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I said in my previous article that this year I joined my local u3a photography group, a local camera club/photographic society run under the aegis of the u3a rather than the usual national network of camera clubs that most belong to.

The big difference? Unlike most camera clubs, there are no competitions. None at all! So if you want to ally with fellow local photographers, but are not a fan of the endless diet of photography competitions most traditional camera clubs provide, this is certainly worth a punt.

So, what does the u3a Bromley photo group do instead of competitions?

We share our images on weekly themes. We talk about those images – anything from general chitchat about the image to detailed critiques/appreciation of composition and technique. It all depends on the image and the photographer. We often talk about how the image might be improved with further editing or by a reshoot or just discuss lessons for the future. Generally, everyone uploads one image plus an optional unedited straight-out-of-camera version so we can see the impact of image editing. Sometimes the images are great, sometimes not so great, sometimes they are just interesting or funny. We usually learn something useful or just have laughter and banter. These sharing sessions are online via Zoom.

Once a month we meet in person at a local venue. Members put on presentations and talks, sometimes on the technical craft of photography, sometimes on the art and aesthetics, or the work of notable photographers. We try and include an interactive element so everyone can join in. Because the group is a mixed group with experienced and inexperienced, passionate and more casual photographers, there is usually something to learn for everyone.

We also have an extra subgroup free for members to attend if they are interested, that looks deeper into more technical aspects of the craft, including photo editing skills up to an intermediate level (eg selections, masks and adjustment layers and equivalent functions across different pieces of software). This is another zoom meeting which makes it convenient to share screens and applications and demonstrate techniques. One of the goals is to share photo editing approaches across platforms and applications – we’re not just Photoshop enthusiasts! The programme for this subgroup is suitable for the more ambitious members, but expertise is not a prerequisite – even if you are a beginner, so long as you are keen to learn, there is lots for you.

More information and how to join

For anyone in the Bromley area who is interested in finding out more about the group, I’ll be posting more articles with a personal slant about how I’m getting on with the group. Information about our activities is available on our u3a official site page, including details of how to contact our group leader and book yourself in for free taster sessions: https://www.u3abromley.org.uk/activities-camera_club.html

Please note that the u3a rules require you to have two separate memberships: firstly membership of the u3a itself (currently around £20 per annum) and secondly membership of the Photo Group (which covers our running costs. Subs cost is variable depending on expenses, but is normally less than the u3a subs).

If you have any questions about the group, why not drop a comment below and I’ll do my best to answer.

More to come in future articles…