There was a wonderful display of photographers’ work by the Rye and District Camera Club (RDDC) on display as part of the Rye Arts Festival at St Mary’s Centre
It was a pleasure to meet with their chairwoman and president who obviously are so proud of the work that they do as a group in encouraging old and young photographers to achieve such wonderful compositions.
RDCC attracts people with an interest in photography from all walks of life with the aim of sharing their photography and helping and encouraging members to further their photographic interest in a friendly and informal environment.
There are ample opportunities for members to display their work by way of exhibitions and competitions, and to share the knowledge and experience of fellow members and guest speakers.
Tony Ham is a member and told me what made him join this vibrant group: “Around ten years ago, during the Christmas holiday, I decided to buy my first DSLR camera, having only used a point and shoot and a bridge camera beforehand. Knowing absolutely nothing about cameras, I read online reviews and ended up buying a Nikon d5100.
“At first I left it on auto but that wasn’t working out as the pictures didn’t always look the way I wanted them to: they were often out of focus and the flash seemed to pop up at random! It was no good, I had to learn to control the camera to get the pictures I wanted. But where to start? Aperture, shutter speed, ISO, white balance, it was all a mystery to me. My camera had so many dials, buttons, settings and menus that I didn’t know where to begin. After watching countless YouTube videos, something I still do now, I decided to join Rye and District Camera Club.
“I didn’t know anyone who was a member so was a bit unsure when I went to my first meeting but they turned out to be a friendly bunch with a huge amount of experience between them which they seemed happy to share. I remember when I first entered pictures into a club competition, I thought they were pretty good at the time. I now know they weren’t and through entering them I found out from the judge’s comments where I was going wrong and also what I had done right, which at that stage wasn’t a great deal!
“After a while, club members started photographing local events: Christmas in Rye, Rye Arts Festival etc. This led to me contacting Rye International Jazz and Blues Festival, who I still photograph for now. I also photograph EWW wrestling shows in Hastings, various concerts, including shows for reviews on the Brighton and Hove News website.
“I also show pictures at the club’s annual print exhibition where I’ve sold quite a few prints over the years. It’s nice to know people want my pictures on their walls! Photography is something you can never claim to know everything about, you never stop learning. In ten years I’ve barely scratched the surface.”
If you are an accomplished photographer, or a beginner, or somewhere in between, if you have an interest in photography, we welcome you to our friendly club.
Whether you photograph with digital equipment or film, whether you use a compact, a DSLR, other digital equipment or use film and maybe still have a darkroom, you will find a very warm welcome, plus all sorts of advice and encouragement should you need it. You are welcome to come as a guest for two evenings before joining.
Meetings are usually held fortnightly on alternate Monday evenings, starting at 7:30pm, from September to April inclusive. The club meets at Playden WI Hall in Houghton Green Lane, Playden.
Contact: email rdcameraclub@googlemail.com.
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Image Credits: Kt bruce .