Happy 20th, Lanark County Camera Club!

Happy 20th, Lanark County Camera Club! - theHumm December 2016

By — Anthony Thompson

For twenty years, the Lanark County Camera Club has existed to further the interests of its members in the photographic arts. It has survived and flourished by providing a non-competitive atmosphere where members can pursue their interests in both the technical and artistic sides of the craft.

The club was founded in 1996 by Graeme Crabb, a newcomer to the Perth area who saw a need for a forum for photography enthusiasts. Together with a half-dozen or so founding members, Graeme got the club established and served as its first president. Membership grew steadily over the years, to the point where larger and larger meeting facilities were required. Today, the club meets monthly at Algonquin College in Perth where, among other advantages, it can utilize the college’s excellent audio-visual equipment.

From the beginning, the club has offered a varied programme of guest speakers, workshops and outings to provide its members with every opportunity to increase their knowledge of photography and to put what they have learned into practice.

The existence of the club has coincided with the technological revolution in photography that has seen the development of digital technology and the almost complete disappearance from use of film. Within the club this resulted in a growing tension between die-hard film users who regarded digital as a passing fad, and a growing core of members who were enthusiastically exploring the potential of the new technology. At one point these differences threatened the continued existence of the club, but under the leadership of the late Ralph Buttrum cooler heads prevailed and the crisis was weathered successfully.

The development and growth of digital photography has opened up a whole new field of interest, particularly in the editing and amending of digital photographs. To cater to this, the club established a special interest group centred on the post-processing of images. A second special interest group explores the basics of photography, for those members who wish to refresh their knowledge or who are just starting out, while a third group meets to critique members’ images.

The club is non-competitive in nature, its core purpose being to provide a space where people can learn and develop as photographers as they pursue their personal goals for excellence. Members are encouraged to participate and to share what they know with others. Presentations by members, some of whom have worked as professional photographers, are a feature of each year’s activities, and it is this kind of cooperation that leads to images of ever-improving quality.

At each monthly meeting there is an opportunity for members to display their photographs, either pursuant to a monthly theme or simply as “anything goes”.

The club meets at Algonquin College on the fourth Tuesday of each month. The special interest groups meet on different Tuesdays throughout the month, so there is plenty of opportunity to participate.

The Club’s twentieth birthday will be celebrated on December 20, and all present and previous members are invited to attend. For more details, visit lccameraclub.com .

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Happy 20th, Lanark County Camera Club! - theHumm December 2016