Cincinnati Photography Clubs

Are you aware of the active photographic communities in your area? In the Cincinnati area, there are several local organizations available each with their own benefits and style. From traditional clubs like the CCofC to newer "online" groups like the OVCC, there's something for everyone.

[Looking for an online-only experience? Check out my post on Cincinnati Flickr Groups. -RRD]

Camera Club of Cincinnati
The main club in Cincinnati is the Camera Club of Cincinnati, or CCofC for short. Founded in 1884, it is the third-oldest club in the nation (according to our research) falling just behind the Baltimore Camera Club and the Boston Camera Club, which were founded in 1883 and 1881, respectively. Membership is gained by attending 3 meetings of the club followed by an acceptance vote of the general membership.

The club welcomes amateurs and professionals alike, and the group is very inviting to folks who are "just looking to learn". The clubs facilities are available 24-7 to all members and include two studios with strobes, backdrops, and assorted studio sundries; a darkroom; a finishing room with a large mat cutter and dry-mount press; and a computer setup for digital editing, scanning, and printing. For less than $200/year, this is a great value!

Meetings are held weekly on Thursday nights at 8PM and are open to members as well as guests. My favorite night is the first Thursday: Print Night - you bring in one or two prints in either color or black and white. The membership judges each one, rating it from 1-5 on three criteria: Impact, Composition, and Print. After the votes are tallied up, the top placed prints are announced and an experienced photography docent discusses each of the photographs from his perspective. The group C&C goes on for 30-40 minutes and is quite valuable: I've learned a lot from the group discussions and I'd imagine that most participants would agree!

Other weeks throughout the month include a "studio night", where a model is brought in and is photographed by a group; a "digital night" where members (including yours truly) share their knowledge of digital image processing through various presentations; and Monographs of a featured photographer's work.

In the interest of disclosure, you'll note that I'm the V.P. of the CCofC; my opinions are obviously a bit biased! That said, the club search is about getting involved and learning from like-minded people - this isn't a contest!!

Tri-State Photographic Society
The Tri-State Photographic Society is for "serious photographers from the Tristate area of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana..." who "...meet for enjoyment, competition and to increase our knowledge of photography". The dues are lower for this club - just $30, however they do not have their own facilities. Instead, they hold their meetings at the Cold Spring Library on the 1st and 3rd Friday of each month at 7PM.

This club has an active membership of accomplished photographers. A trip through their galleries is a testament to this statement! The club holds themed slide and print contests, has regular shoot outings, and publishes a monthly newsletter that is archived on their site for public consumption.

I'm not currently involved with this club, mainly due to time constraints (and the fact that the wife would take issue with ditching her on Friday nights!). Still, if you're looking for a club that focuses on high quality photography and the pursuit of it, this is the place for you.

Ohio Valley Camera Club
Next up is the online-only Ohio Valley Camera Club, hosted at the (unfortunately named like a seedy online-dating venture) Meetup.com community website. This club is free to join!! As of this posting, the OVCC sports 211 members and is growing fast. They have very frequent group outings, all arranged via their website and email, where the members gather in a common location to photograph. If you're looking to shoot the best sites in Cincinnati, this is the club to visit!!

One of the best parts of the club is their very active Message Board - the skill levels of the membership varies pretty widely, but the common thread (no pun intended) is that everyone is eager to help each other out with their photography questions. Whether it's a question related to printing, shooting, or the latest lens, someone on the message board will be able to help you!

I'm also a member of this club, though I'm not as active with it as I am the CCofC. This is for no reason other than lack of time - Great people and lots of opportunities at the OVCC!

Photography Club of Greater Cincinnati
Formerly known as the Cincinnati Color Slide Club, the Photography Club of Greater Cincinnati seeks to "promote the interests and activities of photographers for pleasure, education, and recreation". They have regular meetings (the 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month), a newsletter, and frequent print competitions. The member photos appear to be focused on nature, but all are welcome.

Not in the 'nati?
If you aren't a Cincinnati native this list is obviously not much help to you. However, a quick Google Search should lead you in the right direction in your own city. If your city is a fairly large one, then you may be fortunate enough to find several options - one of which should fit your needs!

There's a lot to be said of the value of peer review of your prints, not to mention the fun to be had in the shoot outings! If you're not already, I'd highly recommend getting out there and becoming involved in your local photography community.