Spring has arrived, and soon everything will be green once again. Many photographers find inspiration in the change of seasons. With new foliage on trees, flowers blooming, days getting longer and temperatures getting warmer, now is a great time to get your camera and explore. The Snow Drops in the photo that accompanies this article are from our garden, so you don’t have to go far to find inspiration. If the change of seasons isn’t enough to keep you inspired, each month, Tetbury Camera Club has speakers, challenges and competitions that can help.

Recent talks from speakers from around the UK via Zoom have included a wide variety of genres. Roger Hance FRPS gave a talk on Photographing Garden Birds. He showed the pictures he made in his garden and showed us how he attracted birds to our gardens so we can create similar photographs. Other speakers presented talks on infrared, portrait, travel, and still life photography.

The Monthly Challenge is a chance for club members to create pictures outside of their usual interests. A topic is chosen, and members have a month to create pictures on that theme. Recent challenges have included Pics for Flicks, Patterns, and My Kitchen Drawer. It is interesting to see the different ideas other photographers come up with in the challenges. 

We also have monthly competitions for those who want feedback on their work. When we can meet in person, we have both print and digital images. For now, meeting via Zoom, we have digital-only competitions. Participation in these monthly competitions is not required. 

Something new we are doing is called Morning Coffee. Friday mornings at 10:00, club members can join an informal discussion of all things photographic. This is an excellent way for members to ask any questions about photography in a relaxed setting. Members also offer tips and tricks, a book on photography that they have just read, and show their work.

You may be wondering if you need special camera equipment to be a club member. You do not. All you need is an interest in photography. Club members regularly enter competitions and show work they have created on mobile devices, and Past Monthly Challenges have been mobile device only. 

If you are interested in photography, we invite you to join the Tetbury Camera Club. We welcome photographers of all levels. You can get more information about the Tetbury Camera Club and our programme of online meetings, please visit us at TetburyCameraClub.org.uk

This is an article I wrote for the Tetbury Camera Club that appeared in the March 2021 edition of the Tetbury Advertiser.