Founded 1957

Frequently asked Questions


When and where does the club meet?
The club meets on Monday evenings at 7:30pm at Bellerby Memorial Hall, Leyburn, DL8 5QG. Directions can be found here.

Does the club support traditional film photography?

The majority of members now work entirely digitally, whether it be a compact camera, digital SLR or anything in between. Many members still have film camera and use scanners to scan negatives, slides or prints. All pictures are treated equally in competitions as long as the picture is all your own work. - a good picture is a good picture regardless of the way it was taken.

Are beginners welcome?
Wensleydale Camera Club accepts members of ALL standards from complete beginners to professionals. A camera club is an excellent place for novices to learn.


Do you need a good camera to be a member?
A better camera is not guarantee of a better picture.


Can anyone join?
YES absolutely! All we ask is an interest in photography and a desire to share that interest with other like minded people.

Does the club have darkroom facilities?
No. It does have a laptop with digital imaging software that members can use.

Are there any women or junior members?
There are more men than women in the club. We also have a few juniors as well. Some of the best photographers in the club are women and one of our junior members won one of the open competitions last year.

 

What are your Membership Fees?
Club membership fees for the season 2011/2012 can be found here.
 

Can I try a meeting before I join?
Yes, you are welcome to come along to meetings as a guest before you decide to join or not. Only fully paid up members can enter the competitions.
 

Do you have to be a certain standard to enter the competitions?
No, but prints should be properly mounted and meet the criteria laid down in the rules. The competitions are there for you to learn from the informed comments from the judges, to appreciate other members work and to have fun and hopefully win a trophy or two.


I am an enthusiast photographer, used to darkroom work in the old days and have recently converted to digital. What does the Club offer me?
There are a number of members whose photographic hobby has developed similarly. There are numerous club activities and outings where we aim to share our knowledge and learn from others in rapidly evolving digital age. We visit other clubs with a view to learning from them as well.


I am not able to come every week. Is it still worth joining?
Attendance is not compulsory as several of our members are unable to attend all meetings due to work commitments for example. See our programme for what we have to offer. Guests and visitors are always welcome, and a small non-member fee is charged for each meeting. If you come more frequently you'll want to join!

I am not keen on competitions, so what else does the club have to offer?
Once a month there are guest speakers, held in conjunction with Northallerton Camera club. We also hold practical sessions from post processing to workshop nights, studio events. See our programme for more details.

I find the whole idea of competing against expert photographers in competitions rather daunting. What is there for me?
We’ve all had to dip our toe in the water here. Treat competitions as a bit of fun. Learn from the judges comments and don’t be afraid to ask other members advice. We were all newbies once and are keen to help one another out.

I have a compact camera and have only taken pictures of family and holidays before.  

You are not alone. The fact that you have found this website means you are keen to learn more and improve your photography. Just remember it’s people who make good pictures, not expensive cameras!


I have seen the large mounted prints submitted for competitions, and this is way beyond me as I don’t have a printer, so what could I do?
There is no need to produce large prints, nor to print one's own digitally. Prints can be made commercially or by a friend. Mounting is not difficult, and we stage demonstrations of the techniques.

My view of camera clubs is that they are full of oldies who churn out the same old slides year in, year out of flowers and wildlife and have yet to embrace the digital age. How active is your club?
Our camera club is very informal, and everyone goes out of their way to welcome newcomers. The more experienced members are more than willing to share their knowledge and level of skills. Members can arrange one-to-one sessions to help any member get up to speed or overcome particular problems.