06/18/2026
A tip
Are You Nikon or Canon? Let’s Talk About Camera Clubs.
Not the camera.
The club.
Some clubs are built around helping photographers grow.
Others are built around helping photographers score.
There is nothing wrong with competition. Competition can challenge us and sometimes push us to improve. The problem starts when the score becomes more important than the photograph.
That’s when photographers begin asking:
* Will this score well?
* What do judges like?
* How many points did it get?
* What place did it finish?
Instead of asking:
* Why did I make this photograph?
* What caught my eye?
* What was I trying to say?
* How can I make it stronger?
After a while, photographers stop making photographs for themselves and start making photographs for judges.
The images may score well, but they all start looking the same.
The same subjects.
The same processing.
The same formulas.
Want to know what kind of club you’re in?
Listen to the conversations.
Do members freely share knowledge?
Do beginners receive encouragement?
Do photographers talk about light, composition, storytelling, and vision?
Or do they spend most of their time talking about judges, scores, and rankings?
If you find yourself in a club that focuses heavily on scoring, you don’t have to quit.
You don’t have to compete.
Go for the programs.
Go for the field trips.
Go for the friendships.
Go for the learning.
Seek out people who simply want to have fun with their photography.
Seek out people who are excited to learn.
Seek out people who freely share what they know.
Seek out people who leave a meeting talking about photographs instead of scores.
Build your own circle if you have to.
A judge sees your image for a few seconds.
You lived it.
You saw the light.
You made the photograph.
That has value before anyone gives it a number.
A ribbon is nice.
A better photographer is even nicer.
Tip: The best thing a camera club can give you isn’t a ribbon. It’s a group of photographers who inspire you to pick up your camera, have fun, keep learning, and become a better photographer.
