way to go about things.

[Pentaxian359]

The formal clubs I have been associated with were very competitive not only with images but more so with having the latest and greatest gear. Most of the members thought a little too much of themselves to my liking.

So true, although there are some around with more 'humanity'

---------- Post added 07-15-21 at 12:48 PM ----------

I have honestly never joined a Club. I do have a friend that took up Photography, and joined a local club in Florida,. Being in CT we could not shoot together, but her Club experience was great. She went on trips and they knew all the Local hot spots.I"d say her skills really shot up.

I do have to wonder though for those of you involved in Clubs, Whats the age range you are seeing? Assuming theres few "young" adults ? Also are you seeing alot of DSLR users?

al

Almost of the members in the Club i belong to are between 40-80.
There are a couple of teenagers.
No one submits images taken with their phone, its pretty much all DSLR's.