Camera club etiquette: a newcomer's guide for New Zealand clubs

Walking into your first camera club meeting can feel a bit like turning up to someone else’s family dinner. Everyone knows each other, a projector hums in the corner, and someone is talking about “set subjects” as if you should already know what that means. Relax. Clubs exist because people like sharing photos, and most of them are very glad to see a new face.

Here’s what the Hellophoto team has learned about fitting in, getting the most out of a club and not accidentally upsetting the person who has run the tea roster since the 1990s.

How most clubs work

Every club does things its own way, but the pattern is fairly similar around the country. There’s usually a regular meeting night, often monthly, sometimes more often. A typical evening might include a guest speaker or a practical demonstration, a look at members’ images from the latest competition, and some notices about upcoming outings.

Many clubs are affiliated with the Photographic Society of New Zealand, the national body that links clubs together, runs national exhibitions and conventions, and offers honours for photographers who want to work towards a formal distinction. It’s good to know the wider network is there if you catch the bug.

Set subjects and open categories

Club competitions usually have a “set subject” (for example, reflections, street life or a single colour) alongside an open category where anything goes. There are often separate grades for newer and more experienced members, so you won’t be judged against someone with forty years of salon wins. Ask the competition secretary how entries are submitted, what file size or print size is wanted, and when the deadline is. Those three things trip up nearly every newcomer.

Before your first meeting

Check the club’s website or social page for the meeting night, venue and whether visitors are welcome. Most clubs let you come along a couple of times before you join.
Bring nothing but curiosity. You don’t need to bring a camera, prints or a portfolio to your first night.
Arrive a little early. It’s far easier to chat to two or three people before things start than to break into a crowd at supper.

Etiquette during critiques

The judging or critique part of the night is where etiquette matters most, because people are putting their work up in public.

When your image is on screen

Sit on your hands, metaphorically. Most clubs judge entries anonymously, and it spoils that if you announce which one is yours or start explaining what you meant. Let the judge’s comments land, write down anything useful, and talk to them afterwards if the club allows it. A low score on a photo you love is not a verdict on you. Judges are reading the image against a set of conventions, and those conventions are only one way of seeing.

When it’s someone else’s

Keep quiet while the judge is speaking. Side commentary carries further than you think in a church hall.
If the club invites comments from the floor, start with something that works in the image before suggesting a change.
Be specific. “The horizon tilts slightly to the left” helps. “Not really my thing” doesn’t.
Never make it about gear. Nobody wants to hear that the shot would have been better on your lens.

On club outings

Field trips are often the best part of club life, and also where small courtesies count.

Don’t plant your tripod in front of someone else’s. If the best spot is taken, wait, or ask if you can squeeze in for a frame or two.
Keep to the group’s timing. If the plan is to leave the beach at 7.30, be at the cars at 7.30, even if the light is still lovely.
Respect the location. Stay on tracks, keep away from nesting birds and follow any rules for the place you’re visiting. Check DOC’s know-before-you-go advice before heading into the bush.
Ask before photographing people, including fellow members. Some prefer not to appear in the club newsletter.
Share lifts and share tips. The fastest way to learn is to stand next to someone who knows their camera and ask what they’re doing.

Clubs are generous places. Someone will probably offer to lend you a filter or let you try a macro lens. Look after borrowed gear as if it were twice as expensive as it is, give it back promptly and say thanks. If you post photos from a club outing online, credit the club and ask before tagging other members.

The same goes for ideas. If a member shows you a technique or a spot they’ve found, it’s polite to mention them when you use it, at least within the club. Copying someone’s competition image composition for composition and entering it a month later is a quick way to make the room go cold.

Giving back

Clubs are run by volunteers. Once you’ve settled in, offer to help: setting up chairs, running the projector, organising an outing or writing a short piece for the newsletter. You’ll get to know people faster than you would by just attending, and you’ll take some load off the committee members who’ve been doing it for years.

Is a club right for you?

Not everyone enjoys judged competitions, and that’s fine. Some clubs lean heavily towards competition, others are more social or focused on outings and workshops. Visit a couple if there’s more than one near you. If you’re early in your photography, our post on the exposure triangle is a good primer before your first set subject, and you can browse more starting points under beginners.

The main thing is to show up, be kind about other people’s photos and keep shooting. Within a few months you’ll be the one welcoming the next nervous newcomer.