Ards Camera Club

19/02/2026

ON Friday night, Ards Camera Club members were transported to the beauty and warmth of Kenya with Patricia Mackey and her wildlife photographs taken on safari.
The talk was informative, and we learnt a lot about the ups and downs of travelling around the big game reserves in a specially designed land cruiser, and of some of the discomforts of chasing game through the veldt! It was very amusing and we look forward to her next big adventure.
Ards Camera Club meets in the club house located at 201 South Street, Newtownards, and meets on Wednesday and Fridays at 7.30pm.
Visitors are welcome to go along and see what is on offer before making a decision to join, and where they will be greeted by the friendly members.
For information please contact the club secretary. email [email protected], who will be more than happy to provide information on membership fees and dates of meetings

29/01/2026

As the photographic season gets underway after the Christmas break, Ards Camera Club has hit the ground running, with an award for Sean Evans, who has achieved his licentiate with the Irish Photographic Federation.
The club was awarded four stars in the third round of the NIlA interclub competition - congratulations to Patricia Mackey, Sian Kerr, Claire Russell, and Claire Gibson, with Claire now an advanced photographer due to her hard work.
Ards Camera Club meets in the club house located at 201 South Street, Newtownards, and meets on Wednesday and Fridays at 7.30pm.
Visitors are welcome to go along and see what is on offer before making a decision to join, and where they will be greeted by the friendly members.
For information please contact the club secretary, email [email protected], who will be more than happy to provide information on membership fees and dates of meetings etc.

16/11/2025

We are deeply saddened to pass on the funeral arrangements following the death of one of our members this week. Derek Black will be remembered as a real gentleman and we were privileged that he chose Ards Camera Club to belong to. Our deepest condolences go to his loving family.

https://www.funeraltimes.com/derek-samuelblack343377318

30/10/2025

We are delighted and send our congratulations to our club member Patricia Mackey whose stunning image was chosen as the overall winner as well as the top entry in Category 1 - Best Picture Taken by a Zoo Visitor. Incredible photo!

We’re delighted to announce the winners of the Belfast Zoo Photographic Competition 2025!🦒

This year’s competition brought in hundreds of incredible entries from visitors, young photographers and professionals alike, all capturing the beauty of wildlife, the character of our animals and the charm of the Zoo’s setting 🦥

Congratulations to Patricia Mackey, whose stunning image was chosen as the overall winner as well as the top entry in Category 1 – Best Picture Taken by a Zoo Visitor 🦍

Visit our website to view the names of all of this year’s winning and highly commended photographs, or see them on display in the Belfast Zoo Visitor Centre over the October Half Term, from Saturday 25th - Friday 31st October.

Link to winning names: https://ow.ly/YG4R50Xefgu

We'll be sharing the winning photographs, here on our socials, over the next few days!💚

30/10/2025

7 Stars awarded to club members! We were very successful in the first round of the NIPA competition, achieving a record seven starred images.
A star is awarded for gaining 13/15 possible points for a photo.
Two of the club's novice photographers got stars, which will lead to them soon becoming advanced. Patricia Mackey got best PDI image with her magniticent shot of cheetah.

15/09/2025

A beautifully written tribute to Bangor and North Down Camera Club’s Ian Thorn. Even if you never enter a competition or reach an advanced level, this is what camera clubs are all about. New members always welcome, even if you choose to go to Bangor!

05/09/2025

New season! Tonight’s speaker at 19.30 on Macro Photography is Danny Gibson, a nature photographer with a focus on wildlife and outdoor imagery, specialising in macro photography. Visitors always welcome.

30/08/2025

25/26 Club Season starting.
We have just launched our new 25/26 programme and you can drop in if you would like to sample what we offer. This is our Friday night programme but we also do more practical Wednesday evenings. PM if interested.

06/08/2025

This is well worth a visit and great to see our fellow club put on such a wonderful exhibition.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19YcjahZMo/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Our Club Exhibition is now up to view in Bangor library on the second floor for the month of August if you'd like to drop in and have a look at club members work. There is also an elevator in the building for accessibility.

If you’ve ever taken a photo that made you smile, you’re already one of us. Our camera club isn’t all about fancy gear or technical jargon—it’s about the joy of seeing the world through your lens, whether that’s a phone, a compact camera, or a DSLR. We’re a friendly bunch who love sharing ideas and tips, learning from each other, and finding beauty in everyday moments. Come join us, and let’s capture life together—one click at a time. 📸 📱
Please share this post with your friends and family.

22/05/2025

A club is only as strong and as successful as its members make it and everyone has a role to play as it doesn’t work if we all just sit back. Fortunately at Ards Camera Club we have many hands willing to help. We took the opportunity at our Annual Exhibition to express our gratitude to a key Club Member Irvine Ferguson by awarding him Honorary Lifetime membership. This is in appreciation of the great contribution he makes towards the club. He is the ideal “active member” every club needs. He constructs the panels for the Ards shopping centre which includes printing, organising framing and mounting, he manages our arts grant, he supports novice and advanced members and always takes time to listen, he steps up to run practical evenings and outings, and has taken many positions on the committee over the years including being our former Chairman. And he is willing to wear a large range of hats both metaphorically and literally!

22/05/2025

ARDS Camera Club held its annual exhibition in Londonderry Pavilion on Friday, May 16.
The event was well attended, and our judge, Matthew Canning, did a wonderful job of selecting his favourite photos . His tips for improving some of the photos were also very helpful.
Many members really excelled, namely Michael Hutchinson, Rodney James, Keith Malcolm amongst many others, but the winners on the night were Marlene Hazlehurst with her image “If I were a butterfly” judged top Novice print, and Patricia Mackey with St Andrews Bay King Penguin colony which was top exhibition print.

Ands Camera Club meets on Wednesdays and Friday’s at 7.30 pm at 201, South Street, Newtownards and new members are always welcome.